If you follow the right tips, you can cook a restaurant-quality steak at home. However, if you want to be able to fully enjoy that delicious piece of meat that you prepared, it is essential to use a good steak knife to cut it. Not only will a sharp, high-quality knife allow you to easily cut clean slices, but it can also help ensure that each bite tastes amazing. With a dull knife, you'll struggle to cut, likely tearing or pushing down on the steak. This will result in more of the juices running out of the meat before it makes it to your mouth. Conversely, with a good, sharp knife, more of those juices are retained, ensuring a rich and flavorful bite every time...

This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on July 22, 2026.

Professional chefs spend their waking hours streamlining workflows and finessing techniques to create the meals we enjoy. They know that kitchen towels are indispensable and knives should always stay sharp. They’ve learned the do’s and don’ts of running a restaurant kitchen, so it only makes sense that they’d have strong opinions when it comes to the mistakes they see home cooks making all the time. We asked pro chefs about the kitchen habits that annoy them the most and they had a lot to spill.

Kitchen torches may not be everyday tools for home cooks, but they’re surprisingly versatile. You can melt cheese on burgers, finish sous vide steaks, toast marshmallows, and, of course, caramelize the sugar on a crème brûlée. You also don’t need to spend much to get a reliable one.

To find the best torches, I tested a wide range of models myself, making plenty of crème brûlée and toasting marshmallow fluff to see how each one performed. Many are geared toward professional kitchens, but the picks below are the best I’ve found for home cooks....

Kitchen knives are so personal. You can do almost everything you need in a kitchen with a chef's knife, paring knife, and a bread knife. But the more time you spend in the kitchen, the more you develop preferences, and soon it becomes a bit of an n+1 thing, and there you are, pondering a cleaver.

This gift guide brings together ideas that make choosing an extra-special item for an adventurous couple much easier. Here are our top picks for thoughtful, sentimental, or ultra-modern gifts that the happy couple will talk about for years to come. 

A good chef’s knife is arguably the most important tool in a home cook’s arsenal. While there are a whole bunch of pecialized knives designed for specific tasks, if you have only one knife in your kitchen it should be a chef’s knife. With a chef’s knife in hand you can accomplish a great many tasks, from chopping and dicing, to breaking down a chicken, to skinning fish. A chef’s knife can do it all (well, almost — I do not recommend using one for cutting bread). 

Chef Edward Lee’s latest venture is Shia,
a restaurant in Washington, D.C. It’s a fully functioning Korean fine-dining establishment — but with a plastic-free kitchen. Begun with the backing of his nonprofit, the Lee Initiative, the project is a year old and meant to last five in total — a sort of experiment in which Lee and his team are test-driving products to replace the plastic ones commonly found in professional kitchens.

Dehydrated camp meals are light and easy calories, but they’re far from gourmet. If you’re a dedicated home cook with a refined palate, the taste of convenience can be hard to stomach. 

Thankfully, there are a lot of camp kitchen products for backcountry chefs that make essential equipment lighter and more compact than their at-home counterparts.

My chef’s-knife collection is substantial. I’ve owned some since I moved out of my parents’ house a decade ago, I’ve received others as gifts, and I’ve tested quite a few for this story. And after so much time with so many blades that I’ve used to slice, chop, cut, and carve my way through many meals, I know that finding one you feel comfortable holding and using is vital to your efficiency and success as a cook. Beyond considering price, of course, chef’s knives are made of different materials, are different sizes, have different-feeling handles, and are different weights — and in none of those categories is there an absolute correct way to go. Also, it’s worth saying, more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. It’s like a white T-shirt: What’s the ultimate one to somebody else may not be the ultimate one to you. Here, I drew on my own expertise and spoke to 20 experts to determine some outstanding options — and then did my best to categorize and describe them to help you find yours. If you’re in the market for more than just a chef’s knife, I’ve dug deep into the best knife sets, too, and you can also check out our guide to serrated knives...

