When preparing a meal for your family, you would prefer that it goes easy and quick, especially the cutting and slicing part. That’s why having an efficient, sharp knife is somewhat of a necessity in your kitchen. After all, having a blunt blade will cause you much trouble. And from what I’ve seen through my research and experience, a ceramic knife is all you need. Having a Japanese Knife can be great, but turn on your TV or check YouTube for cooking shows, and you’ll instantly notice that ceramic knives are a fan-favorite of professional chefs all over the globe.
I can assure you that using a ceramic knife is one of the most crucial things when it comes to cooking, simply because the way you cut the vegetables or the fruits on your Cutting Board can be critical to the final state of the dish. Even better, they can handle many applications so that you can use one as a Kitchen Utility Knife, Bread Knife, or even a Cheese Knife.
In this article, I’ll explain how a ceramic knife is made, the pros and cons of using a ceramic knife, the pricing, and how to maintain one. Then, I’ll cite the best five ceramic knife sets in 2018.
A little trivia for you: the Japanese were the first to manufacture ceramic knives for kitchen use, but the production of these blades soon became worldwide, increasing the market’s competitiveness. And a wide variety of knives with different prices and features may make choosing the right blade more laborious. That’s why we have decided to pick the best five sets of ceramic knives in the market today, hoping to tighten the pool of choices and make it easier for you to pick one.
Best Ceramic Knives Review
| Image | Ceramic Knives | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | #1 - Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12 Piece Ceramic Knife Set | 99% |
 | #2 - Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution 3-Piece Ceramic Knife Set | 97% |
 | #3 - Farberware 5243363 2 Piece Ceramic Knife Set | 95% |
 | #4 - ZenWare 9 Piece Multi-Color Ceramic Cutlery Kitchen Knives | 93% |
 | #5 - VOOV Professional 5 Piece Pure Ceramic Knife Set | 92% |
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Now that you’ve seen our top 5 recommendations, we’ll give you more details, including why we liked them. When you’re ready, click the yellow button to get the best price on Amazon!
#1 – Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12 Piece Ceramic Knife Set
This six knives and six covers set is pretty expensive compared to the other four sets; the blades come in color-coated ceramic, which looks elegant and nice-looking if you ask me. The edges are pretty sharp and sturdy, and they’re stainless. Even though this set from Cuisinart, out of all the other ceramic sets, has a note on the box saying that the blades can be cleaned in a dishwasher, I wouldn’t recommend doing that at all.
The set comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you don’t enjoy its elegant looks and sharpness. The handles are made from a firm & soft rubber that makes the handling process super easy and quite comfortable, and it features a protective component near the edge of the handle.
What shocked me, however, is that one of the handles broke away from the blade; this is probably the result of the manufacturers using fragile glue, which is rather silly for a pricey product.
What we like about it
For a pretty reasonable price, you get long-term sharpness, stainless blades, rubber, well-protected (but sadly sheath-free) handles, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If that isn’t a great deal, I don’t know what is.
#2 – Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution 3-Piece Ceramic Knife Set
Although this set only features three knives, it’s more on the expensive side in comparison to other sets.
Moreover, it doesn’t feature any holders or sheaths, which is unfortunate. However, as the fancy name might have already given it away, these knives are one of the best. They’re durable, sharp, lightweight, stainless, and flexible knives. Unlike the three sets mentioned before, this one features some protection in the handles, in the form of an arch at the end so that your hand doesn’t interact with the sharp blade.
This set comes with a lifetime warranty, so if you happen to have one of them break, you can get a replacement. When re-sharpening your knives, you might want to consider getting Kyocera’s own Electric Sharpener (plus, you can use it for any knife in your kitchen).
What we like about it
Superb quality, Stainless blades, and a Lifetime guarantee. Add that to the excellent protection of the ergonomically designed handles and the long-term sharpness, and you’ve got a fantastic deal if you turn a blind eye to the absence of sheaths. Don’t let the high price discourage you, as the quality you’re getting lives up to it.
#3 – Farberware 5243363 2 Piece Ceramic Knife Set
Due to its dark-painted ceramics, this 2-piece set is a stainless, aesthetically pleasing set. This set is affordable and features a 30-day warranty right out of the box. One of the two knives is a serrated bread knife, an efficient one at its job. Sadly, these knives come with no sheaths or any handling options, which means that if you store them, you might want to consider getting a wooden knife block or something.
Each of these knives is a lightweight blade with an ergonomic design and easy-to-grip handles for an ever-comfortable experience. Also, the handles are made from BFA-free, highly durable plastic. However, the handles lack protection at the tip, which means that you could slip your hand, which may be a problem.
