These Stylish Knife Blocks Are the Storage Solutions Your Kitchen Needs

Kitchen chaos can thwart even the most talented home cook's best efforts. That's why you need all the help you can get in the organization department. One simple solution to keeping your most prized utilitarian tools in place and within reach is to get a knife block. With this space-saving staple in your kitchen, there's no time lost searching for the bread knife or paring knife. What's more, with all of your knives in one safe spot, there's less of a chance that they'll wind up in the wrong hands. 

Knife blocks come in all sizes, shapes, materials, and configurations. Those unwieldy woodblocks of bygone years are now carved from gorgeous acacia wood, walnut, ashwood, or oak, lending a touch of elegant rusticity to your counter. Those fashioned from eco-conscious bamboo, like the clean-lined block with seven slots that's shown here ($75, nordicnest.com), complement modern appliances. Choices also include knife blocks that have embedded magnets that hold your knives securely.  

And while many blocks are sold solo with knife-ready slits or magnets, many come as all-in-one knife block sets, including anywhere from three to 16 forged German steel, Swedish steel, Japanese steel, or super-sharp high-carbon stainless steel knives, and possibly kitchen shears, too. Some models even include a handy tool known as a honing steel to keep your knives  sharp. What if your counter is already crammed wall to wall with appliances? Then you might opt for magnetic knife strips, or choose a compact in-drawer style that keeps your knives tucked away in one tidy block. The options are truly endless.

Organization is a beautiful thing, as exemplified by this ashwood block, stocked with heavy-duty forged high-carbon, stainless-steel knives—each one is equipped with a tapered grind edge for sharpness and aqua-colored plastic handles for style.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart "Gilson" 14-Piece Knife Block Set, $62.87, walmart.com.

Show off your knife collection with a gorgeous magnetic knife block crafted by Italian artisans from sustainably sourced solid beech. The stylish designs are coated with a food-safe, stain-resistant finish that stands up to years of wear and tear. This is a great option for anyone who already owns their own knives, as this iteration is sold only as the block.

Shop Now: Zwilling Italian Magnetic Knife Block, $140, food52.com.

A match made in heaven, this magnetic knife block made from Hungarian oak houses knives from legendary French knife-maker Laguiole en Aubrac featuring blades made from Swedish Sandvik steel and handles hand-carved from ebony, boxwood, walnut, olivewood, rosewood, and juniper.

Shop Now: Laguiole en Aubrac Mixed-Wood Knife Set and Magnetic Block, $649.95, williams-sonoma.com.

Make a place on your countertop for this elegant green onyx and marble knife block. It's an unexpected take on the kitchen staple. 

Shop Now: Anthropologie Onyx Knife Block, $23, anthropologie.com.

This triangular walnut block commands attention on your kitchen counter, especially when outfitted with five essential knives, including a chef's knife and Santoku knife, made with forged high-alloy Swedish steel, full-tang blades, and ergonomic handles.

Shop Now: Cangshan Black "Tai" Six-Piece Knife Block Set, $299.95, crateandbarrel.com.

Looking for a piece that makes storing the knives you already have possible? Handmade from plum wood and wenge wood, with an oil finish, this sturdy knife block is a gorgeous example of masterful craftsmanship.

Shop Now: MJ Wood Design Studio Handmade Plum Wood Knife Block, $130, etsy.com.

A real showstopper, this zinc knife block comes with forged German high-carbon stainless steel knives with ergonomically designed handles, plus kitchen shears, and a honing steel to keep blades razor sharp.  

Shop Now: KitchenAid Professional Series 7-Piece Red Knife Block Set, $299.99, crateandbarrel.com.

Sure to become one of the most relied-upon workhorses in your kitchen, this acacia wood stunner has a non-slip stainless-steel base and embedded magnets, which hold up to 18 knives.

Shop Now: Schmidt Brothers Acacia Knife Block, $125, westelm.com. 

Crafted in Japan, this stunning knife block set offers outstanding precision, from the stainless-steel storage block with angled design to help protect blades and a rubber base, to the eight knives with stamped blades made from high-carbon stainless steel and a honing steel, all with stainless handles textured for an ideal grip.

Shop Now: Global 10-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Block Set, $599.95, williams-sonoma.com.

If your countertops are already spoken for, consider this hardwood storage tray that sits flat inside your kitchen drawer, holding and protecting six essential knives with blades precision forged from high-carbon steel, hand honed in Germany.

Shop Now: Wüsthof Classic Ikon Six-Piece In-Drawer Knife Set, $549.95, williams-sonoma.com.

The best of all worlds, this sleek set features a black hardwood block, equipped with both Japanese- and Western-style knives made from top-quality German stainless steel, with ergonomic, double-rivet handles.

Shop Now: Henckels Forged Synergy 16-Piece Knife Block Set, $219.95, wayfair.com.

Storage made simple! That's the beauty of this clean-lined birchwood knife block boasting little bristles that help keep your favorite knives lodged neatly in place.

Shop Now: Satake Houcho Flexible Knife Block, $79, nordicnest.com.

From the home of samurai swords, Seki City, Japan, comes this awe-inspiring knife block starter set with a bamboo block holding five knives, crafted in a 100-step process, inspired by ancient traditions, with 68 layers of stainless steel and birch wood handles, plus extra slots for future cutlery collections.

Shop Now: Shun® Classic Blonde Five-Piece Starter Knife Set, $349.95, crateandbarrel.com.