A knife roll is usually considered the purview of professional chefs (*cough* who want to show off their custom-made Gyuto at work *cough* ) or culinary students toting knives to class. But for the rest of us, it serves a more humble—and practical—purpose: to bring sharp knives with us where dull knives await, be it holidays at our in-laws’ house, cooking with friends, or to a vacation rental. Rather than tossing your beloved blades in a tote bag or suitcase (sounds dangerous!), we recommend nestling them gently into a knife roll, where they’ll stay safe and secure for the journey.

For the person whose love language is preheating the oven, good news: home cooks can never have too many toys. Another razor-sharp chef’s knife? Yes. A cast-iron skillet that could double as a kettlebell? Absolutely. An instant-read thermometer, carbon steel pan, or a microplane so they can zest like a maniac? Add to cart. And don’t sleep on edible upgrades—glorious olive oil, funky vinegars, small-batch chili crisps, and spice sets that make Tuesday taste like a vacation. If it fuels their favorite hobby, they’ll appreciate it—and you—every time dinner doesn’t burn.

Back when I was a wee line cook, besides plating fish for crudo and chopping literal buckets of onions, I had to shuck oysters. The oyster knife the chef handed me on my first day was gorgeous, sporting a burnished, vintage pommel. It was also dull and ineffective. I’d stand on the line, whittling away at the bivalves, bits of shell flaking off and on more than one occasion, poking my palm. And often all I had to show for my toil was a travesty: An oyster with its hinge side broken off, meat leaking out like a hernia (sorry). Maybe it was some sort of hazing ritual, who can say? Thankfully, a fellow line cook took pity on me and brought in his personal oyster knife—a no-frills option with a plastic handle and a sharp blade. I finally started to shuck oysters with confidence, with only the truly knobbly, dinosaur-like ones giving any resistance. 

The lesson of this tale: A dull oyster knife makes for a miserable (and potentially dangerous) experience. The good news? I worked out my right forearm testing 12 oyster knives by shucking 150 oysters, so you don’t have to suffer as I once did. 

Meat cleavers occupy a strange space in the world of knives. Most of us picture a butcher wielding a massive cleaver, but the reality is most contemporary butchers use boning knives to hew meat and heavy-duty electric saws to slice through thick bones. Cleavers aren’t entirely practical for large-scale butchery (and they can’t really cut through large, heavy bones), but they do offer versatility to home cooks.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who cook for necessity and those who cook for fun. While we can definitely relate to the latter, we have to admit that finding the perfect present for your favorite home chef can be easier said than done. Not only do they have everything they need to make their go-to recipes, but they’re probably very particular about their cookware or pantry essentials.

Great, thoughtful gifts are not just reserved for the holidays. That is especially true of the men in our life who we appreciate—our boyfriends, partners, husbands, or whoever it may be. Whether he's really getting into watches or sneakers (or speakers) and spends most of his time talking about expanding his collection, but is he talking vinyl or video games? Regardless of his hobbies, there are perfect gifts for every type of perfect boyfriend.

Food & lifestyle expert Chadwick Boyd joins us with his top gift picks that are as delicious as they are easy on your wallet.

By now you should have a great chef's knife in your arsenal, because I'm a firm believer that it's some of the best money you can spend when it comes to cooking...

Ask any chef what their most essential kitchen tool is, and they will undoubtedly answer: a good set of knives. The same holds true for any home cook who aims to set up an efficient kitchen.

Though you can buy knives piecemeal, investing in a quality set is a great way to easily secure all of the basics, along with a handy storage option, in one fell swoop.

We’ve researched and tested dozens of chef knives over the years — these are our picks for high quality, eco-friendly kitchen knives that’ll last a lifetime.

A good knife can be a make-or-break in the kitchen; it’s the difference between easily chopping through tough meats and vegetables and accidentally cutting yourself when a handle or blade breaks. (Ouch, no thanks!)

There may be no tool more important in the kitchen than a chef’s knife. It is the multipurpose slicer and dicer of ingredients, capable of breaking down thick-skinned winter squash, yet precise enough to filet a side of salmon. Too often, however, chef’s knives are taken for granted, misused or even neglected. 

