A decent set of knives is a kitchen essential. You may have spent hundreds of dollars for a 10-piece knife starter set so you can’t just carelessly lay it on the counter after use – you need the best knife block to go with your knives.

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Knife blocks are a standard kitchen tool used for knife storage. Knife blocks have slots designed to hold knives and other kitchen tools either vertically, angled, or sideways.

A knife block offers a safer alternative to merely storing your knives in a drawer, and it also maintains the quality of the utensils as well.

Knife blocks are not only designed for storage, but they’re also made for convenience and safety. Just imagine what would’ve happened if you left your precious sharp knife lying in the kitchen within a child’s reach – accident!

Moreover, the best knife blocks on the market are mostly made of fine, polished wood or shiny, sturdy metal – they’re all pretty attractive, contributing to the overall décor of the kitchen.

*Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.

Contents

Are Knife Blocks Necessary?

Absolutely.

As mentioned earlier, knife blocks provide safety, convenience, and functionality. It also adds charm to the overall ambiance of your kitchen.

Knife blocks may contain as few as five blades or as much as 20 or more knives plus utensils. There is a broad range of varieties available in different grades and materials.

You’re in luck if the knife set you’ve purchased already comes with a matching knife block. If not, worry not because we’ll be giving you a round-up review of the best knife blocks in the market.

While most people buy knife blocks for their own use, knife blocks are also commonly given as wedding and holidays gifts.

Knife Block Buying Guide

1. Size

Measure the dimensions of your knives first

The most important factor to note before purchasing a knife block is the size of the knives and utensils you plan to keep for storage.

Get the lengths, width, and dimensions of the utensils to find the right knife block that will fit them. You’ll be wasting money if you choose a knife block that is not the right fit for your utensils.

2. Material

Next, decide which material for the block you prefer. Most kitchen blocks are made of wood. Typical wooden blocks are made of cherry wood, walnut wood, bamboo, and beechwood.

Many people prefer wooden blocks because they can absorb excess water dripping from the blade, thereby preventing metal rusting.

There are also blocks made from stainless steel and hard acrylic.

Acrylic blocks are the most commonly used, though generally, they’re less durable than wood and steel-based knife blocks. Thus, you may have to replace them frequently.

Wooden varieties are at a slight disadvantage because they’re hard to clean inside and they degrade over time, especially when they’re always soaked in water. Furthermore, wet wood harbors bacteria and can emit a faint smell.

Blocks made of stainless steel are durable and easy to maintain. You just have to be careful when handling them to prevent dropping as their functionality lessens. They’re also pretty easy to clean too.

3. Storage Space

It’s crucial to consider the space you want the block to be in. Will it go to your counter? Mounted on your wall? Placed on the center table?

The space you have will determine the right model for the block. The block design can be one long row, horizontal, vertical, or angled. There are also custom blocks that can cater to your specific preferences.

Measure the space you plan the block to be placed and decide accordingly.

4. Design

Pretty right? That’s why you have to choose a block that compliments your kitchen tools

Aesthetic value is the least important factor when it comes to choosing a knife block, but it might be a major one for people who has a keen eye for design and aesthetics.

As a rule of thumb, the knife block’s design should conform to the color and form of your kitchen. The color and material of the knife block should compliment the layout of the counter and the entire kitchen.

Just use your best judgment when choosing the design of the block you want to have.

A Round-Up Review Of The Best Knife Blocks

*Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.

1. Shenzhen Knives In-Drawer Bamboo Knife Block

Photo from Amazon.com

Shenzhen products are designed not only to look beautiful in your home but also to serve a more useful purpose.

This fantastic block is made with eco-friendly. Interestingly, they used bamboo and not hardwood species because harvesting bamboo to make products is actually greener than not harvesting it.

Also, this block is bacteria-resistant so worry not about bacteria accumulating in the knives stored in this block.

This block has a 10-to-15 blade capacity (depending on knife size) and has a dimension of 17” x 5.25” x 2”.

A great thing about this product is it frees up counter space and can conveniently be stored in most standard depth drawers (approx. 3' depth depending on knife handle). It makes accessing the blades very easy too.

Our kitchen knives lack protective sheaths on them, and we don't think covers would fit into the slots of this block unless they were very thin. Fortunately, the way our knives fit into the holder protects and grips the blades firmly.

Most importantly, it can fit a lot of knives. Our favorite thing is that it can hold a huge meat cleaver along with four steak knives and a chef's knife. The slots can fit a greater assortment of knives as well.

Pros

• Sufficient capacity
• Very durable
• ​Doesn’t smell
• ​Fits most standard depth drawers
• ​Frees up counter space
• ​Well-balanced
• The grooves can perfectly fit small and large knives

Cons

• Lacks non-slip grips on the bottom; the block tends to slide forward every time the drawer is closed

2. Cuisinart 15-Piece Stainless Steel Block

Turn heads in the kitchen with this jet black knife block from Cuisinart. This style definitely lets home cooks customize their cutlery collection.

This 15-piece Block Set includes an 8' chef knife, 8' slicing knife, 7' santoku knife, 5.5' serrated utility knife, 3.5' paring knife, 3.5' bird's beak paring knife, 8' sharpening steel, all-purpose household shears, and a gorgeous block to hold them all.

How’d you like a block set complete with various kitchen knives as a starter kit? That would be awesome!

The Cuisinart Stainless Block features superior high carbon stainless steel blades for precision cutting. It also possesses ergonomically designed steel handles that provide a good grip and control.

Given that its matching block is also made from high carbon stainless steel, this block is durable, has excellent stability and control. It fits every knife included in the set perfectly.

It’s also fairly easy to clean – you can wash any side of it with no restrictions, unlike when you clean a wooden block.

