With so many options in kitchen knives, choosing the best set for your kitchen can be tricky. If you are wanting knives for fine slicing, a ceramic knife set will serve you well. Ceramic knives are popular right now for this reason and more. This buying guide covers what to look for in choosing them and includes the pros and cons of some best knife brands in the range.
Do ceramic knives stay sharp? Ceramic knife blades are made from the zirconium silicate mineral, Zircon, which has near diamond hardness. With Zircon attributes, second to that of diamond, these knives stay razor-sharp for precision cutting and fine slicing of food in the home kitchen for longer than steel knives.
This means paper-thin tomato slices and perfectly diced onions for you in the kitchen.
Chefs know how to sharpen knives and do it often. Home cooks prefer not to have that inconvenience and so ceramic knives, which stay sharper for longer, are better than steel for fine slicing jobs at home.
This is part 1 of my kitchen knife series (see also: my article on sharpening ceramic knives and the best kitchen knife set collection).
In a hurry? Check out this super slick set at Amazon!
Best Ceramic Kitchen Knives Buying Guide
Below is a comparison table and following that, information to help with choosing the best ceramic knife set for your kitchen collection of knives.
Compare Best Ceramic Knife Sets
This chart compares the features of some top knife sets on the market. More about them, e.g., what are the pros and cons of ceramic knives, are given beneath this, in the ceramic knife reviews.
| Product | Image | Blades | Add-Ons | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyocera 2-pc Black |   | Black 100% ceramic | Japanese made Gift boxed | See Price |
| Cook N Home 9-pc |   | White 100% ceramic | Color coded handles | See Price |
| Kyocera – 4-Piece with block |   | Black 100% ceramic | Includes bamboo block | See Price |
Looking for individual knives? >> Skip to Single Best Ceramic Knives.
What Are Ceramic Knives?
Ceramic knives have blades made of a type of ceramic that comes from zircon. Rather than being tempered like steel blades, ceramic knives are fired in a powerful furnace for hardening ¹. For more information like this, skip to Frequently Asked Questions.
How Are They Made?
The treatment of Zircon sand produces zirconium dioxide (zirconia), which is used in the manufacture of ceramic knives.
This 8-min video shows what it takes to make the Kyocera ceramic knives and highlights the advantages of ceramic knives. Watch how the knife cuts the fillets of fish into wafer-thin slices at about 8:12…
Enough metal is added to the mix so that ceramic knives are not a security risk, i.e. they can be detected by airport scanners and the like.
Benefits of Ceramic Kitchen Knives
The two main benefits of using a ceramic knife are 1) a cutting edge that stays sharp and 2) the ease of precision cutting. These performance advantages are mentioned again and again in ceramic knives reviews.
As well, using a ceramic knife means you have a lightweight knife that will never rust and is easy to clean. And, it is made of eco-friendly material.
Are Ceramic Knives Any Good?
Apart from being good for fine slicing, ceramic knives are also valued for these key reasons:
- They are lighter than metal ones
- Never rust
- They are easy to clean. A quick rinse and wipe with a kitchen towel.
- Unlike metal, they won’t oxidize. They are non-corrosive.
- They perform better for longer — the cutting edge stays sharper longer
- They are better at enduring acids and are nonporous
- They resist bacteria and germs
- They are made of eco-friendly material
Are Ceramic Knives Better Than Steel?
Ceramic blades handle the fine slicing and dicing tasks in the kitchen with much more ease than steel knives. They perform better for precision cutting, and stay sharper for longer.
Ceramic knife vs steel knife
In terms of ceramic vs steel knives, steel knives are best for cutting and chopping boned meatless and solid or frozen foods. While they have strength and sharpness, ceramic blades have no flexibility; they are rigid, meaning they won’t bend or bounce. So you need to take this into account. In terms of boned meats, for example, a good stainless steel knife is better.
Consider ceramic knives as additions to your kitchen knife collection. They will complement a good set of steel knives for a versatile kitchen setup.
Ceramic Knife Reviews
Kyocera Japanese Ceramic Kitchen Knife Set
This Kyocera ceramic knife review looks at the 2 piece ceramic knife set of the Innovation Series.