Ojai-based maker of premium handcrafted chef knives, Messermeister recently introduced a clever partnership with Ventura-based men’s outdoor adventure lifestyle brand Iron & Resin on the creation of a canvas apron that doubles as a knife roll.

A bad set of steak knives can stop a dinner party dead in its tracks. You've done all the work to prepare that beef Wellington, only to watch every piece get eviscerated by the dull blades you gave your guests. It's not a good feeling. If this is something you fear, it's time to replace the steak knife set your folks gave you when you went off to college for some real cutlery. It's time for some big boy knives.

Having the right gear in your kitchen can make all the difference in getting the most out of your favorite cookware set and your go-to weeknight recipes. If there's one essential that professional chefs and home cooks swear by, it's durable and stylish wooden kitchen utensils. The best wooden utensils add a beautiful textural touch to an otherwise utilitarian space, but they also have some practical and technical advantages for home cooks.

Because your steak knife can make or break a perfectly prepared ribeye or flavor-packed skirt steak recipe,
we’re passionate about buying quality knives to slice through your meat like butter. The great thing is that you don’t necessarily have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a reliable set. 

After hours of testing popular collections from brands including Material, Messermeister, and Zwilling, we found a handful of steak knife sets under $100 that work just as well or better than their pricier counterparts. Each set that made our list earned high scores on its design, comfort, and cleanability based on its performance during a series of tests. Keep reading to learn more about our favorites, and get ready to fire up your grill.

I’ve tried all the old tricks to keep my tears at bay when cutting onions: sunglasses, swimming goggles, sticking out my tongue, running the sink faucet, and slicing them straight out of the fridge. But nothing seemed to really stop the sobfest until I invested in new, sharper knives. 

We're always looking out for the newest tools and tried-and-true treasures to share with our fellow cooks and loved ones. There's not a wine glass, stainless steel skillet, or air fryer that comes across our testing labs and home kitchens that we don't consider for a spot in our library of Food & Wine Faves picks, and we take gift recommendations just as seriously. These road-tested tools and appliances received the highest marks from our professional cooks and editors — each one guaranteed to be the best of the best...

Few kitchen tools are more important than the knife. Every kitchen needs a chef’s knife, paring knife, and bread knife, and then there are countless specialty styles you might want, from cheese knives to oyster knives.

The options can get overwhelming, especially when you’re looking for the best knife deals for holiday gifts. We’ve scoured all the 2025 Black Friday deals and found pretty incredible prices on many of our favorites, including the best value steak knives and some truly great Shun Japanese knives.

Despite or because of their simplicity, tomato sandwiches are ripe for customization. For devotees, the general concept — juicy tomato slices seasoned with salt and pepper and stuffed between mayo-spread bread — becomes a canvas for individual preferences and evolving tastes.

“I can confidently say I’ve eaten tomato sandwiches for as long as I can remember, but the ways I eat them and prepare them have changed over the years,” says Kevin Johnson, chef and owner of The Grocery in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Besides maybe fire, there’s no cooking tool more important than the knife. Every kitchen should have at least a chef’s knife, but there are so many more you might need, from the all-purpose paring knife to specialty blades for cheese, oysters, and brisket.

We’ve tested thousands of knives in every category, and we’ve found that cost and quality aren’t always correlated. The best cheap knives may not look the fanciest, but that doesn’t matter when they’re razor-sharp and a joy to hold. These budget blades have proven their effectiveness in testing, and they’re all under $50.

No one can beat Bobby Flay— or his kitchen. In a recent tour of his NYC apartment, the celebrity chef gave Architectural Digest a rare look inside his home. The Food Network star is known for his grilling prowess and competitive spirit, but the video makes it clear that he also has quite the eye for interior design. His aspirational kitchen is filled with restaurant-quality gear fit for an Iron Chef, inspiring us to equip our own homes with some of Flay’s favorite essentials. Shop mini Lodge cast iron skilletsto serve restaurant-style at home, grab a molcajete (you can never have too many, according to Flay), and more.

