8 Celebrity Chef-Brand Knives That Are Actually Worth Buying

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Buying a celebrity chef-branded knife is enticing, but you may wonder if the investment is worth it. Certainly, purchasing good kitchen knives, whether they carry a celebrity name or not, will make cooking simpler, more fun, and safer. High-quality knives are sharp — using a dull blade is dangerous. Knives should feel balanced and comfortable in your hand. If the grip doesn't feel right, the cutting instrument could slip. Worse, you could get a repetitive motion injury if you chop a lot. 

Getting a knife that lives up to those expectations is complicated and will take some searching. Fortunately, celebrity chefs know what they want from a blade, so following their lead could aid you in your quest to find the perfect knife. If these chefs decide to put their names on a set of knives, that must count for something. In fact, many chefs get intensely involved with their partner companies while designing their signature lines. These collaborations have led to some award-winning designs and best-selling knives.

"Chopped" judge Geoffrey Zakarian had better offer some great knives considering the show's name. Since late 2022, he's collaborated with Dash to create a line of kitchenware to make cooking healthy food at home more efficient and fun. Together they've designed all of the knives you could possibly need in a kitchen, with prices ranging between $13 and $40. Buyers may like that they don't have to purchase a whole set — you can buy each knife separately. That means you can build your cutlery drawer the way you want it.

Geoffrey's 8-inch prep knife may be the most eye-drawing of his line. The holes along its blade make it unique among chef-branded knives. This feature is helpful in keeping foods like cucumber, onions, and cheese from sticking to the knife's smooth surface. It also makes the knife lighter and easier to maneuver.

Reviews of this knife were mixed, though. Many felt that it was comfortable, sharp, and easy to use. Others felt it didn't compare well with the knives they already owned. This demonstrates that picking out a knife is personal, and the same instrument can feel vastly different in two different hands. It's one reason to select a chef's knife in person from a cooking supply store instead of ordering online.

Wolfgang Puck has sold plenty of cookware, including knives, on the Home Shopping Network for about 25 years. With such a long history of selling cookware, this chef probably knows a thing or two about quality in the kitchen. 

Currently, Puck's name adorns two six-piece knife sets, both retailing for about $90. Both of the sets include a trio of knives that every chef can benefit from. The first set comes with traditional European knives, while the second set has two santokus — 7 and 5 inches. Santoku blades differ from traditional, Western chef's knives in that they're generally shorter, lighter, have a thinner spine, and have a more rounded tip. They also have little hollows or dimples near the sharp edge to help food not stick to the blade. For many cooks, these qualities add up to feeling more in control.

Customers have expressed interest in Puck's knives beyond the sets mentioned here, which adds to the brand's reputation. One review on the Sam's Club website where his sets are sold says, "Love these knives so much I bought a 2nd set for our winter home and bought the big set too! A couple of my friends liked mine so much they bought this set also. Awesome knives for the money."

Gordon Ramsay partnered with Royal Doulton to create a set of kitchen knives. The knives are what you'd expect – sharp, balanced, and ergonomic — but it's the block that is particularly eye-catching. The 14-piece knife block set has every knife you might need to prepare a perfect meal. Like most other knives on this list, these knives are not dishwasher safe and should be hand washed and dried immediately after.

One Amazon reviewer says, "Amazing quality, so sharp, and looks amazing. Great present for my home chef."

This set does come at a much heftier price tag of around $900. That makes it a lot more expensive than most other celebrity chef-branded knife sets that might be just as good, depending on your level of expertise. With such a high cost, this purchase should be considered with a bit more time. If you're an expert in the kitchen and feel like you need the tools to support you, this might be the knife set you've been needing. If you're a more casual cook, then consider a few other sets first.

Thomas Keller and Cangshan Cutlery have created fantastic knives together since 2018. Their designs won the Red Dot Award in 2019 and then the German Design Award in 2020. If you want sleek, aesthetic blades that feel comfortable in your hand, Thomas Keller's signature collection of knives will likely fulfill your wildest cooking dreams. 

A paring knife costs about $100, and a chef's knife costs around $200. In the world of knives, Cangshan Cutlery is a big deal, and in the world of Michelin stars, Thomas Keller is one of the best in America. Together, they have designed some excellent knives that justify the price tags. 

The metal of these blades is what makes the knives so unique. The designers chose Swedish Damasteel RWL34 powdered steel as their material, and the blades are forged, not stamped. That means machines or people beat hot steel into the shape of a knife. Other manufacturers use lasers to cut stamped blades from a larger piece of stainless steel. Generally, forged knives are heavier, thicker, and hold their edge longer. 

Buying these knives is worth it if you're an enthusiast, love to cook, and know how to care for them. Otherwise, you may spend more than you wanted on a product you can't fully enjoy.