This set is made in Japan by Kyocera (key-O-Sarah), who considers itself the world’s largest and highest quality manufacturer of advanced ceramic knives, which are made in Sendai in southwest Japan.
What’s included: This set contains a ceramic Santoku and a ceramic 4.5 inch utility knife and comes gift boxed.
Consider also that Kyocera is the only manufacturer of advanced ceramic knives to offer a Lifetime Warranty that includes Lifetime Sharpening.
Handles: The black handles feature an Elastomer (rubber-like) soft feel and are ergonomically designed for comfort and control.
Benefits: The knives feel perfectly balanced. This, plus their lightness, will mean you’ll suffer less fatigue from repetitive cutting tasks. The upper angled handle to blade interface of these knives is what helps.
These knives feature the new Z212 ceramic blade, a recent advancement by Kyocera using innovative ceramic material technology, which they say makes the blade stay sharper for 2× longer than the previous model.
Blades: The black zirconium blades crafted using Kyocera’s exclusive technology indicates they have gone through isostatic pressing to increase the density and strength of the ceramic cutting blades.
- Japanese manufacturing
- Won’t have to sharpen for some time
- Free service for sharpening
- Looks stylish. Gift boxed.
- A bit more expensive than the others
Price: The set is more expensive then others but is manufactured by Kyocera, who are one of the best known ceramic knife manufacturers. This knife set is available at Amazon — See details.
Cook N Home Ceramic Knife Set Review – Color Coded
What’s included: a 6″ santoku chef’s knife, a 5″ utility ceramic knife, a 4″ Ceramic fruit knife, a 3″ Ceramic paring knife, with 4 knife sheaths and a vegetable peeler.
The manufacturer is Neway International Housewares.
Handles: The four handle colors of this set mean coding for easy selection of kitchen knives. The knife handles of this set are simple in design with an arch that helps performance in handling.
Benefits: This knife set is perfect for covering small to large cutting tasks that require precision. The color coded knives help with avoiding cross-contamination of foods.
Blades: White ceramic.
- Multicolors for coded use
- Protective covers included
- Low price – a good size variety
- Users have found the peeler quality not as good as others
- Can be more fragile than others with hard foods
Price: If you are looking for a set of low-priced ceramic knives consider the Cook N Home Kitchen Knife Set. It is quite a popular buy at Amazon — See details.
Kyocera Knives Review – 4-Piece
This might be the best ceramic knife block set. It comes with a bamboo knife block, which is recommended for storing and protecting the knives.
What’s included? The package contains four black ceramic knives including a 7 inch chef’s knife, a 5.5 inch santoku knife, a 4.5 inch utility knife, and a 3 inch paring knife, and a four-slotted bamboo knife block.
Kyocera knives are made in Japan and are guaranteed high-quality construction. They are made from Kyocera’s proprietary zirconia material, which involves highly dense sub-micron particles with minimal voids. This translates into a denser blade that maintains an edge longer than other ceramic blades.
Handles: The handles are black resin with an ergonomic design.
Benefits: This knife set comes with all the benefits associated with Kyocera revolution series advanced knives:
- Deeper blades for greater knuckle clearance
- Ergonomic resin handles
- Ultra-sharp ceramic blades
- Will never brown foods or alter taste
Blades: The blades are black, meaning they have undergone extra strengthening (see why below).
- Black blades
- Stay razor sharp up to 10x that of normal kitchen knives.
- Blades do not stain
- Well balanced
- Lightweight (half the weight of similar steel knives)
- Complimentary sharpening service
- Bamboo knife block
- No sheaths with this set (it comes with a knife block which I think is better if you have the room).
- More expensive than others listed (white blades are an option at a cheaper price).
Price: It is more expensive then others. However, the price does include a bamboo knife block. Consider also that these are manufactured by Kyocera, the only manufacturer of advanced ceramic knives to offer a Lifetime Warranty that includes Lifetime Sharpening.
This 4 piece ceramic knife set with bamboo knife block would look great in any kitchen and is available at Amazon — See details.