The white elephant gift exchange will be here before you know it, so it's a good idea to get ahead while quick delivery is still an option. Many people end up buying a safe pick like acoffee mugor anaffordable wine glasson the way to the party, and others might exceed the agreed-upon price limit by giftinghigh-end kitchen toolsthat steal the show. We’ve done the work to recommend the best white elephant gifts under $50 to keep expectations realistic, keep your coin purse unemptied, and promote some healthy competition at the party.

The best gifts for grillers are ones that improve their cooking experience, whether grilling accessories, barbecue seasonings, or even a new Traeger if you're looking to splurge. We’re constantly testing thebest smokersandoutdoor grills, meat thermometers, and other tools, giving us strong opinions on the best gifts in every category. You'll find them here, peppered with some of my personal recommendations, like the spice rubs and condiments I use at home. For dads who dabble on weekends, high-tech gadget lovers, or bare-bones traditionalists, this list of gifts for grillers has something for all grilling styles.

Few kitchen tools are more important than the knife. Every kitchen needs a chef’s knife, paring knife, and bread knife, and then there are countless specialty styles you might want, from cheese knives to oyster knives.

The options can get overwhelming, especially when you’re looking for the best knife deals for holiday gifts. We’ve scoured all the 2025 Black Friday deals and found pretty incredible prices on many of our favorites, including the best value steak knives and some truly great Shun Japanese knives.

Matty Mathesonis very busy lately. The Canadian-born chef/actor owns several restaurants, createdhis own line of sauces and seasonings, has writtenthree cookbooks, is launching a new season of his cooking showJust a Dashon Netflix on January 20, and is promoting theMatty’s Cheesy Nuggy Gravy Bowlat KFC — an ode to his home country’s signature dish,poutine. “It’s something I’ve loved since I was a kid,” he says. “Growing up in Canada, it’s at the forefront. Going to the ice rink at a young age or just going to a restaurant, everyone loves cheese andgravyand fries.”

Professional chefs spend their waking hours streamlining workflows and finessing techniques to create the meals we enjoy. They know that kitchen towels are indispensable and knives should always stay sharp. They’ve learned the do’s and don’t’s of running a restaurant kitchen, so it only makes sense that they’d have strong opinions when it comes to the mistakes they see home cooks making all the time. We asked pro chefs about the kitchen habits that annoy them the most and they had a lot to spill...

Sometimes shopping for the women in your life can be a bit of a challenge, no matter how well you know them. Whether it’sMother’s Day, herbirthday, or your anniversary, we suggest you do things differently this time around. Sure, we always love the standardbathrobe,rose-scented candle, orbouquet—but once in a while, it's fun to be really surprised with something unexpected and special.

A bad set of steak knives can stop adinner partydead in its tracks. You've doneall the workto prepare that beef Wellington, only to watch every piece get eviscerated by the dull blades you gave your guests. It's not a good feeling. If this is something you fear, it's time to replace the steak knife set your folks gave you when you went off to college for somereal cutlery. It's time for somebig boy knives...

If you’re looking to reduce your reliance on plastic in the kitchen, you’re in luck. We’ve tested and come to recommend more than 150 plastic-free kitchen items that will have you covered from meal prep to cleanup...

"This women-owned business originally developed this line for a culinary school. Now chefs and cooking newbies can appreciate the balance and heft of each blade and how great the block looks on their counter," Oprah shared in her 2024 list.

Amazon is a haven for Oprah's Favorite Things—especially when you need to check a gift off your list in a pinch. As part of the retailer'sBig Spring Sale, which runs through March 31, we found plenty of Oprah-approved products on sale.

We use the empresaria’s annual list to inspire gift shopping all year long—not just around the holidays. From tech gadgets and travel hacks to beauty tools and kitchen must-haves, here's your chance to see why Oprah's picks are so popular (without having to pay full price). If you're shopping for upcoming events this spring, we think many of these are peakMother's Day fodder, and there are even a few worthypresents for new college graduateswho need help outfitting their first apartments.

