Need a santoku knife? We’ve rounded up the best ones for you in this list. Read on!
You may be one of the new home cooks venturing into the world of knives, or maybe you’re just curious as to what a santoku knife is.
Whatever the case, we’ve been on a quest for the best santoku knife, and we’re here to show the results of our find!
Jump into the list of the best santoku knives with us below:
What Are Santoku Knives?
A santoku knife is a Japanese-style knife whose name directly refers to the “three virtues” or functionalities: cutting, slicing, and chopping. Santoku knives can be distinguished with their curved ends, high-carbon stainless steel blade, and thin widths.
You can also distinguish this knife with their Granton edge. Granton edges are serrated indentations that can be found along the blade length.
The Difference Between a Chef’s Knife and a Santoku Knife
If you’re a beginner to discerning knives in the kitchen, it’s understandable that you may be confused about these two! We compare and contrast their similarities and differences below:
Santoku Knives
Santoku knives are Japanese-style knives with a concave blade designed to facilitate rocking the blade back and forth through food. In Japan, they are often used for vegetable preparation, but they can also be used for meat, fish, or poultry.
Chef Knife
A chef’s knife is typically longer and thinner than a Santoku knife. It may have a smaller tip than other knives and it usually has a curved spine that makes it easier to mince and dice ingredients. A chef’s knife is primarily used for chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and mincing herbs.
The Top Ten Best Santoku Knives
01 Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Santoku Knife
Features:
- Made of high-carbon stainless Japanese steel
- With a taper ground edge
- Comes with an ergonomic handle with non-slip grip
- Not dishwasher-safe, so it must be handled carefully during hand-washing
Is It For You?
The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Knife is a finely crafted knife for cutting, chopping, and slicing meats and vegetables. The high-carbon German steel features precision construction with long-lasting sharpness.
It has a taper-ground edge that promises quality cuts. Plus, the ergonomic handle and non-grip slips makes sure you’re comfortable in using the knife for long periods of time. Whatever the case, you’ll have a breeze in the kitchen with this knife!
02 Babish High-Carbon German Steel Santoku Knife
Features:
- Made of high-carbon steel
- Has a sharp point due to being tempered, ground, and polished
- With a full-tang handle
- Comes with a Granton edge
- Has a hollow blade edge
Is It For You?
The Babish High-Carbon German Steel Santoku Knife is one of the perfect picks for your kitchen needs! The high-carbon alloy steel is tempered, ground, and polished for maximum sharpness and precision.
The blade isn’t just sharp and precise. It’s also a hollow edge Santoku knife with Granton edges for less drag and stuck food. Slice, dice, and mince all day with its comfortable grip, too!
If you’re looking for the Santoku knife that can perform well and stay durable, the Babish High-Carbon Steel Santoku Knife may be the one for you.
03 Henckels Classic Razor Sharp Blade – Hollow-Edge Santoku Knife
Features:
- Is a stainless steel santoku knife
- Has a satin finish
- Comes with full-tang handle material
- Polished with a hollow sharp blade edge
Is It For You?
The Henckles Classic Razor Sharp Blade is a high-quality knife anyone would want in their kitchen. It’s been honed to be of perfect sharpness, and the fine-polished hollow edge makes it great for extra thin cuts.
Prepare meat, fish, and vegetables with this santoku knife. You won’t tire of it, either. It has a triple riveted handle that makes sure you’re comfortable all throughout your usage.
Into aesthetics? The satin finish makes it look more of a quality blade — and it’s already a great knife!
Check out the Henckles Classic Razor Sharp Blade Santoku Knife. It may be the one for you.
04 Mitsumoto Sakari Japanese Santoku Knife
Features:
- Traditionally hand-forged for 45 days, making it stand out from other kitchen knives
- Made with three layers of high carbon steel, with cold nitrogen treatment and precision quenching
- With a solid rosewood handle, ergonomically designed for your comfort
- Comes with sandalwood gift box packaging
Is It For You?
The Mitsumoto Sakari Japanese Santoku Knife astounds us all. After all, this could be the best of the best of Japanese knives.
Many Santoku knives don’t have the same features the Mitsumoto Sakari has. We start off with the three layers of laminated carbon steel that not only resists stains but corrosions and rust as well.
With the precise, forty-five day forging process, the resulting forged knives are stronger, thinner, and more durable. While the thin blade itself is reliable, the ergonomics of the handle is also something to praise.
The handle material is made of rosewood. The design is intended for the user to keep a good grip and maintain a reliable balance during usage. Plus, it comes with sandalwood gift box packaging, which makes it the perfect gift — either to yourself or a loved one!
05 DALSTRONG Santoku Knife Forged with Carbon German Steel
Features:
- Santoku blades and handle material are made of carbon German steel
- Is National Sanitation Foundation certified
- Comes with a handle impervious to heat and water
- Comes with a hand-sharpened blade and pointed tip
- Comes with a hand-polished spine and stone-polished blade
Is It For You?
