Those who enjoy cooking are also focused on cooking equipment. And knives are one of the most important things that you will surely need while preparing your meal for cooking.
People make one of the first investments in their culinary journey with a chef knife. Many professional chefs sport expensive knives of thousands of dollars, but you don’t have to go with that high-quality one.
Because some brands offer the best quality knife at a very affordable price, this article will go through the best chef knife under $50.
Review of 10- Best Knife under $50
A good knife transforms the way you cook from boning to chopping to fileting. This article will list the top best chef’s knives, which will cost less than $50.
Here we will look at Mercer Culinary- one of the best and famous knife brands out there. We ensure you that you will find the best knife for you at an affordable price here.
Read more: Best Chef Knife Under $100
1. Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia
Mercer is famous for its high quality and professional cutlery. Over 30 years ago, the founders saw a need for high-performance, real worth cutlery for food professionals and hobbyists.
Then they developed a knife brand that was useful to everyone, including home cooks, trained chefs, industry professionals, and culinary students.
Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia 8-inch chef’s knife is one of their latest collection. It is manufactured from high-carbon Japanese steel, so edge maintenance and sharpening are easy and fast.
Its Japanese non-staining steel resists corrosion, discoloration, and rust. The sharp edge razor makes chopping and cutting a breeze and also easy to maintain.
Moreover, its ergonomic handles are manufactured from Santoprene and polypropylene, which are for comfort and durability. It provides slip resistance and a good grip by its textured finger points.
Each handle is manufactured to widen to meet the blade helping to protect fingers gently. Moreover, Mercer is an NSF-certified brand, and Mercer Culinary knives meet their standard for quality, safety, and performance.
Even though this knife works as a fillet knife, it is also ideal for other jobs like slicing fruits, vegetables, and poultry. However, this is the best cheap knife on today’s market you will find.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Ergonomic handle
- Sharp blade
- Highly versatile
- Requires minimum force
- NSF certification
- The handle is a bit heavier
2. Mercer Culinary M23510 Renaissance
Mercer builds a good variety of culinary tool which meets the need of any professional chefs. Their unique design, dedicated craftsmanship, high-quality materials make this brand the only choice for food enthusiasts.
Here comes Mercer Culinary’s, another fantastic chef’s knife. Mercer Culinary M23510 comes with an 8-inch perfect size. It has an ergonomic triple-riveted Delrin handle.
Its high carbon and no-strain German cutlery steel resist discoloration, rust, and corrosion. Also, a rounded spine and one-piece precision-forged construction give each renaissance knife excellent durability and strength.
The taper-ground edge feature provides stability, easy honing, increased efficiency, and long-lasting sharpness when chopping and cutting.
Besides, the ergonomic Delrin handle provides exceptional satisfaction. It can withstand cold and hot temperatures and doesn’t break down from kitchen oils exposure.
Again the bolster adds durability and strengthens to this knife and also gives good balance while cutting food. These all features have made this knife the best chef knife under 50. Moreover, this professional knife is NSF certified, ensuring high performance, high quality, and safety.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Ergonomic Delrin handle
- German steel
- Shortened bolster
- Taper- ground 15-degree edge
- NSF certified
- Sharpness doesn’t stay so long
3. Mercer Culinary M22707 Millennia
Mercer culinary is a professional brand and always provides the best cutlery collections. This knife from Mercer culinary is the third-best chef knife on our list.
Also, this Mercer Culinary M22707 knife is an amazing one of the Mercer cutlery collection. It comes with 7-inch ergonomic handles made from Polypropylene and Santoprene for strength and stability.
It is designed with textured finger points, which gives a better grip and slip resistance. Each handle is featured to widen where it helps the blade to protect fingers gently.
Also, this knife is engineered with non-staining Japanese steel that can resist corrosion, discoloration, and rust. Besides, its razor-sharp blade makes chopping and cutting a breeze. This knife is also very simple to manage.
Moreover, this knife features a protective finger guard also. In addition, as this brand is NSF certified, so you don’t have to worry about its quality, performance, durability, and safety. You just need to use it carefully.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Ergonomic handles
- Japanese steel
- Slip-resistant textured finger points
- Protective finger guard
- Easy to maintain
- Not dishwasher safe
4. Mercer Culinary White Chef’s Knife
Now comes Mercer Culinary’s one of the most beautiful chef’s knives. This knife is different from other collections of Mercer culinary. This knife comes in a large size of 10 inches with a beautiful white handle.
The Mercer culinary ultimate ergonomic handles are made from highly durable and stain-resistant polypropylene. Also, it is featured with textured finger points to provide a slip resistance facility.
Moreover, these Mercer culinary ultimate white knives are designed with high Carbon Japanese steel, which is easy to maintain. The non-staining blades can resist corrosion, discoloration, and rust.
Besides, the razor-sharp edges make chopping and cutting a breeze. It also provides the hollow ground edge. Moreover, like other knives, this one is also NSF certified. So you don’t need to concern about its quality, performance, and durability.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Ergonomic handles
- Elegant white handles
- High carbon Japanese steel
- Razor-sharp edge
- Slip-resistant textured finger points
- Blade is too much sharp
5. Mercer Culinary White Ultimate Boning Knife
Those looking for the best knife for cutting vegetables, fruits, etc, can pick Mercer Culinary white ultimate 6 inch Boning knife. This knife is the best choice for regular use.