Mom deserves celebration every day, but Mother’s Day gives us the perfect excuse to truly show it. It’s a chance to pause and remind her how much she means to us and find something meaningful to gift her. Whether it’s a touch of luxury, a wardrobe essential she’ll reach for daily, or a heartfelt personalized keepsake, the best gifts feel as special and unique as she is. Mother’s Day is all about making her feel seen and loved, and to make choosing easier, we’ve curated 33 of the best Mother’s Day gifts for 2026...

Holiday shopping just got more fun: Our2026 Gift Guide for Cooks and Home Chefsrounds up the greatest gifts for home cooks, bakers, foodies, and chefs of all budgets, ages, and skill levels. From clever stocking stuffers to the best, splurge-worthy cookware, these are thoughtful picks to delight any cook and food lover...

A whole brisket is one of the most impressive dishes you can break out for a dinner party or holiday celebration. Whether perfectly smoked asTexas-style barbecueor oven-braised into a pot roast, this big cut of beef is versatile, eye-catching, and feeds a crowd...

When the new owner of a 19th-century schoolhouse in Vermont removed its cupola, neighbors had concerns. Letters arrived in the mailbox. A story landed in the tiny local paper. The small town feared the worst. But the owner—a multidisciplinary creative and visual artist who is the head of Donkey Milk Studios—had no intention of erasing the beloved structure. They were simply repairing the old school bell so it could ring again...

Dads are notoriously difficult to buy for, but if he loves to cook or eat or drink, you’re sure to find something on this list he’ll appreciate unwrapping his Father’s Day.

Maybe he’s already started firing up the grill and is hankering for some specialty gear. Or perhaps he has a bar cart that needs a bit of sprucing. To help you find a wide range of gifts that are sure to please any foodie dad (even if you’ve tried to get him to refer to himself a different way), we combed through our archives and pulled the most special, thoughtful, and unexpected ideas, and then organized them by price. Whatever his comfort level in the kitchen, one of these items is sure to make his day.

The Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale is known for its generous discounts on fashion and beauty favorites, but it’s also one of our favorite places to shop for cookware and other home and kitchen essentials. This section is stocked with renowned brands like Staub and Le Creuset, as well as trendier, style-forward ones like Our Place and Marimekko....

Picture this: a well-cooked steak, ready for the precision and finesse that only slicing with a top-notch knife can provide. Whether you're a pro chef, a grill aficionado, or just someone looking to upgrade their dining setup, we've got you covered with the best steak knives.

Effortlessly slicing through juicy cuts of meat? Adding a touch of class to your table? Each steak knife in this lineup has been carefully chosen to give you the best options. We've combed through the steak knife market, considering everything from sharpness and construction to style and comfort, so you get a collection that not only meets but surpasses the expectations of steak lovers everywhere.

The Messermeister Next Level Magnetic Knife Block is a stylish kitchen storage solution for consumers to use as a way to keep their knives in tiptop shape.

The unit maintains a chic profile thanks to its Acacia wood construction, which is broken up into individual storage sections to accommodate a whole collection of knives. The open-concept panels will maximize ventilation to help dry off knives if they're put away with any remaining moisture. The block has space for storing up to 16 knives at once.

Limited Edition Chef Edward Lee Knife, Handcrafted by Artisans in Japan, Features a Reclaimed Maker’s Mark Bourbon Barrel Handle and 8-Inch Black Damascus Steel Blade, To Benefit The James Beard Award-Winning Lee Initiative

Louisville-based chef and James Beard Award-winning author Edward Lee, who routinely appears on Top Chef, Iron Chef and MasterChef, made an appearance at Saltie Girl in West Hollywood this week to introduce his limited edition Messermeister chef’s knife.

As part of the women-owned, Ojai-based maker of premium chef knives and culinary tools Forge initiative to “shape the world into a better place,” the signature knife reflects Lee’s style and passion for bourbon, with charred handles reclaimed from Kentucky-based Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels with 53-layer Black Damascus steel, into a clean Asian Bunka design.

Chef, restaurateur and Bourbon Land cookbook author Edward Lee is collaborating with premium knifemaker
Messermeister on a limited line of whiskey-inspired chef’s knives.

