Busy home cooks know a knife set is important even if funds are limited. That is why we wrote this article. We bought and tested every knife set mentioned here to help you make the best choice.
Budget knife sets under $100 may not be as exciting as premium knife sets that are flashy and expensive, but they have their place. Whether you are looking for a cheap starter set or a 2nd knife set for a vacation home or RV, this article will help you find what you need.
Our Top Budget Knife Set Picks.Â
Cuisinart C77WTR-15P Classic White 15 Piece Knife Set (Best Large Set)
Specifications
| Weight: | 8.3lbs |
| Size: | 5.38″ x 14.5″ x 9.88″ |
Pros
| Lifetime warranty |
| Full tang |
| Forged not stamped |
| Very sharp right out of the box |
| Includes a honing rod |
| The blades hold their edge fairly well |
| Good looking block |
| Stainless steel handle endcaps |
| ergonomic triple rivet handles |
Cons
| Not dishwasher safe |
Set Includes – one 8″ chef knife, one 8″ slicing knife, one 7″ santoku knife, one 5.5″ utility knife, six 3.5″ paring knives, one 2.75″ birds beak paring knife, six 4.5″ steak knives, one 8″ sharpening steel, one pair of kitchen shears, and one wood knife storage block.
This set offers a lot of bang for the buck. For less than $100 you get full tang knives with forged blades and triple riveted handles. Usually those specs come at the cost of quantity, but this set is actually pretty big. It also looks great. The knives have a decent fit and finish for budget knives and the storage block is one of the better looking ones in this article. Obviously the overall quality is less than higher priced sets, but Cuisinart has done a good job from a performance and looks vs value standpoint.
The smaller knives of this set do feel a little flimsy compared to the larger hero knives, but that is pretty typical of budget sets. These knives should always be hand washed and dried right away to ensure years of use and spot free blades. If the included honing rod is used regularly these knives will not to be sharpened often.
All in all this is a good kitchen cutlery set, and you will be hard pressed to find a better designed, more durable set at this price point. If you can get by with a smaller set I would recommend the Cangshan set we listed earlier in this article, but if you need a big set that looks great on almost any kitchen counter this Cuisinart set is an excellent choice at it’s current sub 100-dollar price point.
Mercer Culinary Millenia 5-Piece Knife Set (Best Compact Pick)
Specifications
| Weight: | 3.8lbs |
| Size: | 15″ x 5″ x 15.5″ |
Pros
| Unique look |
| Extremely comfortable handles |
| Good rust resistance |
| Easy to sharpen blades |
| Sharp right out of the box |
| Limited Lifetime Warranty |
| Practical design |
| The whole set and storage board fit easily into a drawer |
Cons
| Blades are stamped rather than forged |
| No steak knives included |
| A bit awkward to hold in a pinch grip. |
Set Includes – one 8″ chef knife, one 8″ serrated bread knife, one 7″ santoku knife, one 3.5″ paring knife, and one magnetic wood storage board.
The Mercer Culinary Millenia 5-Piece Knife set offers great quality and extremely comfortable handles at an excellent price. This set does not have the classic look of the typical wooden handle knife set in a hard wood block, but if you like the unique aesthetic of this set it is a great option for anyone trying to spend less than $100 on a kitchen knife set. It is also a great option if you are looking for a knife set for an RV, because the whole set can be easily stored in a drawer, and the magnetic storage board does a great job of holding the knives in place.
The blades of the Culinary Millennia knives are made of X30Cr13 Japanese steel. This steel is fairly rust resistant, but it generally does not hold its edge for a long time. Fortunately Mercer’s heat treatment seems to have made the blades of these knives hold an edge better than the average X30Cr13 steel blade.
This set uses a magnetic board for storage rather than a wooden block. The magnets on the back of the board are really powerful, and they hold the knives firmly in place. The following wood types are available for this set’s storage boards: Acacia, Bamboo and Rubberwood.
As you can see in the picture above the Millennia series knife sets are available with a variety of handle colors, so you can choose the one that works best for your kitchen. However, the best feature of these knife handles is not the color options of the handles. It is the comfortable shape and feel of the handles in a full hammer grip (they’re fine in a pinch grip too, but it feels a little bulky). These handles are made of a Santoprene/polypropylene combo material that is extremely grippy even when wet. Basically they have the feeling of smooth rubber on the front and back of the handle.
