Elevate Your Home Dining Experience by Stocking Up on the Best Knives for Every Entertaining Need

Whether you're enjoying a holiday meal or a simple weeknight dinner, having the right knives for cutting and serving can enhance the experience. Your everyday dinner knife likely won't cut it if you're eating steak, and a giant chef's knife isn't necessarily what you want sitting on a cheese plate. If you've got the extra room in your kitchen, pick out some knives for specialized tasks as they'll definitely come in handy.

When shopping for knives, Paul Downie, director of operations at Bar Lula in New York City, recommends looking for something that not only looks good, but is also comfortable to use and hold. "You'd be surprised how quickly your hands will start to strain during a meal if there's not enough substance in the handle for you to use all of your fingers for the work," he says. "There are some beautiful looking minimalist pieces out there that will give you serious problems if you use them every day." John Doherty, chef and owner of Black Barn Restaurant in New York City, stresses the importance of keeping your knives sharp––even the ones you eat with. "The problem with all knives is that they get dull over time and then they are not safe or effective," he says." If you're not the type of person to stay on top of keeping your knives sharp, he recommends buying inexpensive knives and replacing them when they eventually dull. "A cheap, new knife is more effective than an expensive dull knife," he says.

Top Picks

• Best Steak Knife: Wüsthof Gourmet Steak Knife Set
• Best Butter Knife: MOMA Butter Up Knife
• Best Cake Knife: Laguiole Cake Serving Set
• Best Cheese Knife Set: Pottery Barn White Marble Cheese Knives
• Best Fish Knife: Berghoff Cosmo Fish Serving Knife
• Best Spreader Knife Set: West Elm Forged Cheese Spreaders