Handmade by artisans in Japan, the eight-inch Ltd Edition Chef Edward Lee Chef’s Knife is comprised of a 53-layer Black Damascus steel blade with a charred handle reclaimed from Kentucky-based Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels,
featuring a Shou Sugi Ban design. Only 750 knives will be produced.

I have a bit of a kitchen knife–buying obsession. It helps that I can justify many of my purchases for work (how else am I going to write comprehensive reviews of chef's knives and paring knives?), but I'm still stuck trying to deal with the consequences of all those purchases: How do I store so many knives?

Even if you don't purchase knives for work, there's a decent chance that you, too, have a collection that's in need of proper storage. There's no one right answer—it depends on your needs, and often it helps to use a few different methods. Here are the knife storage solutions that have worked best for me in a variety of scenarios (along with one
that hasn't).

Let’s admit, being a Dad is one of the greatest things in the world; both Jake and I know since we each have two kids of our own. While we never expect anything in recognition of Father’s Day, we cannot deny that receiving a thoughtful gift is always fun! So, if you are looking for the perfect gift for your whiskey-loving Dad (husband or special Father figure in your life), we’ve got some great ideas for you ahead. This is a carefully curated list of whiskey-themed gifts that aren’t (the dreaded) whiskey stones or cocktail smoker kits that everyone has more than enough of.

This curated selection of gifts — from gadgets to grooming, heartfelt gestures to uncommon goods — will immediately have Dad feeling the familial love...

You can butcher a deer with a sharp kitchen knife, but a good set of quality blades makes things a lot easier. When building your collection, take a cue from professional meat cutters and invest in steel that can stand up to tough use with handles that feel comfortable in your grip, even during extended sessions on the butcher block. After 20-plus years
of cutting my own meat, here is the knife roll I’ve built to process deer, elk, antelope and game birds season after season.

When steak (or any serious cut of meat) is on the table, a set of steak knives should be, too.

After over 40 hours of research, interviews, and testing, we’re convinced...

I couldn't live without a great pair of kitchen shears. They're an essential kitchen tool I rely on for traditional cooking tasks, such as removing a chicken's backbone to spatchcock it before roasting or grilling. I also use mine daily to open packages, snip herbs from my indoor garden, or cut a salad straight into the bowl.

If you only use kitchen shears to open packaging, to cut twine, or on the rare occasion when you summon up the courage to tackle that spatchcocked chicken recipe, you are seriously underutilizing your pair of snips. While I used my everyday scissors for non-food purposes such as cutting paper or fabric or curling ribbons for presents, for a long time, I didn’t fully
understand the versatility of kitchen shears. It took visiting a K-BBQ spot as a teenager—where I witnessed my friend deftly using a pair to trim marinated strips of kalbi and kimchi into bite-size pieces—to realize how practical a dedicated pair of very sharp scissors can be in the realm of food.

Whether you like them raw, Rockefeller, or roasted, oysters are a delicious and versatile ingredient. They're abundant and
one of the most sustainable types of seafood thanks to their minimal need for resources and ability to filter out pollutants. You should probably be eating more oysters...

Kitchen torches may not be everyday tools for home cooks, but they’re surprisingly versatile. You can melt cheese on burgers, finish sous vide steaks, toast marshmallows, and, of course, caramelize the sugar on a crème brûlée. You also don’t need to spend much to get a reliable one.

If someone told me I could only keep three things in my kitchen, my kitchen shears would, without a doubt, make the cut. Even before formally testing kitchen shears, I owned four pairs because I use them for everything. Kitchen shears help me efficiently cut protein—meat, chicken, and more—into bite-sized pieces before or after cooking. I also rely on them to make daily chopped salads for my lunch, and to prepare all kinds of food for my four children. I cut their pizza into smaller slices, trim the crust off of sandwiches, snip French toast into sticks, and more. Did you know some kitchen shears can even help you open stubborn jars, strip the leaves from herbs, crack nuts, and
serve as a bottle opener? Yep, they’re that versatile, and I’m here to tell you: If you don’t already have a great pair of kitchen shears, you need one—stat.