Pros

• Sufficient capacity
• Very durable
• ​Very easy to clean
• ​Right size
• Well-balanced; not too light nor too dense

Cons

• The steel block tend to rust after some time
• Not versatile; can only fit specific knives
• The slots for steak knives are crooked

3. Shenzhen Knives 20-Slot Knife Block

Keep all your favorite knives within arm's reach with this 2 0-slot knife bloc k - no more fumbling around searching for the right knife.

This block sits beautifully on your kitchen counter and puts your favorite kitchen utensils on display. Unlike most knife blocks, this bamboo storage block can store up to 19 knives plus a few extra slots to store your scissors and a sharpening rod.

The unique thing about this block is it has slanted and wider slots, allowing you to fit a larger variety of blade sizes - worry not about not being able to fit your specialty knives or having to search for the right slot every time.

Similar to the first product, this block is made from eco-friendly and bacteria-resistant bamboo. We love how this block isn’t lightweight nor too dense; it has the perfect balance to withstand erratic movements.

So we tried fitting several knives in this block, and we’re delighted with the results. It can hold a large chef knife, cleaver, bread knife and santoku without any problems. The bottom can also fit eight steak knives.

The only problem you’ll have with this one is the spaces are too narrow, making it hard to store and pull out knives with large handles next to each other.

Pros

• Sufficient capacity
• Very durable
• ​Doesn’t smell
• ​Angled and beveled slots makes it easy to slide the knives in
• ​Can fit large and small knives
• ​Has deeper slots for large knives
• Has slots for other utensils (honing steel, spreaders, shears, etc.)

Cons

• The slots are also to close to each other; It may be difficult to store knives with large handles
• The lower two holes on either side of the shears’ hole are a bit too wide

4. Cook N Home Bamboo Knife Block

This block looks almost the same as the Shenzhen 20-Slot Knife Block, but they differ when it comes to the slot size, dimensions, and knife specificities.

The bamboo material also looks rugged and less polished than the latter though it still looks nice.This block can hold 19 knives and utensils and has the look of the mix and matched bamboo, which is not always uniform.

It weighs in at just over 5.5 pounds and features a rubberized base to prevent slippage.

Furthermore, the slots are not all perfectly straight. The same goes for the widths (thickness part of the knife) across each slot.

There are eight similarly sized slots for fitting steak knives in the lower portion and five slots of varying sizes for large knives on top plus one for the honing steel. There’s also a spot for shears or scissors on the sides.

5 Slot Knife Block Sets

You should know that the slots are not always perfectly square or identical, allowing you to fit knives of different widths in the block easily.

Pros

• Sufficient capacity
• Very durable
• ​Doesn’t smell
• ​The spaces between slots providing adequate space for the knife handles
• Has slots for other utensils (honing steel, spreaders, shears, etc.)

Cons

• The kitchen shears fit in the bottom center hole; its handles block the bottom left and right slots
• The interior is made of soft pine which may degrade over time
• Some of the steak knife slots are misaligned

5. Kapoosh Dice Knife Block

Take the hassle out of storing and organizing your knives with rummaging through a drawer full of mismatched cutlery with the Kapoosh Dice Knife Block.

From your standard chef’s knife or boning knife to the kitchen shears or honing steel, there is a spot for every shape and size in the Kapoosh, making it easier to mix and match knife sets.

This beautiful knife block is made from light Oakwood woodgrain thus its stunning appearance.

When we first saw it, we can't guess how it works because apparently, there are no slots in this block. Instead, they utilized a patented flex rod technology that forms a compact foam that conforms to the shape of each knife and holds it in place.

It fits knives with blades up to 8” long, and the food-grade plastic flex rods won't chip or dull your knife blades. It’s also a breeze to clean this block because the flex rods are removable and dishwasher safe.

We admire this block so much. First, knives can be inserted anywhere and you can just stick them in at a variety of angles to suit your needs – pretty effortless, right?. Secondly, it holds a knife in place anywhere in the block firmly because the flex rods conform to the shape of the blades.

Pros

5 Slot Knife Block Knife

• Sufficient capacity
• Versatile
• ​Knives can be inserted anywhere and at any angle
• Easy to clean​
• Durable exterior

Cons

• The small plastic rods may become damaged over time; the knives may not slide in easily or fall out unexpectedly
• The plastic rods are too flexible, fragile and tightly packed; Upon inserting a knife into the block, they bend, fold over and tangle up inside

The Verdict

Knife blocks are an indispensable kitchen tool. It provides safety, convenience, and functionality. It also adds charm to the overall ambiance of your kitchen.

Knife blocks may contain as few as five blades or as much as 20 or more knives plus utensils. The conventional materials knife blocks are made of are wood, acrylic, or steel.

Our pick for the best knife block is the Shenzhen Knives In-Drawer Bamboo Knife Block because it’s durable, well-balanced, functional, space-saving, and beautiful.

We love how it brings awareness by using with eco-friendly materials that are durable and bacteria-resistant. Since it doesn’t harbor bacteria, you can eat easy knowing that there aren’t any contaminants in your freshly sliced food.

A great thing about this product is it frees up counter space and can conveniently be stored in most standard depth drawers (approx. 3' depth depending on knife handle). It makes accessing the knives very easy too.

Berghoff International Ron 5 Slot Knife Block

Most importantly, it can fit a lot of knives, 15 to be exact. It has fifteen slots that can perfectly fit kitchen utensils from cleavers, chef's knives, steak knives, slim knives, shears, and honing steels.

Hey there chef! Have you any Shenzhen Knife Blocks? How’d you compare it to others? Do you have other suggestions? We’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Did you find this article useful? If so, share this on your social media! We’d really appreciate it. Cheers!