Mercer Culinary Genesis 4-Piece Knife Set With Roll
Specifications
| Weight: | 1.8lbs |
| Size: | 13.78″ x 3.94″x1.97″ |
Pros
| Lifetime Warranty |
| Extremely comfortable handles |
| Good rust resistance |
| Full Tang |
| Sharp right out of the box |
| Limited Lifetime Warranty |
| Practical design |
Cons
| Small set |
| No empty slots in the knife storage roll |
Set Includes – one 7″ granton edge santoku knife, one 3.5″ paring knife, one 5″ utility knife, one 5″ and one storage roll.
This set is a great option for santoku knife fans who are on the go. The Mercer Genesis knife series is one of our most recommended budget knife lines here at Nothing But Knives. This is due to the overall quality for the money these knives offer. They have excellent fit and finish, ergonomic handles and tough German steel blades.
The hero knife in this set is a santoku knife rather than a chef knife, but there are a growing number of home cooks who prefer the santoku over the chef knife for the type of cooking they do. Props to Mercer for offering a set that caters to them.
Both the 5-inch utility knife and 3.5-inch paring knife included in this set are top performers at this price point. The paring knife is especially impressive, and we found it to be an ideal candidate for detail work like coring or peeling.
The rubber material on these handles is very grippy, but the feel of the rough texturing can take a little getting used to. These are not smooth handles by any stretch, but they are very comfortable, and have a way of sticking to the hand better than just about anything else on this list. There’s no getting around the fact that it feels kind of cheap, but it’s a highly effective material.
Calphalon CLassic 12-Piece Self Sharpening Knife Set
Specifications
| Weight: | 6.1lbs |
| Size: | 13.25″ x 4″ x 11″ |
Pros
| Lifetime Warranty |
| Full tang |
| 55-58 HRC |
| Sharpeners built into the storage block |
| Very sharp right out of the box |
| Great looking rubberwood storage block |
| Nice fit and finish for this price point |
Cons
| Paring knife is a bit bigger than normal. |
| No bread knife. |
Set Includes – one 8″ chef knife, one 6″ serrated utility knife, one 5″ santoku knife, one 4.5″ paring knife, six steak knives, one pair of kitchen shears and one self-sharpening rubberwood storage block.
The Calphalon Classic 12-piece knife set is one of the best self-sharpening sets we have tested. The handles are comfortable and easy to grip even when they are wet, the overall fit and finish is good for a set under $100 and the built in sharpeners do a decent job. We really like that the pommel of the knives are labeled to help ensure they go back in the right slot in the storage block.
All the knives in this set are full tang, the blades hold their edge well for a budget set. We would have preferred that this set ship with a full-size bread knife, but the serrated six-inch utility knife handles small to medium sized loaves well. The six steak knives that are included are better from a durability and performance standpoint than the steak knives included in most budget sets, so if you eat a lot of meat, this set may be a good option.
The 8inch chef knife included in this set features a classic Western style design. It has a full bolster which adds some weight but improves safety. The angular chamfering on the handle of the chef knife and the other hereo knives in this set helps with comfort and grip. It was sharp right out of the box, and it will stay that way, because it has its own self sharpening slot in the storage block.
The paring knife included in this set is a bit on the long side for detail work, but we managed to make it work. The comfortable handle helped with grip when peeling or making small technical cuts, but we still wished there was a smaller paring knife included. Fortunately, there is an empty non-sharpening slot in the storage block, so one can easily be added.
Overall the Henckels 12-Piece Definition knife set offered better performance than most other self-sharpening sets at this price point. The knives also had better overall fit and finish than most budget knives. We have no problem recommending this set for anyone who wants a quality knife set but dislikes sharpening.
Cangshan S1 3-Piece Knife Set (Best Quality Pick)
Specifications
| Weight: | 5.8lbs |
| Size: | 15″ x7.75″ x 3.75″ |
Pros
| Very sharp right out of the box |
| Lifetime Warranty |
| Comfortable, Contoured Handles |
| Great edge retention |
| Great balance |
Cons
| Small set |
| No empty slots in the storage block |
Set Includes – one 8″ chef knife, one 3.5″ paring knife, and one Walnut knife storage block
This 2-knife set from Cangshan is obviously much smaller than any of the of the other sets in this article, but the two knives in this set are by far the best knives in this post from a quality and performance standpoint (other than the Vosteed Morgan Set). The knives are both full tang and the blades are made of X50Cr15MoV German Steel.
