A knife with a dull blade is not a friend to even the most savvy of chefs and can take the fun out of preparing meals. Regular maintenance and sharpening of a metal blade will keep it properly honed and avoid cutting disasters, but few of us have the time, the tools or the inclination to do it. A ceramic knife, however, is a ‘sharper’ alternative for easy and efficient food prep.
The advantage of ceramic knives is that they are super sharp and don’t need to be sharpened very often. They are constructed from zirconium oxide, or zirconia, which is significantly harder than stainless steel or carbon steel.
And while a ceramic knife is more fragile and can’t cut through bone or frozen meat like a metal one can, its razor sharpness makes quick work of slicing through bread, cooked meats, fruits, vegetables, cheese – well you get the picture.
We feature five ceramic knives you can purchase online. Read on to find the one that best suit your needs.
Top Pick Best Basic: Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution Series 5-1/2-inch Santoku Knife
We need a few different kinds of knives in our kitchen to help us through the many tasks it takes to prepare meals every day. However, for anyone just starting out or only able to purchase one item at a time, it’s important to have at least one basic all-purpose knife to manage all the slicing, dicing and chopping we do in a day.
We recommend this 5.5-inch ceramic all-purpose knife for everyday slicing, dicing and mincing, the perfect utensil for the beginner home cook. The ceramic blade is made from Kyocera’s proprietary zirconia produced in Japan for it quality and beauty. Ultra-sharp, this ceramic knife will maintain its edge up to 10 times longer than most steel blades.
This knife is lightweight and easy to use for repetitive slicing tasks, resulting in less hand and wrist fatigue. The beveled doubled-sided cutting edge is ideal for prepping and straight cuts of fruit, vegetables and boneless fish and meats.
The blade will not brown food or rust, and is resistant to acids. Easy to clean, just place it on the top rack of the dishwasher away from other metal utensils, or wash carefully by hand. This basic all-purpose ceramic knife may become the most used tool in your kitchen arsenal.
Pros:
- All-purpose 5.5-inch ceramic knife
- 10 times sharper than most metal knives
- Lightweight to reduce hand and wrist fatigue
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
- Ideal for prepping and straight cuts of fruit, vegetables and boneless fish and meats
Cons:
- Not to be used on hard or frozen foods
- Does not come with a sheath
- Should be used with a plastic or wood cutting board
- Do not cut on marble, stone, glass, plates or tile
Top Pick Best Set: Tyeideas Ceramic Knife Set Kitchen Knives
Some people prefer to equip their kitchen with one utensil and small appliance at a time as needed while others like to have everything in place for when the specific task arises. When it comes to knives, the ideal is to have a variety to make each level of food prep easy. If you’re looking for a good collection of ceramic knives, you may want to consider this set.
Ultra sharp with lightweight handles, these ceramic knives are designed for precision cutting. The knives are comfortably well balanced and ergonomically designed with thicker blades that are fully wrapped by the handle for strength and safety.
The set includes a 6-inch chef knife, the perfect workhorse to slice and dice like a pro; a 5-inch slicing knife that allows you to precisely cut and trim with ease; a 4-inch paring knife to make fast work of preparing fruits and vegetables; and a 3-inch gourmet paring knife for precision paring.
But this set is not just about the knives – it includes a host of other accessories that will enhance your experience. Although ceramic knives keep their edge and sharpness longer than metal knives, they do need to be sharpened. The included knife sharpener has a diamond file of #600 and #1000 grit and is safe for ceramic blades.
To protect against accidents, there is a handy finger guard and each knife has its own sheath for safe storage. The blade on the vegetable Y peeler is made from ceramic for super sharp performance and the handle is made from ABS plastic and is dishwasher safe. Finally, the natural bamboo cutting board is gentler on these knives than plastic. Easy to maintain, just hand wash and wipe it dry.
This ceramic knife set has everything you need for easy and efficient food prep. And since it comes in a gift box, you may want to get a second one for the chef in your life.
Pros:
- Comfortable to hold with an anti-slip grip
- 90 percent real Zirconium carbide ceramic blades
- Sharp non-corrosive blades
- Includes a ceramic blade
- Includes a finger guard
- Includes a bamboo cutting board
- Includes a peeler
- Includes individual sheath covers
Cons:
- More expensive than one knife
- May includes items you already have
Top Pick Best Versatile: Umogi Steak Knives Set of 4
You’re a practical person – you prefer to have fewer things that are versatile enough to perform many tasks well, rather than have a different utensil for each specific function. This applies to your small kitchen appliances and gadgets, and now you’re looking for a good set of ceramic knives that can handle all of your food prep needs.
We recommend this set of four, 4.5-inch ceramic knives from Umogi to get you through everything from slicing and carving to sitting down and cutting up your delicious right-from-the-barbecue steak. The ceramic blades on these knives are very dense and non-porous, and measure 4.5 inches long and 1.1 inches wide.