In the Vanquish series, the DALSTRONG Santoku knife takes precision to the next level. The tall blade is tapered and stone-polished to 16-18 degree sharpness. When you slice, chop, dice, and mince, there’s little to no resistance — and its design can prevent food from getting stuck to the knife!
A good Santoku knife, however, is more than its blade. Beyond the precise, high-carbon steel, the polished spine gives you comfort through the grip. This knife is rust and corrosion-resistant, and is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation.
06 MOSFiATA Santoku Knife
Features:
- Blade is made of high-quality stainless steel
- Blade resists rust, corrosion, and discoloration
- Hand-polished to create an ultra-sharp edge at 14 to 16 degrees per side
- With a solid Micarta handle and a triple rivet design
- Comes with a sharpener and finger guard
Is It For You?
Want one of the premium Santoku knives? Look into the MOSFiATA Santoku knife! It’s a high-quality 7-inch Santoku knife for a reasonable price. It can do all the dicing, slicing, and cutting tasks with ease.
The Japanese steel is a thinner blade and made of high-quality stainless steel. There will be no rust, corrosion, and discoloration on the blade, either! This super sharp knife is great for professional kitchens, but home cooks will benefit from it as well.
We know it can get tiring to prep your food, but MOSFiATA answers that trouble quite easily. The sturdy handle provides a secure, comfortable grip with a triple-rivet design. You’re even safer and more secure with your purchase as MOSFiATA provides a finger guard and knife sharpener.
07 WÜSTHOF Classic IKON 7-inch Santoku Knife
Features:
- Made of high-carbon stainless steel
- Made with Precision Edge Technology that yields a 20% sharper blade
- Blade is thinner at a 10-degree cutting edge and rounded curve
- Has hollow edges with evenly spaced vertical indentations for the food
Is It For You?
If you want a knife that has a history of professionalism and quality, go for the WÜSTHOF Classic IKON 7-inch Santoku Knife. This hollow-edge santoku knife comes with quality stainless steel, Precision Edge Technology, and 10-degree cutting edge.
It’s super sharp and comes with a rounded curve for all your mincing, dicing, and chopping needs! The hollow edges are there to stop the food from sticking to the blade, saving you time and energy while prepping food.
The forged blade will last you long, and the handle itself is comfortable to use. The double bolster gives it an amazing design and gives you balance during usage. It’s ergonomic and resists fading and discoloration, too!
08 Mac Knife Superior Paring Knife and Santoku Knife
Features:
- Has a high-carbon 2-millimeter blade
- Is rust-resistant, durable, and with a razor-sharp edge
- With a pakka wood handle
- Made in Japan
Is It For You?
Looking for high quality santoku and paring knives for your kitchen? The Mac Knife can be the best option for you!
The two-millimeter blade is thin enough for fine slices, dices, and minces. Due to the high-carbon material, the blade is exceptionally sharp that will endure general wear and tear. Another perk? It’s rust-resistant, too!
More than the blade itself, however, the pakka wood handle makes sure that you can rely on this product for years to come. It’s strong and comfortable enough to grip properly through all your slicing needs.
Get the Mac Knife here and see the wonder for yourself. The only drawback for this santoku knife is that it’s not dishwasher-safe! You have to carefully hand-wash it after every use.
09 Yoshiniro Inox Ice-Hardened 7-Inch Santoku Knife
Features:
- Increased carbon content in the blade, leading to higher edge retention
- Has a handcrafted, full-tang, Western-style handle
- Is versatile and stain-resistant
- Ice-hardened for increased refinement
Is It For You?
If you need a guaranteed durable knife, the Yoshiniro Inox is the one for you. Besides having high carbon content in its steel blade, it’s also ice-hardened for increased refinement and resiliency. As a result, it has a higher edge retention, too!
You can use this santoku knife for a variety of purposes. It’s stain-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about possible discoloration in the future. Plus, you know you can count on it to last for years — not only is the handle made of pakka wood, it’s also handcrafted, with a full-tang, Western-style handle.
Look no further for the a handy, trusty knife!
10 Sabatier Forged Santoku Knife with Self-Sharpening Sheath
Features:
- High-quality blade that promises durability and sharpness
- Comes with hand-crafted stamped blade edges
- Full-tang handles for maximum comfort and grip
- Comes with a self-sharpening Edgekeeper sleeve
Is It For You?
Worried about dull blades? That won’t happen with the Sabatier Forged Santoku Knife! Its major perk is that it comes with a self-sharpening Edgekeeper sleeve, so it keeps your knives as sharp as they can — even with regular use.
The high-quality blade is sure of its durability. And you won’t have to endure long prepping times, either — you can feel the comfort with the triple-riveted handles as you use them.
The Great Santoku Knives: A Buying Guide
Okay, you’ve got all the knives you can choose from in this article. But the question becomes what you should look for in the first place.
Don’t worry. We’ll guide you through what you should look for in a Santoku knife below:
- Cutting Angle
You want a Santoku knife to live up to its three virtues: chopping, slicing, and dicing. As a result, if you’re looking for quality knives, you should look into the Santoku blades.