Cangshan’s great heat treatment ensures that the knives have excellent edge retention, and the angle of the handles make rock chopping motions much easier and create a lot of room for knuckle clearance. The full bolster does make pinch grips feel a little awkward, but the balance helps make up for that by putting a lot of knife’s weight near the top of the handle.
The tapered handles are comfortable and easy and lend themselves well to multiple grip types. They also look great. This set is perfect for anyone who prefers quality over quantity. It is also a good set for a small kitchen in a boat or RV, because it takes up very little counter space. Overall this set feels like a much more expensive set when you are using the knives. This is especially true of the 8-inch Chefs knife which handles like a knife from a higher end knife set.
Ginsu Gourmet Chikara Series 5 Piece Cutlery Set
Specifications
| Weight: | 7.65lbs |
| Size: | 5.88″ x 5.5x 14.8″ |
Pros
| Lifetime Replacement Warranty |
| Full Tang |
| Forged not stamped |
| Includes a honing rod |
| The blades hold their edge extremely well for knives at this price point |
| Great looking block |
| Comfortable handles |
| Takes up very little counter space |
Cons
| No steak knives |
| Relatively soft steel |
| Chef’s knife is only 6 inches |
Set Includes – one 6″ chef knife, one 5″ Santoku knife, one 5″ utility knife, one 3.5″ paring knife, and a bamboo storage block block.
This is a small knife set with small knives. Initially I didn’t add it to this article, because the chef’s knife is only six inches, but it really is a good super-affordable set for tiny kitchens. I have been recommending this set to anyone looking for a budget knife set for a small space like an RV or cabin kitchen. The vertical orientation of the block makes it a really tidy solution for short counters, and it would even be easy to store in something like a boat drawer.
The 5-inch santoku knife is a standout performer in this set, and the utility knife is surprisingly capable of handling a variety of tasks. It is not quite on par with the much more expensive Wusthof Classic 4183 santoku knife, but it is closer from a performance standpoint than I expected it to be. It is an excellent knife to take for meal prep on camping trips, picnics, or road trips, because it is capable of handling a large variety of tasks, and it is relatively small and lightweight.
The knives are also pretty tough for kitchen cutlery. The steel is soft, which is isn’t great for edge retention, but there is a much smaller risk of these edges chipping than normal. Overall the Ginsu Chikara Series is a great value buy, and it should provide years of use especially, if it is used as a travel set in an RV, houseboat, or vacation cabin.
Cuisinart C77SS 15 Piece Knife Set
Specifications
| Weight: | 8.3lbs |
| Size: | 13.8″ x 8.2″ x 4.5“ |
Pros
| Excellent performance |
| Comfortable Handles |
| Very sharp right out of the box |
| The blades hold their edge well for knives at this price point |
| Light for knives with a full bolster |
| Easy to clean and maintain |
Cons
| No bread knife included |
| No empty knife slots in the storage block |
Set Includes – one 8″ chef knife, one 7″ Santoku knife, one 5.5″ serrated utility knife, one 8″ slicing knife, one 3.5″ paring knife, one 2.75″ birds beak paring knife, 4.5″ paring knife and six 4.5″ steak knives, one 8″sharpening steel, one pair of household shears and a storage block.
Cuisinart does a great job of making quality knife sets in the under $100 category. After years of testing knife sets, I feel fairly confident in saying they are one of the best budget knife set makers in 2024. And the C77SS-15P set is one of the best all-around low-cost knife sets to come through the doors here at Nothing But Knives.
The 5.5″ serrated utility knife did a great job with tomatoes and other soft fruit. It also handled bread fairly well considering its size. This is important, because this set does not ship with a bread knife.
The tapered bolster of the knives in this set makes the pinch grip comfortable, and the texturing on the stainless-steel handles helps with grip. The handle shape is not as neutral as I generally like, but the palm swell and pommel curve are not drastic enough to make your hand feel locked in.
Cuisinart included a pair of kitchen shears in this set that have a built in bottle opener. If you are like me, and you lose your kitchen bottle opener on a regular basis this feature is more than a gimmick. I hope this becomes more common in other knife sets across the budget spectrum.
The Cuisinart C77SS-15P proves that this company is dedicated to maintaining the quality and performance of their low-priced knife sets in 2024. This is encouraging, because many of the budget knife sets, we test feel like an afterthought with little concern for overall quality or design. I plan to spend more time this year testing sets from Cuisinart to see if I can find any more high performing sets that won’t empty your wallet.