Cuisinart Advantage Color Set – 12-Piece Ceramic Coated Knives
Not really ceramic, this Cuisinart knife set contains stainless steel knives with a non-stick resin coating, so their performance will differ to the ceramic knives made entirely of zirconia.
What’s included? The set contains 12 pieces, i.e. six knives plus sheaths for each. The knives include two serrated edge ones, an 8 inch for bread, a 6.5 inch utility knife, an 8 inch chef knife, a 7 inch santoku knife, and a 3.5 inch paring knife.
Handles: Plastic handles are color coded and have an ergonomic design.
Benefits: Color-coded knives help with selection and also in avoiding cross contamination when working with different types of food while preparing meals. The nonstick feature allows for easy cutting and cleaning.
Blades: The thing to note about this set is that they are not ceramic blades but rather stainless steel blades with a nonstick resin coating with knife blades color coded. What is the non-stick color coating made of? The manufacture is not clear on this, apart from the resin being described as FDA approved.
- Cheaper than the knives with ceramic blades
- Includes sheaths
- Nonstick feature
- Color-coding helps easy knife selection for the job needed
- The non-stick coating wears away over time with daily use
- Plastic handles provide poor grip
Price: This set is ridiculously cheap. It is popular at Amazon — See details.
Add a Single Ceramic Knife
Looking for that single ceramic knife to add to your collection? Here are some online favorites to check out.
| ITEM | STYLE | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
  | The best chef knife under 100 dollars… Looking for the best chef knife under 100 dollars? Consider a Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution Series 7-inch professional chef’s knife with black blade. | See Price |
  | Here’s a great ceramic bread knife… Cuisinart Serrated Bread Knife If you like to bake your own bread or buy whole loaves, consider adding this ceramic bread knife to your kitchen knife set. | See Price |
FAQs
Who Makes the Best Ceramic Knives?
Regarding ceramic blades, the best brand of knives is the one that has honed technology for sharpness that lasts and handles that are ergonomically designed and weighted so the knives are well-balanced and satisfying to use in the fine slicing of fruits, vegetables, and boneless meat. Buying a set of really good kitchen knives starts with knowing these differences.
What to look for in a good knife set?…Here are some main design elements to consider:
- Look for Sharpness That Lasts
This quality of sharpness sets ceramic kitchen knives apart. Ceramic knives are super sharp and retain their sharpness for longer than steel blades.
- Choose One That’s Well-Balanced
The way the knife feels in your hand affects your enjoyment and the efficiency of using it. A well-balanced knife is best – one with weight evenly distributed. It’ll mean better cutting and less exertion by you.
- Consider the Type of Handle
Rubber or plastic handles are typically molded for ergonomics. They are hygienic but may be slippery when wet and can break down with time. Handcrafted wooden handles look stylish and offer better grip making them pleasing to hold. However, watch for grime build-up. You’ll need to keep these out of water and oil from time to time. Overall, you’ll want the handle to feel comfortable and secure when doing its job. Knuckle clearance is important as well, especially with chef’s knives.
- Know the Function of the Knives
If you are looking for precision slicing and long-lasting sharpness in a kitchen knife, consider a ceramic bladed knife. Ceramic kitchen knives are designed for lightweight easy fine-slicing of fruits, vegetables, and boneless meats.
- Compare Prices
Looking for the best ceramic knives for the money? Some good quality kitchen knife sets are available on the market. The sets range in price, from low to high, so there are options for everyone’s budget. What’s a good ceramic knife price? You’ll find knife sets under 100 dollars and just over, with affordable ones at around about $20-50. What you choose depends on how much you want to invest and the quality you are prepared to be satisfied with.
- Think About the Size and the Type You Need
What do you need for everyday cooking? There are various styles, sizes, and the number of pieces in a set. The types of knives you choose will depend on what you mostly prepare. See our list of knife types and their uses here.
What Makes a Good Kitchen Knife Set?
So you are looking for the best kitchen knives set – a set that’s right for you. Like any of the best kitchen knife reviews, I recommend you consider your style of cooking and how much you are prepared to spend for the quality and performance you will be satisfied with.
