A chef knife is an all-rounder knife. It is the most used knife in the kitchen as it can do all sorts of cutting. Originally used for cutting big slices of the meat, now it is mostly used for all western cooking.
The average size of a chef knife is 8 inches. However, this size seems large and troublesome to some people. I prefer using the 7 inches chef’s knife. It makes my cutting a lot easier.
Are you having trouble picking the right one for yourself? You can choose the perfect-size chef’s knife for you according to the length of your forearm. If it is 7-inches, then you are at the right place. I will be reviewing the best 7 inch Chef Knife here.
Top 3 7-inch Chef knife in My Choice
Choosing the top 3 7-inch chef knives can be subjective and depends on personal preferences and specific needs. However, based on quality, performance, and popularity among chefs and home cooks, here are three highly recommended 7-inch chef knives:
- Editor’s Pick 7 inch chef knife: Shun Cutlery Classic Nakiri Knife
- Budget Pick 7 inch chef knife: WÜSTHOF Classic 7″ Craftsman Knife
- Best Seller 7 inch chef knife: Zelite Infinity Honesuki Knife
Top-10 7 inch Chef Knife Reviews
These are my top pick 7 inches knives that serve the purpose of the chef knife. I have included a 6.5 inches Nakiri knife in the list if you prefer something a bit smaller.
01. Global 7″ Vegetable Knife Review
The first one on the list is the Global 7-inch Vegetable Knife. It is one of the best 7 inch Chef Knife in the market. Global is a popular Japanese kitchenware company. It was a tableware manufacturer first. From 1985 the company started its international expansion.
Global uses a comparatively harder alloy of steel compared to German knives. The Global 7-inch vegetable knife’s blade is made of high-tech molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel.
The blades are stamped, ice tempered, and then hardened to resist rusting. The blades are razor-sharp with a quarter-inch prominent edge. It is ground straight to a spot rather than beveled resulting in extraordinary sharpness and edge retention.
The handle is also made of stainless steel. Though it looks like the whole knife is made of one steel, it actually consists of three different types.
The handle is dimpled to give provide more grip. It is a precisely balanced knife for slicing and chopping vegetables. The knife is crafted to expert standards. It comes with a lifetime warranty against defects and damage.
Pros
- Stainless steel
- Lightweight
- Razor-sharp edge
- Optimal balance
Cons
- Hard to sharpen
02. Wusthof Classic 7-inch Knife Review
Wusthof is a world-famous German knife maker company. It is making knives for more than two centuries now. You will see this knife in all the best 7 inch Chef Knife Review. Its elegant design, high quality, and unique building process make it so popular. Wusthof has a wide range of knives to choose from. I have two knives of Wusthof on this list.
The 7-inch Classic Craftsmen Knife is one of the most good-looking knives of Wusthof. You can call it the best chef knife just for its look. It is called the ultimate everyday kitchen knife. It is a boning, carving, and chef knife all at once.
That means you can do all sorts of slicing with this knife. The hollow edges make clean slicing. The sharp tip is used for boning and filleting. This knife is so sharp it can do all forms of cutting. It can cut through chicken with ease.
This knife is from the classic series of Wusthof. The knives are forged with Wusthof’s unique forging process. It is a full tang knife with the classic three rivets design. The handle is made of POM that provides the perfect grip. This knife can effortlessly cut through both tomatoes and bones!
Pros
- Elegant design
- Hollow edge design for smooth slicing
- Clip point blade for boning and filleting
- Super sharp
Cons
- Do not come with a blade guard
03. Zelite Infinity 7-inch Vegetable Knife Review
This brand is not as popular as the German or Japanese knife makers. But the knives work great compared to their prices. The cleaver knife from their Alpha-Royal German Series works great as a chef knife.
It is the widest knife on my list. It is 40% thicker than any average cleaver knife. The blade is 4mm thick. It is made from German ThyssenKrupp High Carbon Stainless Steel. It has a hardness of 56±2 HRC. It has outstanding edge retention.