A dull steak knife can quickly put a damper on dinner, just as a poor-quality knife block set can turn slicing and dicing into a slow, hazardous chore, or the wrong paring knife can make prepping your fruits and vegetables time-consuming. The best steak knives slice through proteins effortlessly and are comfortable to hold. And steak knives aren't limited to fancy steak dinner recipes, either — they’re great for slicing into all kinds of meats, from chicken thighs to roasted pork loin.

In the grand scheme of kitchen gizmos and gadgets, a set of steak knives might seem, well, superfluous. Perhaps you’re cutting back on eating red meat (or eating meat at all), or maybe you doubt the use case of buying an expensive set of knives that will only see the light of day a few times a year. And while I agree that steak knives are more of an indulgence than a necessity, I’ve also been in situations where I’m serving a grilled skirt steak with chimichurri for dinner and have to present guests with a motley crew of dull-ish paring knives to saw away at their meal with. This, at least, in my mind, is less than ideal.

Japanese knives are renowned for their quality and craftsmanship, and Japanese culinary tradition has developed a full set of shapes and styles for different cutting tasks. One of the more versatile of these is the nakiri. Created for cutting vegetables, it has a thin, sharp, rectangular blade. The best nakiri knife is perfect for making thin slices of everything from cabbage to sweet potato and for quick and efficient chopping.

But it's not just for veggies; the nakiri is sharp and agile enough to be an all-purpose essential kitchen knife. It can slice meats just as easily as anything else. In a quest to find the best nakiri knife, I tested 12 of these useful tools. Here are my favorites.

Looking for the exact right gift for Mom? For Dad? For book lovers or beauty fanatics? For perfect stocking stuffers or special splurges? No problem! This year’s list has ideas for them all, including many selections from small businesses and omen-, LGBTQIA+-, Latinx-, and Black-owned start-ups around the country. Each and every gift offers a way to send a little joy—and a lot of love.

Growing up, I was never satisfied with the pumpkin carving kits my folks would bring home from department stores and discount outlets. The cheap plastic handles bent easily, and the dull blades made carving out a jack-o'-lantern rough
work for my small arm muscles. It was like trying to cut through a wooden chair leg with another wooden chair leg. Like any good ’90s kid who thought safety was just marketing jargon, I supplemented my toolkit with steak knives and metal mixing spoons from the kitchen drawers...

As a professionally trained cook, I prefer using a chef's knife to slice up a deliciously-cooked steak before serving it to guests. But sometimes people still want their own steak knife...

When it comes to kitchen tools, you may not realize how helpful kitchen shears can be unless you own a good pair. You can cut through poultry, snip herbs or leafy greens, or pizza with ease. Messermeister, a producer of cutlery and cooking gadgets, recently introduced 9-inch Push Button Take-Apart Shears. The utensil has a black titanium coating to resist stains, but most importantly, it’s comfortable to hold and cuts smoothly. Its micro-serrated edge grips food while you cut. One of its most impressive features is that you...

There’s no wrong way to have a frighteningly fun Halloween. Whether you’re hitting the streets with your trick-or-treater, handing out candy to kids who come knocking, or staying in to watch a scary movie, we have a few ideas of how you can make your night even spookier...

The days are getting shorter, the weather’s getting colder, and before you know it, Halloween will be here. For those who relish participating in all things spooky season, few tasks are more enjoyable than picking and carving a perfect pumpkin...

Messermeister, a leading manufacturer of premium handcrafted chef’s knives, kitchen cutlery and cooking tools, is a go-to brand for myriad professional chefs and home cooks... 

This Ojai, Calif.-based company was founded in 1981 by Bernd and Debra Dressler, and has been re-envisioned by their daughters Kirsten Dressler Wilson and Chelcea Dressler-Crowley. In recent years, the sisters have taken Messermeister to new heights through innovative product designs and partnerships...

Father's Day is coming up, and if you're looking for the perfect gift for a cook, we've got you covered. While these are foodie-friendly finds, these gifts are for folks in the kitchen who are passionate about what they do—anyone who works long hours with simple tools in restaurant kitchens. Here are some gifts that any chef would love...

