In my larger tested review of the best knife sets, the Misen Essentials Knife Set stood out as the best basic option. Ahead, learn more about the streamlined, crowd-pleasing set.
The Misen Essentials Knife Set is the best option for most home cooks.
After putting nine of the best knife sets through their paces in my kitchen, a few sets stood out from the rest, including the Misen Essentials Knife Set. As far as knife sets go, this top-rated pick is relatively pared down, as its composed of just a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Its streamlined design is one of the set’s best perks: It doesn’t include a bunch of unnecessary or subpar knives that will only collect dust in the block. The professional-quality blades are also some of the sharpest I’ve ever used, while the colorful handles are comfortable and easy to hold. (The set’s main weakness? Due to its popularity, it’s often sold out.) For these qualities and then some, the Misen Essentials is the best basic set you can buy.
Misen Essential Knife Set Features
Streamlined For Home Kitchens
Knife sets come in a truly dizzying array of configurations, some of which include upward of 15 pieces. No one—especially not the average home cook—needs this many knives. What I love about the Misen knife set is that it contains exceptional versions of the three essentials: a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. Now, some home cooks may consider this a downside, especially those who are looking for a knife set with a storage blocks. If you count yourself among that cohort, Misen sells a handsome wooden magnetic knife strip to hang on your wall. You can also, of course, buy a storage solution from another brand or retailer.
Premium Construction
Misen blades feature a special design: Whereas most Western-style knives have a 25-degree blade angle, Misen sharpens both sides of its knives at a 15-degree angle, which is more typical of Japanese-style knives. This more acute angle, Misen claims, makes for exceptionally sharp blades—and that’s the truth. Throughout testing, the Misen knives sliced through everything from hard carrots to delicate herbs with remarkable ease. Beyond that, the knives truly check all the boxes. They’re made from high-carbon Japanese stainless steel, which makes for extra-strong blades. They’re also full-tang, meaning each knife is made from a single rod of steel that extends all the way through the handle; because of this, the knives are well balanced.
The handles—which come in four fun colors—are similarly well crafted. Most pros agree that the best way to hold a chef’s knife is with a pinch grip, wherein your thumb and index finger pinch the blade of the knife and the rest of your fingers wrap around the handle. While this gripping style can feel awkward with some knives, that isn’t the case with the Misen blades. Thanks to the sloped bolster at the base of the knives, the pinch grip feels natural and comfortable, which makes the blades easier to control. I also found the handles—which are made from dense plastic composite—easy to grip, even as I carved a shmaltzy roast chicken.
An Incredible Value For The Quality
Misen launched on Kickstarter in 2015 with one knife and one goal: to get professional-quality tools directly into the hands of home cooks, at a more affordable price. After testing the full line of knives, I can confidently say the brand has succeeded. The knife set is gimmick-free, simple and elegant—a true joy to hold and use. And compared to many other highly rated sets, it’s refreshingly affordable. As a direct-to-consumer company, Misen is able to cut costs by eliminating the middleman and selling its products online only. This also means that more of the money you spend goes directly to Misen. And the brand’s commitment to quality shows: Misen clearly puts a lot of time and effort into the development and testing of each knife—and every product, for that matter. The only downside of this business model is that you can’t try the knives in person before buying them, which many a chef and knife aficionado would consider a crime. That said, Misen does offer free returns for 60 days and a lifetime guarantee, meaning you can always send the set back if it’s not the right one for you.
How Does The Misen Essentials Knife Set Compare?
When selecting knife sets to review, the Misen was one of my midrange picks, price-wise. The eight sets I tested ranged in price from $145 to $800, and the Misen three-piece set typically retails for $230. Size-wise, the set was slightly smaller than some of its competitors. All sets that I considered came with three to five knives (excluding additional tools), and the Misen set contained three. As for the set’s overall performance, every single knife and additional tool passed its respective culinary test with flying colors. When it comes to value, the Misen set is unbeatable.
