The 10 Best Ceramic Knives

For most cooks, the Kyocera Revolution Santoku is the right first pick. Its blade is long enough for onions, peppers and boneless chicken, yet short enough that it is less likely to snap from a twist. Kyocera grinds the edge on diamond wheels, and it keeps slicing cleanly for months between sharpenings. It still chips if it meets a bone, a pit or a glass board, and resharpening takes a special tool or a mail-in service.

Cooks who slice big batches of vegetables or boneless meat get more reach from the Kyocera Revolution Chef's Knife. Its long, thin blade goes through lettuce, cucumbers and salmon fillets in one smooth stroke, and the light build is easy on the wrist. A five-year limited warranty from Kyocera stands behind it. The extra length adds leverage, though, so twisting or prying puts more stress on the blade, and it is a poor choice for chopping with a rocking motion.

A small blade is a low-cost, low-risk way to try ceramic, and the Kyocera Revolution Paring Knife is where many cooks start. It handles peeling, hulling strawberries and slicing apples, which Kyocera says won't brown as fast at the cut. The edge can still be keen after a year of home use. The short blade feels cramped on big fruit like pineapple, and it ships without a cover, so it needs a sheath or a block slot to stay safe.

Short on cash? The Shenzhen Knives 3-Piece Set covers chopping, slicing and peeling with three white blades. Cookware Junkies gave it top marks in a side-by-side look at budget ceramics, praising the secure pinch grip and the sharp edges right out of the box. The rubber handles stay put when hands are wet. The heel of each blade is sharp enough to nick a finger, and the edge can struggle with ripe tomato skins.

The Vos Ceramic Chef Knife brings a full-length white blade within reach of almost any budget, and it arrives with a snap-on cover and a gift box. It slices cucumbers, herbs and cooked meat cleanly, and the light build helps during long prep sessions. Hard vegetables are its weak spot: small chips along the edge show up when it meets raw carrots or winter squash, so save those jobs for a steel knife.

The Kyocera Revolution Utility Knife fills the gap between peeling and chopping, handy for halving a sandwich, slicing lemons or trimming a chicken breast. It comes in several handle colors, which helps keep a raw-meat knife apart from a produce knife. The edge stays keen for months, and Kyocera sells a diamond sharpener that fixes small nicks at home. Its narrow blade leaves little knuckle room when chopping on a board.

Anyone who chops piles of vegetables or herbs will like the wide, squared-off blade of the Kyocera Innovation Nakiri, which doubles as a scoop for carrying food to the pan. Kyocera pitches the light build and shaped handle at cooks with arthritis or a weak grip. The flat edge suits straight up-and-down cuts, not a rocking chop. Owner feedback is still thin, and the blade's width makes it awkward for peeling or detail work.

Storage is the strong point of the Vos Ceramic Knife Block Set: four blades, from a small all-purpose knife up to a chef's knife, stand in their own block, and each one also gets a cover. Keeping ceramic out of a loose drawer is the simplest way to avoid chipped tips. The seller calls the knives dishwasher safe, but hand washing is kinder to the edges. The block takes up counter space and holds only these knives.

For a full kit from one maker, the Kyocera Revolution 3-Piece Set pairs a chef's knife with a fine-toothed slicer and a paring knife, all with black blades. The tiny teeth bite into tomato and peach skins without crushing the fruit, a job plain ceramic edges can fumble. Kyocera's sharpening service covers all three. It's a big spend for blades that still can't touch bones or frozen food, so most kitchens will keep a steel knife too.

The Vos Ceramic Paring Knife is a bright green, low-cost blade for peeling, hulling strawberries and cutting fruit for a lunchbox, and a matching vented sheath is in the box. The slim, light handle suits small hands. At this cost it's a sensible trial of ceramic before spending more. The slim grip can feel small in a large hand, and like any cheap ceramic, the tip chips if it's dropped.