Expressing your love and appreciation for the woman who’s been there since day one in a present is no small feat. Gift-giving is an art, and when it comes to showing how much she means to you, the best gifts for Mom speak volumes. It’s not about the price tag, but rather the thought and intention put into your selection...

Twice a year, the outdoor industry converges in Denver for manufacturers to parade their latest and greatest goods for specialty retailers to begin stocking shelves for the seasons ahead...

Most chefs and food professionals will tell you it’s best to buy kitchen knives one by one, cherry-picking each for specific tasks. But if you’re a home cook looking to outfit an entire kitchen in one swoop or start fresh without months of shopping, consider the knife set. It’s the simplest route to dicing onions and slicing meats smoothly, and often less costly, too.  

"Ask any chef what their most essential kitchen tool is, and they will undoubtedly answer: a good set of knives. The same holds true for any home cook who aims to set up an efficient kitchen.

Though you can buy knives piecemeal, investing in a quality set is a great way to
easily secure all of the basics, along with a handy storage option, in one fell swoop."

Originally a left coaster, I spent as much of my childhood as I could barefoot and outside. Up until three years ago, I lived in NYC and longed for easier access to nature. Now, as the West Coast editor at Condé Nast Traveler, I’m based in San Francisco, and I love that I’m able to get to the city’s Ocean Beach or to great hiking on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge in minutes. The weather here is pretty mild year-round, but now that it’s spring and the days are longer and warmer (and the wildflowers are going off), I’m even more excited to hit the beach and the trails. Here are a few things I’ve recently added to my outdoor gear arsenal...

When we think of July Fourth, what comes to mind are family barbecues, fireworks and even parades. This Fourth of July, however, you might be adding shopping amazing sales to that list. To celebrate the holiday, businesses are offering discounts on some of their best products to get you ready for summer...

“Useful, especially through being able to perform several functions” is how the dictionary defines “utility.” Ever since my first grown-up kitchen, I’ve been wedded to the same standard 8-inch chef’s knife, plus a rotating case of paring knives. But since the Messermeister Kawashima 6-inch utility knife entered my life a few months ago, it’s been pretty much glued to my hand...

If you’ve spent some time in the kitchen, then you know how important it is to have high-quality knives. Trying to chop vegetables or carve meat with a dull, low-quality knife just doesn’t compare! Here we’ve gathered plenty of information on the top German knife brands to simplify your search for the perfect knife...

Adam Glick is no stranger to the nomadic lifestyle. As a professional chef aboard yachts ranging from 90 to 225 feet, he always had a campervan at the ready in the marina parking lot...

Even before the Great Disruption of 2020 necessitated short trips closer to home, one of my superpowers was booking vacation rentals that met (or exceeded, even!) my every whim. I'm that person who trawls booking sites for hours on end, poring over every detail of a listing, its photos, and reviews. I look for design-forward interiors and curation with character, lots and lots of natural light, a comfy bed, generous entertaining spaces—but above all, a well-equipped kitchen...

If you’re not a chef, culinary school student, or avid home cook, Messermeister might be new to you. Translating from German to “knife master,” the company produces traditionally crafted yet innovatively designed knives from forging factories around the world: beefy German and sleek Japanese classics; wood-handled beauties from Italian olive and California walnut burl; and, just two years ago, the world’s first-ever, full-sized folding chef’s knife. 

When I camp and backpack, I’m a heat-up-noodles kind of person. For gourmet campers, the correct tools can make a difference. Messermeister, a woman-owned business based in Ojai, sells a line of Adventure Chef knives for those who want to “cook outside like a pro...”

"This is my favorite German chef knife so far, and the best German knife I have used this year. German steel are not known to hold a sharper edge than Japanese steel, but can get razor sharp and if the knife is made well, they can produce a great knife. The Messermeister has a great handle design with a very good quality wood choice. The blade design is a standard German or Western style blade with a large rocking belly, but for those who enjoy rocking on the cutting board, it works."