Best German Kitchen Knives | Top 5 Kitchen Knife Brands
Cooking should be fun while being as easy as possible.
One way to keep cooking easy is by having a sharp knife.
We are going to compare some of the best German kitchen knives that are still made in Germany.
The History of Making Knives in Germany
Solingen, the City of German steel blades, knives, scissors and more has been the home of blade making for hundreds of years. It was one of the best places for manufacturing as its soil is rich in iron ore and coal.
There is also a river that runs through the city that supplies water. The perfect place to forge blades for knives, with everything that’s needed in close vicinity.
Today, many of the best knives, scissors and razors are still made in Solingen. It is still the knife capital of Germany and if you’re looking for a high-quality knife, it will most likely come from Solingen.
That’s why it’s still home to family companies like Wusthof. Although it is not the only place, knives are made in Germany.
How Many Knife Makers are in Solingen Germany?
The German knife-making capital is filled with plenty of knife making families. There’s a big question as to how many German families there are in total. There are currently numerous German families and companies that make great, reputable knives in Solingen, Germany.
These include German names such as Wusthoff, Henckels, Puma, Eickhorn, Güde, Otter, and Messiermeister, to mention a few. It’s just not possible to put an exact number on how many there are.
Some of these knife makers like Hartkopf and Otter mainly stick to pocket knives, whereas some others produce only cutlery.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
| Buy on Amazon | |
 |
| Buy on Amazon | |
 |
| Buy on Amazon | |
 |
| Buy on Amazon | |
 |
| Buy on Amazon |
We’re an Affiliate
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Thank you, if you use our links, we really appreciate it!
What Goes into Making the Best Quality Knife in Germany
German Knives are known for their strength and longevity. The Germans make them from some of the hardest steel in the world. However, the steel is still soft enough to prevent them from being chipped easily.
Steel being hard, of course, can have drawbacks, such as the sharpness of the blade and how often it needs sharpening.
Although German knives are still very sharp, there are sharper knives available, such as Japanese knives. Japanese knives can chip a lot easier than a German knife, as the steel is harder. This is why German knives have been so popular in the commercial world for so long.
Not quite as sharp as a Japanese knife, a German knife will need less sharpening and performs well as a workhorse.
Is German Steel Good for Knives?
German steel is one of the best for making knives. That’s the reason German made knives have been so popular for centuries and are still one of the top sellers today. The metal that is used is made to be tough and durable, while still being of a texture that doesn’t chip easily.
This makes German steel perfect for manufacturing knives.
What are the Best Kitchen Knives on the Market?
Some of the best kitchen knives that money can buy are made in Germany. The most renowned and well known would be Zwilling and Wusthof. Both of these companies manufacture their knives in Solingen, although Zwilling J.A. Henckels do manufacture knives abroad as well.
There are many other brands that are worthy of the best label and have won awards to show this.
These are Güde, WMF and Messermeister, to mention a few. If you are after the best German kitchen knives on the market, you are sure to find them by checking out any of the top knife brands. Compare them all, they are listed below.
What are the Best Kinds of German Kitchen Knives?
No need to search any further. The top two German knife makers are most likely Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Wusthof. If we had to choose one from these two, we would go with Wusthoff.
Wusthof makes knives to a very high standard and backs them up by a limited lifetime warranty. We have even seen instances where Wusthoff will replace their defective German kitchen knives even when the knife is over ten years of age.
Wusthof customer service is second to none. They are known to respond quickly to all inquiries and warranty claims.
Wusthof Knives are sharpened to an angle that makes them one of, if not, the sharpest German knives you can buy. Of course, there is a downside, which is you will need to sharpen them more often than other knives.
However, if you’re looking for a workhorse that’s got stability for any home or commercial kitchen, you can’t go wrong with a German made Wusthof knife.
Here’s a List of Top 5 German Knife Brands We Have Reviewed
All of these German knives are high quality and will serve any chef well. We have reviewed them all and have explained all of their manufacturing processes.
Compare them all and pick the knife that you find most appealing. There is a knife for everyone here, from classic designed chefs knives through to futuristic looking and ergonomic styles.
If you’re after something a little different, be sure to check out the GÜDE knives collection.
1. Zwilling J. A. Henckels Knives for a Chef
This company has over 200 years of history and various collections of kitchen knives to choose from.