The mercer culinary white ultimate knife is 6 inches long. It comes with a forged design with high-quality stainless steel of carbon material from German.
Again it has the feature of corrosion and rust resistance perfectly. To enhance the balance, the whole tang runs along with the handle. Besides, the taper is designed as the ground edge to provide stability and long-time sharpness.
Another facility is hand wash is recommended for blade surface and edge to maintain quality. The handle of this knife is featured with ergonomic black Santoprene for a safe grip and convenient usage.
You will indeed feel comfortable and complete all your cutting, slicing tasks holding this knife for a long time. Also, the finger points on the handle are textured to prevent slippage.
In addition, this Mercer culinary boning knife comes with affordable pricing than its quality and construction. Undoubtedly it will be an excellent purchase for your daily usage.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- High-quality blade material
- Ergonomic handles
- Full tang to enhance the stability
- Taper ground edge for safe boning and chopping
- NSF certified
- Packaging is not beautiful and has no protective sheath
6. Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Inch Chef’s Knife
Now you do not need to invest money in purchasing expensive knives. Many cutlery manufacturers are now providing high-quality knives with affordable pricing and better performance.
Like expensive ones, here comes another small high-quality knife at an affordable price. Mercer Culinary Genesis chef’s knife measures 6 inches in size. It owns high-quality forged design carbon steel material From Germany.
Also, its high-quality carbon and no-stain German steel resist corrosion, discoloration, and rust. This precision-forged construction provides durability and strength.
Again the full tang can run along with the handle, enhancing the balance. The taper is designed as the ground edge to give stability as well as log-lasting sharpness.
Its ergonomic handles provide non-slip grip and superior comfort even with wet hands. This handle will not break down due to exposure to kitchen oils.
Again, this handle is resistant to both cold and hot temperatures. The bolster helps strengthen the knife, adds durability, and provides impressive balance for more incredible handling while slicing, cutting food.
Furthermore, this knife offers a short bolster as well. Indeed, this is one of the best chef knives under 50 at a very affordable price.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- German steel
- Ergonomic handles
- The bolster provides a good balance
- Taper-ground edge
- Long-lasting sharpness
- Quite small
7. Mercer Culinary Genesis 4-Piece Forged Starter Set
Those who are looking for the best cutlery set can pick Mercer culinary Genesis 4 piece starter set. This set comes with 4-different sizes of knives in black color, which are designed with high carbon, no-stain German steel, and also being able to resist corrosion, rust, and discoloration.
Mercer always gives priority to German steel because this steel can keep a sharp edge. Their precision forged construction provides durability and better strength also.
Again the taper ground edge adds long-lasting sharpness, stability, easy honing, increasing efficiency while cutting, chopping, or slicing. The ergonomic handles provide non-slip grip and superior comfort even in wet hands.
The handles feel soft and comfortable also even if you hold them for a long time. Also, these handles will not break down from cooking oils. Another noticeable thing is these knives weigh not too much.
The full bolster and full tang are great contributors here. Additionally, the bolster prevents your hand from snagging on the blade’s back edge. Moreover, this set is overall easy to maintain due to the ergonomically shaped handle and well-balanced blade.
In addition, this cutlery set will be an invaluable asset to your kitchenware. Again as Mercer is an NSF-certified brand, so you don’t have to worry about its quality, performance, and safety yet.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- 4-piece knives
- Precision-forged German steel
- Ergonomic, superior handle
- Taper-ground edge
- NSF certified
- It is very light in weight
8. Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set
Mercer culinary is very popular with the design of its products. Mercer has many knives set, but now we will talk about one of the best knives from their collection.
This Mercer culinary 6-pieces forged knife block set is a classic choice for professionals and cooking connoisseurs. It comes with six different knives where all are different in size and shape.
Mercer also provides an excellent block to keep them safe. All these knives are made from high carbon, German stainless steel. Moreover, the key feature for which we find this knife best is its precision forged steel.
Its precision-forged steels are almost unbreakable and make the knife stronger than any other knives out there. Besides, all 6-knives of this knife set can resist rust, corrosion, and discoloration very well.
Again, each knife has a full tang which gives a good balance. So while you are slicing or chopping fast, these knives will not move out of place.
Furthermore, all the knives handle come with an ergonomic Santoprene handle which provides solid grip and comfort even you are cutting for a long time.
Also, this knife set’s block is made of quality tempered glass. So you can easily see the knives and choose your desired one. Afterward, this block set is really a great choice who are looking for a quality indeed.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- 6-piece set
- Well-gripped handles
- Rust-resistant
- Easy to maintain
- Durable construction
- knife block makes it hard to remove the knife without tilting it
9. Mercer Culinary Genesis 3.5-Inch Paring Knife
Those who are looking for a small-size knife can pick this Mercer culinary Genesis 3.5 inch paring knife. It is the best option to use for trimming vegetables, creating garnishes, slicing small fruit, etc.