It is hand polished and honed using the conventional 3-step Honbazuke method. The knife has an incredible 15° razor edge per side. It comes with a mirror-polished cutting angle for the final sharpness.
The handle is ergonomic. It is made from military-grade G10 material. It has a full tang and tapered bolster blade. The handle is designed to provide a firm, secure, and comfortable grip with perfect balance.
This cleaver can cut through meat and fish easily along with all types of fruits and vegetables. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects. It also comes with a blade guard to protect the blade.
Pros
- Comes with a blade guard
- Premium Design
- High-quality German Steel
- Hard and versatile
Cons
- Needs frequent sharpening
- Heavy (2 pounds)
04. ZWILLING J.A. Henckels 7″ Chef’s Knife Review
It is one of the best 7 inch Chef Knife from Zwilling J.A. Henckels. You can chop, slice, and mince using this knife without fatigue. This knife has a special arched bolster that provides a perfect thumb grip.
It is precision forged by Zwilling J.A. Henckels’s Sigmaforge process. It has a hard yet flexible blade. The Friodur ice-hardening technique forms a stronger and sharper blade that is corrosion resistant.
It is ensured that the cutting angle of the blades’ edge is perfect by precise laser cut.
The handle is made of ABS Resin. It is triple riveted. The handle has an ergonomic design for a comfortable grip.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Super sharp
- Strong and versatile
Cons
- Not Dishwasher safe
05. Findking 7-inch Nakiri Knife Review
Nakiri knife is a rectangular Japanese knife used for chopping vegetables mainly. The blade of a Nakiri knife is thin to cut the vegetables uniformly. This knife is used for mincing, slicing, or chopping. Mainly for all forms of cutting.
The 7-inch Nakiri knife by Findking is from the Dynasty Series. This knife uses 9CR18MOV steel and has a hardness of HRC of 60+/-2. It is forged into 3 layers of claded steel.
The clad dimple at the upper side of the blade resists food from sticking to the blade. The blade can cut through fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish.
This knife is recommended to cut everything other than frozen foods. The handle is made from African Rosewood. It has an ergonomic design. It gives the knife a beautiful look and a good grip.
The wooden handle of 15.3 cm with the rectangular blade of 18.5 cm gives it a good balance. It is a great knife at an affordable price. It just requires general maintenance.
Pros
- Affordable
- Razor-sharp
- Ergonomic Design
- Gift box packing
Cons
- Rosewood handle requires more maintenance
06. TUO Knife 7-inch Chef Knife Review
Tuo is a popular middle-high-end Chinese knife-making company. It is in the cutlery market for more than twenty years now. The unique design and specifications of their knives have made them popular in a short time. Their knives are a great combination of modern and traditional art techniques.
TUO’s 7-inch Chef Knife is from the Black Hawk S series. This knife also goes through 3 steps of the Honbazuke method. This is a Japanese 7-inch Professional kitchen Gyuto knife. It has a 14-16 degrees edge angle on both sides.
This knife is made of forged stainless steel from Germany. It goes through vacuum heat-treatment and nitrogen cryogenic tempering. This way knife achieves high attrition resistance and blade retention. The blade is manually polished.
It has a hardness of more than 56 HRC. The blade has a straight edge that can cut through fruits, vegetables, meat, and even bread. The G-10 handle provides a firm grip and balance. It comes in an exquisite box.
Pros
- Made of High Carbon German Stainless Steel
- Full tang and strong
- Affordable
- It comes in a gift box
Cons
- A bit heavy for beginners
07. Mercer Culinary 7-inch Vegetable Knife Review
It is a 7-inch Nakiri Vegetable Knife from Mercer Culinary. It is a Nakiri knife with a Granton Hollow edge. The air pockets prevent thin vegetables from sticking to the blade. It is a must if you chop vegetables quite often. It makes slicing a lot easier.
The blade is made of High carbon forged steel from Soligen, Germany (the City of Blades). That means it is stain, heat, discoloration, and corrosion-resistant.
The handle is made of Santropene, and it is NSF certified. The blade has a full tang and bolster. It has a taper-ground edge. So, it is easier to hone it and provides long-lasting sharpness. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty. It is recommended to hand wash only.