How I Tested The Misen Essentials Knife Set
To test this knife set, I first evaluated the set as a whole: I considered how it looked on my kitchen counter and how easy it was to pull the knives in and out of the block for use. Then, I put each knife in the set through its own separate set of tests. With the chef’s knife, I thinly sliced some pretty thick carrots and chopped a pile of fresh parsley to see whether the knife bruised the delicate leaves. My final test with the chef’s knife involved a roast chicken; while carving through the tender meat, I noted how easy it was to maneuver the blade between leg joints and whether the chicken skin tore when I sliced.
I then moved onto the paring knife, using the petite blade to peel apples. With this test, I sought to see whether the blade was short and sharp enough to maneuver around the apple. To further test the blade’s edge, I challenged the knife to the delicate task of finely chopping shallots. With the bread knife, I cut through a crusty loaf sourdough, noting how many shattered crumbs the task left behind on my countertop. I also challenged the knife to cut through a stack of Wonder Bread slices to see if the blade was sharp enough to saw through the squishy bread without squishing it.
My Expertise
As a cookbook author, food editor, food stylist, recipe developer and frequent dinner party host, I spend a lot of time with knives in my hand. I’ve also come to be pretty confident in my knife skills. While attending the Institute of Culinary Education for culinary arts, I passed all the necessary knife-skill tests—even the ones for obscure techniques, like tournéeing vegetables. Before I spent weeks living with and testing eight of the most highly rated knife sets, I spent countless hours researching the market. I also tapped the expertise of three veritable knife experts: Stefano Diaz, owner and head butcher of the Meat Wagon in Kingston, New York; Will Griffin, the artisanal knife maker of W.A. Griffin Bladeworks; and Stephen Chavez, a chef-instructor at the ICE.
How Do You Keep The Misen Knives Sharp?
While Misen claims its knives stay sharp longer than other knives, you still have to care for the blades as you would with any other set. To ensure the longevity of your knives, you should hone the nonserrated knives at least every few uses, and ideally after every use. (Honing realigns the edge of the knife back to the center.) Since the Misen knife set doesn’t include a honing steel, you need to buy one separately. Thankfully, you can snag one on Amazon for less than 20 bucks. To hone a knife, use your nondominant hand to hold the steel with the end pointing down into your cutting board; with your dominant hand, hold the knife with the base of the blade at a 15-degree angle from the steel. Next, slide the blade downward along the steel from base to tip, doing your best to maintain the same angle. Then, switch sides of the blade, honing each side a few times.
If you regularly hone your knives, you’ll need to sharpen them only about once a year. While you can do this at home with a sharpener, this task is best left to professionals at kitchen or knife stores. Better yet, send your dull knives to Misen—the experts there will sharpen your knives for free. (All you have to pay for is shipping.) How can you tell when your knives need sharpening? If you suspect your knives are getting dull, try slicing an onion. When a knife is sharp, it will glide through the onion effortlessly, without bruising the cell structure of the onion. When a knife is dull, not only will it be harder to slice through the onion, but it’ll bruise the tender onion cells, causing them to release more of the compounds that make your eyes water.
How Long Will The Misen Knife Set Last?
Misen truly believes in the quality of its knives: Every set comes with a lifetime guarantee. As long as you care for your knives properly, they should last years and years—though probably not your lifetime. (The only knives that last a lifetime are the ones you never use.) For a professional chef, knives may remain functional for five years. Home cooks, on the other hand, can expect their knives to last around a decade or so.
How Should You Care For The Misen Knife Set?
First things first, never leave them sitting in a full sink, as banging against other dirty dishes will dull the blades. You also shouldn’t put these knives in the dishwasher. (If someone accidentally runs them through a cycle, though, they’ll survive.) Lastly—and just as importantly—dry your knives immediately after washing them to prevent rust from forming. Once they’re dry, store them in the included knife block or another safe place where their blades are protected. Misen also recommends applying mineral oil to the wood block every few months to protect its surface.