The blades of this set were made using Cold Isocratic Pressing tech; that’s the fancy word for a more robust, sharper, and durable blade. But this comes at a cost, these blades are a bit brittle, and they get dull rather quickly than other blades, so you will need to sharpen them more often. Unfortunately, you will have to be very careful when re-sharpening these blades because they will probably break in the process.
What we like about it
It’s pretty straightforward; the blades in this set are stainless and have an ergonomic design that features easy-to-grip and comfortable handles made of BFA-free plastic. Besides, this affordable set uses CIP technology to deliver the best experience and comes with a 30-day warranty, which is good because, sadly, the blades will most likely break when attempting to re-sharpen them. Keep in mind that you need to be careful when using the knives of this set as it doesn’t come with sheaths or any protection/handling feature.
#4 – ZenWare 9 Piece Multi-Color Ceramic Cutlery Kitchen Knives
This is a set of 4 different knives in 4 different sizes; it also features protective sheaths for each blade for easier storage. In addition to the four knives, you get a peeler. The set is very affordable & it comes with a 30-day money guarantee, so if you do not like the set, you can get your money back as long as you don’t pass the 30-day deadline.
The knives in the set are very easy to hold and quite sharp, but like is the case with most ceramic knife sets, the blades are somewhat brittle and can break after a certain period, even under perfectly proper use and maintenance. There is also the fact that these blades, compared to other ceramic blades, are very lackluster regarding flexibility. The blades’ handles are made of durable plastic, but like the blades in the Rihachan set, they don’t feature any protection, so you have to be very careful when using these.
The bonus piece of the set, the peeler, features a very efficient and sharp rotating blade. But it’s one of those peelers where peeling happens towards the holding hand, which may be tricky to many. So, I advise you to be extra cautious when using it.
If you’re not a fan of the multi-colored blades, this set also comes in an exquisite black-coated version.
What we like about it
ZenWare 9 Piece Multi-Color Ceramic Cutlery Kitchen Knives is a very affordable, lightweight set. Each sharp (not so flexible) blade has its protective sheath and extremely durable handles made from plastic. In addition, it features a bonus set piece in the form of a peeler which is, unfortunately, tricky to use and somewhat dangerous for inexperienced users. You also get a 30-day warranty, which is standard but convenient. Overall, these are the knives for you if you’re trying to prepare a recipe from a Chinese Cookbook.
#5 – VOOV Professional 5-Piece Pure Ceramic Knife Set
Another affordable multi-colored set to add to the bunch. Don’t let the name fool you; this French-made set comes with four blades, each with a white sheath for extra protection. These knives are super lightweight and pretty comfortable to hold but be careful when you are trying to cover them in their proper sheaths because they are somewhat tight, and pushing the blade in too hard may cause harm to either you or the blade itself.
Like the ZenWare set, these blades are strong and sharp, yet they’re not that flexible. Unlike the ZenWare set, however, all the knives in this set are stainless.
The handles feature a sleek, ergonomic design that makes chopping and slicing quick and easy.
From what I have seen from reviews all over the net, 2 of the knives in this set have issues. First, a giant knife has an extremely sharp edge near the handle, a severe issue due to the absence of protection on the handle’s side. Second, the smallest knife seems to always be the first knife out of the 4 to break. This is most likely a manufacturing issue due to the high number of people who’ve experienced it.
Despite these issues, the set still sits at an excellent price-to-value ratio that somewhat makes it worth getting.
What we like about it
This set’s main merit is the blades’ long-term sharpness, as there’s no need to re-sharpen regularly. Distinguishing the knives is easy as pie, as they come with multi-colored handles. The set also excels security-wise; the collection includes sheaths for protection and storage for a comfortable and smooth experience. With an excellent price-to-value ratio, all of that makes it a pretty good deal you wouldn’t want to miss.
So, Which Set Should You Consider Buying?
After reviewing each one of these ceramic knife sets in detail, we’ll pick one (or two) and explain why.
The choice is yours, but if you’re a beginner, we highly suggest getting the MoiChef 8-Piece Premium Ceramic Knife Set. This set offers a tremendous price-to-value ratio, practical knives, and an excellent choice for people recently getting into ceramic knives.
However, if you have experience when it comes to using ceramic knives, then we recommend using the Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution 3-Piece Ceramic Knife Set. The knives in this set are pretty flexible, sharp, and highly durable. They might seem costly initially, but if you know what you’re doing, you won’t regret getting one. This set will also be a great addon to your Grilling Tools if you want to try some Indoor Grill recipes from a Grilling Cookbook, as they usually require heavy cutting.