Pros
- NSF Certified Handle
- Long-lasting sharpness
- High Carbon German Forged Steel
- Durable
Cons
- Not Dishwasher safe
08. Shun Cutlery Classic 6.5” Nakiri Knife Review
As I have said earlier, Nakiri is a Japanese knife, and what can be better than a Japanese company making it. Shun is a popular knife-making company in Japan. Shun knives are composed of 2 types of metal VG10 and stainless steel. This combination of two metals gives the blade a unique design.
This Nakiri knife is from the Classic Series of Shun Cutlery. Shun is often compared with Wusthof. This knife has 68 layers of Damascus stainless steel! Still, it is lightweight and easy to use. The 6.5 inches blade makes it suitable for people of all sizes.
The handle is made of PakkoWood. The handle is uniquely designed and does not really look like it is made of wood. Its ergonomic design gives a perfect grip.
The unique design of the blade with the logo of Shuno makes the knife look absolutely elegant. It is perfect for chopping, dicing, and peeling. It is recommended to hand wash only.
Pros
- Ergonomic Design
- Super sharp
- Light-weight
- Corrosion-resistant Steel
Cons
- Needs frequent sharpening
09. Wusthof Hollow Edge 7-inch Santoku Knife Review
The purpose and functions of a Chef’s and a Santoku knife are quite similar. The major difference between both knives is the material. But in the case of Wusthof, the material is the same. So, it is safe to say that they serve a similar purpose.
Santoku knives have a hollow edge to form air pockets to restrain the food from sticking to the blade. No exception on Wusthof’s Santoku knife as well. It is the Santoku knife from the Classic series of Wusthof.
It has a handle made of Polyoxymethylene (POM). It has a full tang with a triple-riveted handle. The handle provides a firm grip with protection from heat, discoloration, and rust.
The blade is forged with the unique Wusthof forging process from high carbon stainless steel. This forging process makes the best kitchen knives. This Santoku knife has a sharpness of 58 degrees HRC.
It has twice edge retention as previous models. It is also 20% sharper making chopping, slicing, mincing and, dicing easier than ever. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty for manufacturer’s defects.
Pros
- Beautiful shape
- Hollow edge
- Razor-sharp
- Versatile
Cons
- Expensive
10. Daddy Chef 7 inches Damascus Santoku Knife Review
This knife is made of 67 layers of Damascus steel. These layers make the design of the blade so unique. This knife is hand-finished. Daddy Chef uses the traditional 3-step Honbazuke method for excellent edge retention. It has VG-10 Japanese steel in the middle.
This Santoku knife undergoes an advanced liquid nitrogen cooling process for enhanced corrosion resistance, hardness, and durability. This Santoku knife also has a dimpled Granton blade edge, which restrains cut foods from sticking to the blade. It makes clean cuts swiftly without the need for any extra pressure.
It has a full bolster that helps to keep the perfect balance while using the knife. It also has a Japanese mosaic rivet that provides additional strength and durability to the handle. The ergonomic design of the handle relieves aches and exhaustion for long days in the kitchen.
The blade has an 8-10 degrees edge with Rockwell hardness. The sharp blade is used for all sorts of slicing, mincing, peeling, and chopping. The size and shape of the blade are convenient for cutting bread also. It comes in a giftable wooden pack.
Pros
- Versatile
- Super sharp
- Giftable wooden box
- Granton edge
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe
FAQ for 7 inch chef knife
What makes a 7-inch chef knife different from other chef knives?
A 7-inch chef knife offers a balance between the larger 8-inch chef knife and the smaller 6-inch utility knife. It provides versatility, making it ideal for both detailed and larger cutting tasks.
What are the key features to look for in a 7-inch chef knife?
Key features include a sharp and durable blade, comfortable handle, good balance and weight, and a full tang for stability and control.
How does the blade material affect the performance of a 7-inch chef knife?
Blade material affects sharpness, edge retention, and ease of maintenance. High-carbon stainless steel is often preferred for its balance of sharpness and rust resistance.