Chicago Cutlery Fusion 12-Piece Knife Set (Best Value Pick)
Specifications
| Weight: | 6.3lbs |
| Size: | 13.75″ x 6.75″ x 5″ |
Pros
| Forged not stamped |
| Good corrosion resistance |
| Great value |
| Good quality block for this price point |
| Sharp right out of the box |
| Comfortable, easy to grip handles |
| Lifetime Warranty |
Cons
| A little on the heavy side |
| Blades need regular sharpening (this is pretty normal at this price point) |
Set Includes – one 3.5″ paring knife, one 5″ utility knife, one 7.75″ bread knife, one 7.75″ chef knife, one 8″ slicer, six 4.5″ steak knives, and one wooden storage block.
From a value standpoint, the Chicago Cutlery Fusion series of knives offers good durability and performance at a low price. The 12-piece Fusion set is one of the most impressive cutlery sets we have tested at this price point, especially considering how much they packed into the set.
The knives are well balanced, offer great corrosion resistance, and the handles are comfortable and easy to grip. The blades also have an excellent bite that makes cutting into softer foods pretty easy for western-style budget knives. The knives are a little on the heavy side, so if you are looking for lightweight cutlery, you may want to look elsewhere.
Chicago Cutlery keeps the steel they use in all their knife sets a secret. Their product description only states the steel is high carbon. That term is certainly a relative one, but I would guess that the steel used is not high carbon by modern standards. The blades of these knives will need to be sharpened on a semi regular basis, so you may want to buy Chicago Cutlery’s Dual Stage Knife Sharpener #AD if you buy this set.
The steak knives included in this set are quite a bit better quality than most of the other steak knives included in sets at this price point. The have the same balanced feel and easy grip as the hero knives in this set. The bread knife is probably the worst included knife from a performance standpoint, but it still got the job done. The chef’s knife was above average from both a performance and quality standpoint when compared to other budget chef knives.
MSY Big Sunny 5-Piece Knife Set
If you are looking for a budget-friendly knife set without a storage block, the Big Sunny 5-piece set is a great option. The knives in this set look great, and their performance matches their looks.
Specifications
| Weight: | 2.1lbs |
| Size: | NA |
Pros
| Forged not stamped |
| Great looking wood block |
| Sharp right out of the box |
| Excellent knife combination |
| Very comfortable handles |
| Lifetime Warranty |
Cons
| The steak knives do not feel as durable as the rest of the set |
| 8″ utility knife is a little on the big size for some tasks. |
Set Includes – one 3.5″ paring knife, one 5″ utility knife, one 8.5″ bread knife, one 8″ chef’s knife and one 8.5″ slicer.
MSY BigSunny knives have been on our radar for a while. We have received a fair amount of questions about them, but we never tested them out until January of 2023. We immediately liked the sleek bolster-free look of these knives, and we were impressed with their excellent balance and performance one we started using them. Every knife in this set other than the bread knife performed well above its price range. The bread knife is capable, but not on the same level as the other knives.
If you decide this is the knife set that best fits your needs, I highly recommend that these knives never be washed in a dishwasher. The Pakkawood handles have a great classic look, but they will not handle regular trips through the dishwasher well.
The blades of these knives are made of German 1.4116 steel which is a tough, capable steel that is easy to sharpen. However, it doesn’t have amazing edge retention, so if you use these knives regularly, you will have to sharpen them regularly. But that’s not unusual in this budget category, and the tall blades also mean they have a more gradual taper from edge to spine that makes cuts feel a lot smoother.
If you are looking for a great, budget friendly set, and you don’t need a storage block the MSY BigSunny 5-piece knife set may be the way to go. MSY BigSunny does make a set of these knives that ships with a storage block #AD, but it costs a bit more than $100.
More Knife Set Options At Different Price Points
If you are on an extremely tight budget, and you need a knife set cheaper than anything listed here, check out the Top 5 Critic article on the top knife sets under $50.
If you think you may want to spend a little more in order to get a better quality cutlery set, check out our article on the best kitchen knife sets under $200.
If you want to take a significant step up in quality check out The Best Kitchen Knife Sets Under $300
If you think you want to spend a lot more for a better quality knife set, check out our article, The Best Kitchen Knife Sets Under $300.
If you’re ready for some top-tier stuff, check out our recommendations for the Best Professional and High End Kitchen Knife Sets.