Perfect for fine, precision cutting, these will make great knives for when you’re ready to sit down for a dinner of steak, lamb or pork chops, and they are also versatile enough to precision slice fruit, vegetables, fish, boneless cuts of meet and hard or soft cheese. The high quality ceramic blades will not turn brown from oxidation, won’t rust and will not change or affect the flavor of your food.
Lightweight and easy to handle, they require less effort to use. And since the ceramic surface does not absorb food particles, the knives are easy to clean; just rinse with water and towel dry.
Pros:
- Versatile
- Set of four
- Lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Will not rust, turn brown or alter the flavor of food
- Can be safely washed in the dishwasher
Cons:
- No sheaths
- Do not use on earthenware, glass or porcelain surfaces
Top Pick Best for Bread: Cestari Advanced Ceramic Revolution Bread Knife for Homemade Bread
Anyone who bakes their own bread or buys it whole from the bakery knows how important it is to have a good bread knife for easy slicing. It’s not fun sawing away at a fresh loaf only to yield crushed pieces or uneven slices. That’s where a good, sharp ceramic bread knife can make or break that slicing experience.
The advanced 8-inch ceramic blade on this knife has an exceptionally sharp blade that lets you use it as a bread scoring knife when you’re baking bread and then slice it smoothly and easily when it’s ready to eat out of the oven.
The perfectly balanced, nonskid ergonomic grip and solid contoured handle is designed for controlled use. Remarkably lightweight, the ergonomic design reduces fatigue during repetitive cutting chores. And while this ceramic knife is perfectly suited for bread, the serrated edge also cuts through the thin, slippery skins of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables without crushing the interior. In time, you will realize that it will not only be your go-to bread knife, but you will use it also for cheese, pizza and sandwiches.
Easy to clean, it is top-rack dishwasher safe and the custom molded sheath keeps the blade away from fingers and other metal utensils when it’s stored in a drawer.
Pros:
- Razor sharp ceramic blade constructed of zirconium oxide
- Non-porous and non-reactive and will not absorb odors, discolor food or rust
- Designed for comfort, lightweight
- Comes with a safety sheath to protect blade from damage and hands from injury
Cons:
- More expensive than other bread knives
- Not to be used for filleting or to cut through joints or bones
- Do not apply force to the side of the blade, like to crush garlic
- Do not use on marble, stone, glass, ceramic or tile
Top Pick Best Gift Set: Vos Ceramic Knives Set
There’s nothing more essential to a kitchen than a good set of knives. With so many people cooking more meals at home and others moving into their first apartment, it’s important to have the right utensils to make meal prep easier and more efficient. As the holidays approach, there’s nothing more thoughtful or appreciated than gifting that special experienced or novice chef in your life with a quality ceramic knife set.
We recommend this terrific bundle of two awesome gift sets. The four-piece set comes with a sleek holder and includes a 6-inch chef knife, a 5-inch utility knife, a 4-inch paring knife, a 3-inch multi-purpose knife, and three knife sheaths, perfect for all kitchen needs.
The second set includes a 6-inch chef knife, a five-inch Santoku knife, and 4-inch paring knife, all with bold, red handles. Versatile, these knives are best used for chopping, slicing and dicing all kinds of food, and each knife comes with its own sheath.
The knives in both of these gift sets feature ultra-sharp advanced ceramic blades that will retain its original sharpness up to 15 times longer than steel blades; are rust-proof; will never brown foods; are impervious to acids and oils; have no metallic taste or smell; are all lightweight and typically half the weight of metal-based knives for ease of use with the most difficult cutting tasks; and have ergonomic handles for a well-balanced, highly controlled grip.
Easy to clean, simply rinse the blades with water. Whether you purchase this set for a friend, a loved one or gift it to yourself, these beautiful ceramic knives will bring pleasure to your most difficult cutting task.
Pros:
- Two beautiful ceramic knife sets
- One set has three knives and three sheaths
- One set has four knives, sheaths and a knife holder
- Feature ultra-sharp advanced ceramic blades
- Rustproof
- Ergonomic handles
- Come in gift boxes
Cons:
- More expensive than one set
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for a ceramic knife so you will choose one that best suits your needs:
Use
This is the single most important factor when choosing a ceramic knife. Ceramic knives are super sharp, and keep their sharp edge longer than most metal knives without needing to be sharpened as often. However, ceramic knives are more fragile than metal knives and can be prone to chipping and breaking. This means they need extra care and handling. If you are the type of person who prefers easy-to-care-for products, then you may want to re-consider a ceramic knife.
As well, ceramic knives are only good to cut certain foods; they should never be used to cut frozen food, bones or joints of meat. They are ideal for slicing and cutting most fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, fish and boneless meat.
Before purchasing a ceramic knife, consider what you will be using it for.