You want your Santoku knife to produce paper-thin slices and fine minces. So, you have to look for a thin blade with the right cutting angle. The cutting angle should be less than 20 degrees — anything over 20 degrees means that the cutting edge is too thick and won’t yield the same results.
As a general rule of thumb, look for a cutting-edge blade within 15 to 20 degrees. If you can, try to find a stainless steel santoku knife with a cutting angle of less than 15 degrees. You’ll be surprised at how much it makes a difference!
- Handle and Blade Material
Strong steel is a must with Santoku knives. You want something durable, sturdy, and able to withstand general wear and tear.
High-carbon and stainless steel blades are a must. If you can find some, go for forged blades as well. The forging process makes the flat cutting edge and blade itself much sturdier.
We don’t recommend ceramic blades. If you do go for a ceramic blade, make sure your cutting board is either wood or plastic to accommodate the brittle quality of ceramic knives.
A blade is nothing without the handle, so make sure the handle material is top-notch as well. Look for something full-tang — where the blade runs down the handle! It’s more durable that way.
Triple-riveted handles are also good recommendations for ease of usage. A wooden handle and pinch grip will also go a long way.
- Size
As much as possible, you want a tall blade length. It keeps your slices even and yields thinner results. The longer the blade is, the better, but take into account your own comfort and general usage as well when choosing a knife.
- Edges
A Granton, hollow edge or having indentations along you Santoku knife is a must. It prevents food from being stuck to the blade itself, so you don’t have to waste time sliding pieces of vegetables and fruit off your knife. It saves time, so you’re more efficient in your prepping and cooking!
Where to Use Your Santoku Knives
Fruit and Vegetables
A santoku knife is best for dicing, mincing, and chopping vegetables and fruits. You want knife to slice cleanly without crushing the vegetables. Plus, it should be easier to control for finer cuts.
Meat
While santoku knives aren’t the most ideal pick for meats, your santoku knife should still perform well against most of them! Cutting meat should be quite easy with santoku knives.
It should cut through skin, the actual meat, and joints. If you, like most home cooks, still don’t have a complete collection of knives for meats, a santoku knife should do well when picked up for the task.
Fish
A good santoku knife should be able to accomplish filleting, skinning, and trimming fish. It should get through the skin, spine, and bone.
Additional Accessories After Buying a Santoku Knife
- A Cutting Board
After all, you do need somewhere to chop your food on! The tricky part is choosing the best cutting board possible for your expensive knives.
Cutting boards should have some give to them so the knives can press into it quite easily. As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid glass, bamboo, marble, and steel cutting boards.
However, end-grain wood boards and plastic can be your best bets. We highly recommend this John Boos Block cherry-wood cutting board! It’s hand-crafted, reversible, and safe for fine cutlery.
- Knife Sharpener
As much as we hate it to happen, our knives do dull over time. It’s best to have a kitchen knife sharpener for most chef’s knives! No matter how sharp a knife is, even if it’s a hollow edge Santoku knife, it can and will dull over time.
Have you found that your knife performed badly compared to before? It’s time to bring out the knife sharpener. For the best results, we recommend Chef’sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener.
This sharpener can transform your knives into the sharpest, 15-degree edges along the blade length. It’s easy to use, versatile, and with 100% diamond abrasives to sharpen the most out of the blade length of your knives.
If an electric sharpener isn’t the one you want to use, you can also go for a whetstone set. This knife sharpening set we found comes with a bundle of three double-sided grit sharpening stones. The non-slip bamboo base holds everything securely as you sharpen your knives along their blade length!
- Knife Block
Got all the knives you need, or starting a new knife collection? It’s time to invest in a knife block. You need to save up on the drawer and countertop space, and it’s safer to have all your knives in one place.
We recommend getting this Cook N Home Knife Block. It’s made of durable acacia wood, with over 20 slots to fit in all the knives in your kitchen.
It can hold everything up to nine inches deep! There’s a variety of widths, too, so you can put everything from a meat cleaver to a chef’s knife. If you have them, you can also choose to put in kitchen scissors and sharpening tools.
This knife block doesn’t just perform its function, but it also looks good on your kitchen countertop!
FAQs
Are Santoku Knives Good Knives?
Santoku knives are definitely good knives. They can be used for slicing, chopping, and cutting vegetables, fruits, and meats. They’re quite easy to maneuver, are functional, and are versatile knives!
Which Knife Is The Best: Santoku or Chef’s?
Santoku knives and chef’s knives both have different functions, so they’re best for different purposes. Use a Santoku knife for high-precision cuts, mincing, dicing, and thin slices. Use chef knives for disjointing meats and complex cutting instead.
Can You Use a Santoku Knife for Everything?
You practically can! Santoku knives excel at versatility. However, it’s best if you can use different knives for different functions. A multipurpose knife, paring knife, chef’s knife and other knives may work best for what you need