The Current State of Budget Knife Set Manufacturing
Cutlery companies seem to be ramping up production of budget friendly knife sets recently, and we are doing our best to keep up. 2024 should be a year where companies increase production of affordable knife sets based on current trends. We will continue to monitor and test new releases and post the best sets to this article.
Proper Care and Handling of Budget Kitchen Knives
While it is true that modern manufacturing in modern technology has greatly improved the quality of budget kitchen knives, it is also true that cheap cutlery generally will not last as long as higher priced kitchen knives. However, with a minimal amount of care and maintenance the kitchen knife sets under $100 listed in this post should last for years. Here are our recommendations for getting years of use from budget cutlery sets.
- Avoid trying to cut or chop anything frozen. This often results in a rolled or chipped blade, and it will dull the blade very quickly. Frozen items should be cut or chopped with a cleaver. If you are looking for a good budget cleaver, check out our the Utopia 7 Inch Cleaver Review.
- Never wash your knives in the dishwasher. This can result in rust spots and the vibrations of the dishwasher will dull the knives, especially if they are in a silverware basket with other utensils. If you do end up washing some cutlery in the dishwasher dry them immediately and use a honing rod to get the blade edge back to its optimal sharpness.
- Avoid storing knives in a drawer unless they have individual knife sheaths or guards #AD. The wood block that ships with the set is the ideal way to store knives. If you end up needing to store knives in drawer make sure to get some sheaths for them to avoid accidental cuts and blade dulling. If you ordered a knife block set separately from your steak knives check out our post on great steak knife wooden blocks.
- Use a honing rod on a regular basis to ensure your knives retain their edge and perform well for years. Honing is different than sharpening, and should be done more often.
- Sharpen your knives at least twice a year if you use them on a daily basis and at least once a year if you use them less regularly.
Best Sharpening Methods for Budget Knives
We get a lot of questions here at Nothing But Knives about knife sharpeners. Most budget knives are made of cheaper stainless steel that requires regular sharpening. With that in mind I figured it would be a good idea to include a few good budget sharpening options. I have personally used every sharpener I recommend the following list.
- Whetstones
Whetstones are still the best method for sharpening, but they do have a steep learning curve and good ones can be expensive. If you are new to whetstone sharpening I recommend the Work Sharp Benchtop Whetstone #AD, because it has guide angles which makes it much easier to learn whetstone sharpening. The Sharp Pebble Kit #AD is also a good option for beginners.
There are a lot of great whetstone sharpening tutorials available to help you get up to speed on this classic sharpening method. - Manual Knife Sharpeners
This is the simplest and most budget friendly method of knife sharpening. If you use this method of sharpening, it is important to buy a manual sharpener that matches the grind angle of your kitchen knives. With that in mind, I usually recommend the Smith’s 50264 Adjustable Manual Sharpener #AD, because the grind angle can be adjusted to match your knives. Grind angles can usually be found on the manufacturers website. - Guided Knife Sharpening Systems
This method of sharpening is easier to learn than whetsone sharpening, but it is not as easy as using a manual sharpener. Guided sharpening systems can be really expensive, but the Work Sharp Precision Adjust System #AD is affordable, and it does a great job.
I just need the block….do you sell them separately????
Hi Michael. We actually don’t sell any knives or knife sets. We just test them out and write reviews. There are several empty storage blocks available on Amazon though.
Is they guy in the last (bottom) picture trying to slice his hand open?
Not trying, but cutting our hands open has basically become a sport for us at this point.
A couple of these sets are not under $100. One of them is $120. A little off the mark there.
Hi Andrea. The price fluctuations of the last year have been dramatic. Often a set will be just over $100 for a few months and then drop again. We do monitor the prices of the sets in this article, and switch them out with options under $100, but we generally give it a little time do the the roller coaster of price changes recently. Unlike most other review sites we actually test the products we recommend, so it does take a little longer to to find products we feel comfortable adding to our site. This may result in us occasionally being “a little off the mark”, but we feel the overall quality of our articles is better for it.
Bought a set of cuisinart knives left laying without washing right away they have rust on them how do I get it off?
Hi Norma. It depends on how bad the rust is. If it is just mild spotting a Mr Clean type sponge can often get the job done.
If that doesn’t work try soaking the knife in vinegar for thirty minutes, and then try a Mr. Clean type sponge.
First time checking this website out. Blown away by the detailed research for these cheap sets, and the useful care info at the end. You make me want to be a better informed knife buyer.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Joe. Much appreciated.