This knife comes in a small size of 3.5 inches, but its performance is not tiny. This knife is sharp enough for cutting or chopping food items. Its no-stain German steel can resist discoloration, corrosion, and rust.
Besides, its Santoprene handle is exceptionally comfortable and provides a non-slip grip. The sharp edge razor makes chopping and cutting a breeze.
Also, it is easy to maintain as the size is relatively small, so we recommend it to the home bakers. Again, this knife is best for slicing small fruits, vegetables, or other foods. Again, this knife provides long-lasting sharpness and durability also.
Just carefully use it and wash it after every use. Undoubtedly this tiny knife is the best one at a reasonable price. Overall, this small knife can meet your daily cutting, slicing needs very well.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Recommended for home bakers
- Good sharpness
- Affordable
- High-quality steel material
- 1-year warranty
- Too small for slicing, chopping large-size vegetables, meat, fruits.
10. Mercer Culinary Genesis 8-Inch Short Bolster Chef’s Knife
Mercer always tries to create a durable and solid thing that will last decades after decades. We have already mentioned Mercer’s various sizes and shapes knife. Now we come with another best one of Mercer Culinary.
This chef’s knife comes with an 8-inch short bolster. This knife is the best choice for professional chefs. Because this one comes with a perfect size suitable for their regular use, and it is made of high carbon German steel.
That is why it can resist rust, corrosion, discoloration. Besides, it also comes with an ergonomic Santoprene handle which gives non-slip grip and superior comfort. Even the handle will not deteriorate as a result of an interaction with kitchen oils.
Furthermore, the short bolster provides good balance, adds durability, and strengthens the knife. The taper-ground edge adds stability, long-lasting sharpness, easy honing, and provides efficiency while chopping and cutting.
Undoubtedly, this is the best chef knife under 50. In addition, this 8-inch bolster chef knife can cut almost everything. In fact, the versatile design provides control while slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping fruit, meat and vegetables as well.
Chef Knife Pros & Cons
- Precision-forged
- Durable
- Ergonomic handle
- NSF certified
- High-quality steel
- Not dishwasher safe
Buying Guide
There are many measures for selecting the best chef knife under 50. Now, we will go into the detail necessary to know before purchasing any cutlery from the market.
Material
Material is an essential part of a knife. It is critical to pick the sharp one from more others items. Chef knives are typically made of carbon stainless steel, and the best knives frequently have a carbon stainless steel percentage greater than 3.0.
A knife with suitable material will be more robust and isn’t easy to damage. In fact, it will also give long time durability.
Blade
The blade is the most impactful and well-thought-out aspect of any knife. You must have to concentrate on the blade to get something extra from the knife. Precision forgets blades are the best blades ever.
These are extra-hardened and retain their sharp corners even after substantial use. Another valuable metric is the Rockwell grade. Generally speaking, the scale of 56-58 is a good standard as well.
Ease of cleaning
Every knife will get dripped with juices, and various bits of vegetables and meat will be clinging to the blade after regular use. You would surely want to make it clean without much of a hassle.
Not all knives come with a dishwasher facility. But if you wish to hassle-free cleaning, then you should look for dishwasher-friendly knives.
Handle
Whenever you cook at home or a restaurant, you have to hold the handle of a knife for a long time. During slicing and cutting, a poor handle design can cause soreness, aching, and sometimes injury.
So, whenever you are looking for the best chef knife under 50, then look for that handle that comes with an ergonomic handle. Ergonomic handles give extra comfortable while holding.
Best chef knife under 50 Products Feature –
FAQs
Q: What is an ergonomic handle?
Ans: Generally speaking, ergonomic handle refers to those handles designed in a great way to reduce the stress from your hands while cutting or slicing. This kind of handle also feels comfortable, mainly when you use the knife for an extended period.
Q: How long will such a knife last?
Ans: Knives from any famous brand will surely last for a long time. Again, the superior one will be resistant to corrosion and rusting.
Q: Are cheaper knifeless sharp?
Ans: The thing is not like that cheaper knife will be less sharpened. Even any best chef knife under 50 can also be sharp enough, as the expensive one.
Q: Will a knife under 50 be ideal for a professional?
Ans: The answer is yes. You will find a good variety of top-notch knives at this price range, which will be ideal for home kitchens and pantries of hotels and restaurants.
Q: What is carbon steel, and how does it help?
Ans: Carbon steel is high-quality steel that contains up to a specified percentage of carbon by weight. When we used knives, it helps to make the blades robust and sturdy.
Final Verdict
Cutlery is an essential part of not only for chef’s life but also for them who love cooking. Obviously, you want the best one, but money is an excellent matter also.
But you can find the best quality chef knife at an affordable price also. For those who haven’t purchased any cutlery set before, this is a great starting point. Mercer has both single knife and 4 or 6 pieces cutlery sets.
In the above article, we have gone through the best chef knife under 50. This review article will help you to get you to reach the best and desired chef knife for your regular or professional use.
More than a thousand customers say yes, and their priority starts with Mercer Culinary, and now it is your turn. Overall, you will not be disappointed at Mercer.