My article on the different knives to include, can be found here.
What Are Ceramic Knives Made Of?
These knives have blades that are 100% ceramic that is made from high-grade zirconium dioxide (zirconium #4 is the highest grade). Compare this to the 100% ceramic cookware, which is made from sand.
The zirconium dioxide in ceramic knives goes through a lengthy firing process. The end result — knives that are rust and corrosion proof and inert (meaning no impact on food flavor).
Black Blade vs White Blade
You will notice the blades of ceramic knives will be either white or black. So what’s the difference?
Here’s what the manufacturers say…
Black has had extra treatment for strength. A black blade indicates the knife has gone through isostatic pressing to increase the density and strength of the ceramics. The additional cold or hot isostatic pressing in the process creates a tougher blade as it produces a tighter knit between the ceramic molecules.
Whereas a hot-isostatic press (HIP) involves extra firing at high pressures, a cold-isostatic pressing (CIP) is performed at room temperatures but with higher pressure than for HIP. You can learn more about hot- and cold-isostatic pressing here.
Ways to Care for Ceramic Knives
Your investment is worth taking care of.
- I recommend you hand wash only. Ceramic knives are super easy to clean, so this is not a hassle.
- Always store in their protective covers and a knife block is also recommended.
- As said above, avoid heavy duty cutting or prying, e.g., use steel knives with frozen food, bones, or hard cheese (Parmesan, cheddar etc.), not your best ceramic knives!
- The best and safest way to store ceramic knives is with a bamboo knife block (see below).
What Cutting Board is Best for Ceramic Knives?
Use only wood, bamboo, silicone or plastic (not stone or glass) cutting boards and never scrape the ceramic blade across the boards. Avoid situations where you are likely to drop or throw the knives around as this could cause them to break.
Protect Your Ceramic Knife Set With a Knife Block
How best to protect knife blades? Knife sheaths help, but a knife holder is the best. I really love the bamboo knife blocks for this. They look great and best of all, they’re eco-friendly.
Bamboo — Best Knife Block
These are versatile. You can sit them on the counter or have them as an in drawer knife holder to avoid taking up counter space.
In drawer bamboo knife block with slots. For a popular bamboo block with rave reviews, this in-drawer knife block by Shenzhen Knives has knife storage for 10--15 knives. SEE THE LATEST PRICE
Another bestseller bamboo style knife storage block is an above-bench, wall-mounted, or in-drawer one by Kyocera that fits a 3 piece knife set. It’s similar to the block featured in the knife block set shown above.
Here’s the same block with a knife set — The Kyocera 4 piece knife block set (3 knives with knife block). The block is made of renewable bamboo, has black zirconium blades and black handcrafted ergonomic Pakka wood handles.
It can be wall mounted, it can stand on the bench top, or be laid horizontally with the knives in a drawer. So versatile and stylish! I just love this product. It comes with a lifetime warranty and lifetime sharpening for the Kyocera knives.
Do Ceramic Knives Stay Sharp?
As I said above, ceramic knives can go for years without needing to be sharpened.
Do ceramic knives get dull? Ceramics knives do eventually dull, but they do so differently to steel blades. Over time, minute chips along the ceramic knife blade edge need honing to sharpen the blade. These micro chips are removed using knife sharpeners with a diamond edge.
Can You Sharpen Ceramic Knives?
Many people ask this question. Can ceramic knives be sharpened? The answer is yes!
Sharpening brings out the best in a ceramic knife.
How to Sharpen Ceramic Knives
How do you sharpen a ceramic knife? If you want to sharpen them yourself, you need to use a diamond coated knife sharpener.
I cover examples in my article on how to sharpen ceramic knives.
Most manufacturers recommend sending ceramic knives to professionals for sharpening. Brands like Kyocera offer free lifetime sharpening (though you may need to pay for transport costs).
An electric ceramic knife sharpener has a 2-stage diamond sharpening wheel, designed for ceramic kitchen knives. Electric sharpeners are faster and simpler to use. They can also remove the small blade chips.