The Production Process of a Ceramic Knife:
The main component of ceramic knives is an advanced, high-tech ceramic called zirconium oxide, aka zirconia. Zirconium oxide is a tough & wear-resistant material, making it a perfect option for knives. At first, it’s mixed with other secondary components in a liquid form which turns into a powder when it gets dry. Afterward, that powder is pressed together with force and then heated to its melting point.
Ceramics scored 8.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, while ordinary steel and hardened steel (normal knives) land anywhere from 4.5 to 8. In addition to naturally being extremely hard, ceramic knives are sharpened using a diamond-dust-coated grinding wheel, which makes them even better because diamond is ten on the Mohs scale, which is used to measure hardness.
Pros of Using a Ceramic Knife:
For starters, ceramic knives are super sharp; I realize that this means that the chances of you accidentally cutting yourself just increased, but if you’re careful enough, you’ll realize how good this is.
The sharpness grants you the ability to cut small pieces of vegetables without squashing them in the process, in addition to being able to cut things if you have quick hands quickly. Because of the state of ceramic, if you sharpen ceramic knives the right way, they will stay sharp for a very long time, and every time you slice, they’d feel good as new.
Secondly, as I have previously explained, ceramic is very hard, which makes these knives super durable. Although these knives are super sharp, to many people’s surprise, they’re lightweight. You can barely feel the knife in your hand when chopping food, which may be crucial for older people. Another great feature of ceramic knives is that they don’t react to the acids in fruits and vegetables, meaning that when you slice one, you won’t notice any dark spots on the fruit or the veggie (this happens when you cut them with a steel knife). Also, ceramic blades don’t rust, like never.
Finally, ceramic knives are entirely stainless; they don’t pick up odors or bacteria. In other words, you can quickly switch from slicing meat to dicing fruits without worrying about flavor transference. This is the result of the makeup of a ceramic blade; to be more exact, the ceramic pores are closed to the point where there is no chance for any transfer of smell or taste between different kinds of foods.
The Cons:
As I have explained earlier, in making up a ceramic blade, these blades are super hard, and unfortunately, that feature is a double-edged sword. What I mean by that is that due to the hard nature of ceramic, it is very easy to break, to the point where dropping your ceramic knife on the floor may cause it to break to pieces. This also means that you shouldn’t try to cut any hard vegetables, cheese, frozen food, or bone with them because the blade would break to pieces very quickly.
You also have to pick soft plastic or wooden cutting boards, simply because anything harder would either cause the tip of the knife to break (while slicing) or the whole knife to break. The hardness also means that ceramic blades are not as flexible as other blades, so if you’re going to use them for something that requires a flexible blade, I would recommend using a steel blade instead.
Prices of Ceramic Blades & Sharpening and Maintaining Them:
At first, I expected ceramic knives to be expensive due to their rather unique nature and such, but it turns out that they come at different prices, like the other types of knives. Like steel knives, ceramic knives’ prices depend on the quality of the blade and which brand it’s from. In other words, you will be able to find a ceramic blade that fits your budget, but since knives are a long-term investment (if you take care of them), I recommend getting a quality knife from a trustworthy brand.
Storing your knife in the right place is highly crucial to its survivability. Most knives come with a sheath, and some even come with a holder. So, you got to look for these features when shopping for a ceramic knife, as just like food requires the use of a Food Storage Container, a FoodSaver, or a Compact Refrigerator, your knives need proper storage to ensure longevity, especially if you intend to add them to your Kitchen Gadgets for Healthy Cooking.
However, you should never place your ceramic blade in a dishwasher if you plan to use it for a long time. The washer will toss the knife around while cleaning it, and the moment you take it out, it will either be missing a piece or be in pieces. If you wish to clean your ceramic knife, place it under water, wash it, and take your time drying it again to survive more.
Although I elaborated before that ceramic blades stay pretty sharp for an extended period, they do need sharpening from time to time. I would recommend getting a diamond Knife Sharpener, which you can also use for your stainless-steel blades. But if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of re-sharpening the edge, there is always the option of getting a professional re-sharp, which won’t be costly.
Can you use your oven without an Oven Thermometer? No, you cannot, as that would only lead to burning food, and the same goes for quality knives, as having a blunt one would only make your experience in the kitchen laborious. Ceramic knives are an excellent option for tools in this category, so getting a good set of them is vital, for me at least.
Above, we’ve detailed everything you need to know about these tools, so read the guide thoroughly before making your pick and buying your next kitchen addon.