However, their highest quality best German range all bear the ZWILLING name only.
These German kitchen knives are all made in Solingen, Germany and are of the highest quality.
Any kitchen will look impressive with a set of these kitchen knives sitting on the bench in a stylish block next to your other cookware.
- 7-piece block set
- Super sharp
- Full bolster
2. WMF Kitchen Knives for Cooking
WMF knives, although not made in Solingen, are still manufactured in Germany.
The WMF brand produces high quality German knives and has been a well-known brand in the kitchen industry for many years.
Their knives aren’t made quite as sharp as some others, but are still not blunt by any means.
If you want a well-known, high standard, great German made knife, these kitchen knives are well-worth checking out.
They could well be the best kitchen knife for an amateur chef.
- Forged blades
- Performance Cut technology
- Ergonomic handles
3. Wusthof (Wüsthof) May Be the Best German Manufacturer
One of the most famous and popular known family knife manufacturers in the world. Wusthof have been making the sharpest high standard kitchen knives for many years.
When you buy one of Wusthof’s knives, you get a knife that’s for life.
Backed up by a lifetime warranty and customer service that’s quick to respond.
A Wusthof knife from Solingen will serve you well in any kitchen, be it home or commercial use.
One of the top go to’s for the world’s culinary world, a knife from Wusthof is German designed, German quality and German made.
- 12 Piece Knife Set
- High Carbon Stainless Steel Blades
- Durable
4. GÜDE for the Best German Kitchen Look and Knife Sharpening
As a somewhat less mainstream company, GÜDE is another old manufacturer of German knives from Solingen.
If you’re a chef looking for styling that’s different from the normal, standard looking kitchen knife, then GÜDE is for you. GÜDE has a collection of knives that look next generation, which would add some pizzazz to any kitchen.
That being said, GÜDE knives are also designed to be an extension of your body.
They add comfort with ergonomic designs that are sometimes overlooked when considering, which kitchen knives to buy.
If you would like to purchase something a little different as well as comfortable to use, be sure to investigate GÜDE’s collection of knives.
- Utility Knife
- Stylish brand
- Super sharp
GÜDE even offers a very good Knife sharpening service, for ease of mind.
5. Messermeister Kitchen Knives
Messermeister is a company that’s into all kinds of cookware items. Messermeister’s range of knives that are made in Germany are, of course, the best quality in their collection.
In addition, one unique fact about these knives is that they are still hot-drop forged the traditional way.
Messermeister is one of very few companies that still make their knives this way. Most other companies use a more modern process to produce their forged knives. It is often spoken about how hot drop-forging makes knives stronger.
This is one advantage of owning these knives over knives of other brands.
Messermeister, which is a lot younger than the other companies listed here, has still been able to produce high quality well-known knives by collaborating with traditional knife makers in Solingen, Germany.
Messermeister also offers a free knife sharpening service through their knife for life knife sharpening program.
- Hot-dropped hammer forged
- Stainless-steel alloy blade
- No bolster
If you purchase any of the fine-edged Messermeister knives, you will be able to use this great free knife sharpening service to make your knives sharp again.
Are Expensive German Knives Worth It?
Of course, affordability is always going to be a restriction for most of us. That being said, there is more than likely still a quality German kitchen knife that will suit almost all budgets.
Even if you’re a chef that just wants one quality workhorse knife for your kitchen, there are options that won’t break the bank. Check out these great quality kitchen knives below to get you started.
The more expensive these German kitchen knives are, the more added features you can have.
There are, for example, all kinds of different high grade wooden handles as well as the way the knives are finished and polished. Messermeister even offers custom handle sets, which you can interchange as you wish.
Another perfect kitchen knife for any chef, professional or amateur.
Knives Made in Germany are Best for Any Kitchen Knife User
If you are looking to buy quality knives from any of these German knife brands, then you should have found a knife or knives that interest you by now.
Just remember that, if you decide to go with a high-quality German knife, it’s most likely going to serve you for life. So don’t buy cheap, and you won’t buy twice!!
That’s why a quality German chef knife can also be found in many commercial kitchens all over the world.
Stop wasting your time with brands that keep failing and start a knife collection today with German kitchen knives that will compliment your kitchen and the rest of your cookware.