Some consider a manual one as the best kitchen knife sharpener, however. A manual sharpening rod or triangle that you use for steel knives is not recommended, as it may chip the blade and ruin the knife.
Ceramic vs Steel Knives
In terms of steel knives vs ceramic ones, are ceramic knives better? The main thing with ceramic knives vs steel is that ceramic knives are best for precision slicing of boneless meats, fruits, and vegetables. They are sharper, stay sharper for longer, and are more lightweight than steel. At the same time, because they are much harder than steel, they can chip. So leave the heavy chopping, hacking, prying, or cleaving to your steel knives.
So, the main difference between steel and ceramic blade knives relates to function. Steel knives are recommended for cutting, chopping, and slicing meats with bones, and in parting or cutting frozen foods. Ceramic knives are ideal for slicing boneless meat, vegetables, fruit, and bread.
Overall, ceramic knives are considerably harder and will retain a cutting edge longer than forged metal knives, but then, on the other hand, they are more brittle than steel. The advantages of a ceramic knife are bacteria-resistance making it a healthier and more hygienic choice. Ceramic also appears to be a more eco-friendly material.
It’s about cooking with confidence.
At our place, we choose to prepare healthy meals and this involves fresh vegetables and just like having the right cookware for the job, having the sharpest kitchen knife helps…just makes life so much simpler.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using a Ceramic Knife?
Ceramic knives are ultra sharp and perfect for precision slicing of tomatoes or similar produce or fine slicing of boneless meats. You can’t go wrong in adding at least one ceramic knife to your kitchen knife set for that reason. Here are the pros and cons in a nutshell…
- Super sharp
- Retain sharpness longer than steel
- Won’t corrode in harsh environments
- Are non-magnetic, and
- Do not conduct electricity at room temperature
- Resistant to strong acid and caustic substances
- Lighter than steel
- Though they are harder and hold their edge longer, they are more brittle than steel knives
- Take care not to drop the knives onto hard surfaces. The latest design processes, however, have reduced the risk of breakage.
- Not for heavy-duty chopping and prying, e.g. with bones or frozen foods, as this can lead to chipping of the blades.
Final Thoughts
The long-lasting sharpness of the ceramic blade makes these stand out from the normal steel knives. Ceramic knives are perfect for fine slicing of boneless meats and fresh vegetables and they complement those good steel knives that are best for the heavy-duty cutting.
For a complete kitchen knife set, add quality ceramic knives to a good set of steel knives.
Whether it’s preparing healthy meals for the family or displaying culinary skills to guests, a worthy addition to your kitchen knife set is at least one good ceramic knife that will help you deal confidently with salad and fruit preparation and presentation.
At the end of the day, a good set of ceramic knives is a positive addition to your kitchen equipment. They’ll save you time and show your finesse, but they won’t do everything in the kitchen. That’s why I’ve recommended certain other knives along the way in this guide. You won’t go wrong with a set of ceramic knives complementing your high-carbon stainless steel set.
My Kitchen Knife Info Series
This is part one of my kitchen knife info series. How to care for and keep the knives sharp is Part 2 and sourcing the best knife collection is Part 3.
Information Sources
- 1. Sur La Table, Sarah Jay. 2008. Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes.
- Care and Use Instructions for Kyocera Ceramic Knives.
You May Like To…
… check out my review of pure ceramic cookware.
Thanks for the information- I wasn’t aware of ceramic knives staying sharper than steel knives! Will be looking at the knives you’ve recommended in this post. I like the look of the Kyocera set!
Yes, the Kyocera set is stylish with the black zirconium blades and comfort grip handles. They are a popular buy.
The Kyocera knife sets are AMAZING. Yeah, they’re pricier than the others, but they are worth it. We’ve had ours for years and they are still like brand new. I don’t buy a lot of utensils because I like to keep my kitchen simple, so I was happy to invest in a decent set of ceramic knives.
Hi Joel, Glad to hear that your Kyocera knives have served you well. A higher initial outlay is often the best because you are not having to regularly buy replacements. It’s certainly a decent and stylish set of knives.