Are 7-inch chef knives suitable for all types of kitchen tasks?
Yes, they are versatile enough for chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing a variety of ingredients, though very large items might require a larger knife.
How do I maintain and sharpen a 7-inch chef knife?
Regular honing keeps the edge aligned, while occasional sharpening with a whetstone or professional service restores the blade’s sharpness. Clean and dry the knife immediately after use to prevent rust and corrosion.
What is the best way to store a 7-inch chef knife to ensure its longevity?
Store the knife in a knife block, on a magnetic strip, or in a protective sheath to keep the blade safe and prevent accidents.
How do 7-inch chef knives compare to 8-inch or 6-inch chef knives?
A 7-inch knife offers a compromise in size, providing more control than an 8-inch knife and more versatility than a 6-inch knife. It’s ideal for those who find an 8-inch blade too large and a 6-inch blade too small.
Can a 7-inch chef knife be used for cutting through bones or other hard materials?
Generally, 7-inch chef knives are not designed for cutting through bones. A cleaver or a boning knife is more suitable for such tasks.
What are some reputable brands that produce high-quality 7-inch chef knives?
Reputable brands include Wüsthof, Shun, Global, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, and Victorinox.
What is the typical price range for a good 7-inch chef knife?
Prices can range from $50 to over $200, depending on the brand, materials, and craftsmanship.
Are there any ergonomic considerations when choosing a 7-inch chef knife?
Look for a knife with a comfortable handle that fits your grip well. Ergonomically designed handles can reduce hand fatigue and improve control.
What types of handle materials are available for 7-inch chef knives, and which are the best?
Handles can be made from wood, plastic, or composite materials. The best handle material is one that provides a secure grip, is durable, and feels comfortable in your hand.
Can a 7-inch chef knife be used for both left-handed and right-handed users?
Yes, most 7-inch chef knives are ambidextrous, but some models have handles or blade angles designed specifically for right-handed or left-handed users.
What are the benefits of a 7-inch chef knife for home cooks versus professional chefs?
Home cooks benefit from its versatility and ease of handling, while professional chefs appreciate its precision and balance for detailed work.
How does the weight and balance of a 7-inch chef knife affect its usability?
A well-balanced knife with appropriate weight ensures better control, reduces hand fatigue, and makes cutting tasks more efficient.
Are there any safety tips for using a 7-inch chef knife effectively?
Use a proper cutting technique, keep the knife sharp, store it safely, and always be aware of where your fingers are to prevent accidents.
What is the best cutting board material to use with a 7-inch chef knife?
Wooden or plastic cutting boards are best as they are gentle on the knife’s edge compared to harder surfaces like glass or marble.
Can a 7-inch chef knife be used for precision tasks like peeling and mincing?
Yes, its size and shape make it suitable for precision tasks, though a smaller paring knife might be more efficient for very detailed work.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when using a 7-inch chef knife?
Avoid using it on hard surfaces, for prying open items, or cutting frozen foods as these can damage the blade. Also, improper storage and not maintaining the blade can lead to reduced performance.
Are there any specific techniques or grips recommended for using a 7-inch chef knife?
The pinch grip, where you pinch the blade with your thumb and forefinger while wrapping your other fingers around the handle, offers better control and precision.
Final Verdict
Knives are indispensable parts of a kitchen. A good Chef’s knife makes cooking a lot easier. No matter if you are a home cook or a skilled chef, you will need a Chef knife for chopping, slicing, mincing, or peeling every day.
A Chef Knife is a versatile knife that can do all sorts of cutting. However, I won’t suggest that. It is important to have separate knives for meat and veggies/fruits.
You can try buying a 7-inch Chef knife if you find the average-sized ones a bit large. I have listed the best 7 inch Chef knife to help you choose from the best and save your money. This knife is good. But I think, if you can buy a good knife set for under $200 then it’s better not to buy a knife.
I am Luna L. Rusk, a passionate content writer. Always I provide accurate product reviews and information for quicker shopping. I love to cook for my family. In my leisure time, I love spending time with chefs for learning new cooking.