Best Paring Knives in the UK

If you are an avid home cook but food preparation tasks usually take a lot of your time, this top-rated paring knife from Zelite Infinite Pro series will definitely add to your cutlery arsenal.

Created with professional cutting needs in mind, the model features a meticulously thought-out construction and excellent cutting performance worth a restaurant kitchen, which allows it to stand out on the market. Thus, its hefty 10.2-cm blade is perfectly counterbalanced by a long enough handle which has a unique shape to not only let you cut with precise control and without fatigue but also provide a firm and secure grip and minimize the risk of the knife slipping out from your hands. Besides that, this knife is featured with an oversized tapered bolster that keeps fingers away from the blade when cutting and boasts a full-tang design that lends added strength and durability for prolonged service life.

When it comes to materials, the knife blade is made of German ThyssenKrupp™ steel - a high-carbon grade distinguished by extremely high 56 Rockwell hardness. So, it is tough and ideally retains its cutting edges for a long while, saving you the need to sharpen the knife too often. Consequently, using this knife, you will be able to chop, slice, cut and mince through soft and tough ingredients equally well, tackling any cutting jobs without hassle.

While design quality and cutting performance provided by this knife are definitely beyond praise, the only aspect that you might find upsetting is the price. Compared to other models included on this list, this one is quite expensive. That said if you're looking for a high-quality knife that will serve you ages delivering precise cuts, it's well worth the money.

The Colori collection of kitchen utensils from Kuhn Rikon is widely popular among customers and deservedly so. As the name suggests, all of the kitchen tools from this collection come in amazingly bright colours and will meet just about any kitchen style and cater to any interior, no matter whether you prefer fusion or monochromatic high-tech and minimalistic modern designs in neutral shades. So, if you are already into these stylistic vibes and want to refresh your kitchen with some colourful accessories, the Kuhn Rikon paring knife will come to your liking.

Available in multiple vivid colours, ranging from purple to blue to pink to red, this model will fit the most exacting tastes. The whole knife construction features the same colour, from the blade tip to the very handle end, and has a high-quality coating that will last for a long while without chipping or wearing off.

However, contemporary design isn't everything Kuhn Rikon can offer. This knife is also a fully functional cutting tool offering premium cutting performance. Made of Japanese stainless steel and hand-ground, the blade is ultra-sharp and perfectly resistant to rust and corrosion. Plus, it is coated with anti-stick silicone, letting you use this tool as a slicer. Thus, peeling apples, slicing cheese or ham for yummy plateaus or cutting fruit and veg for decoration will be a real snap.

Finally, the knife comes complete with a sheath that will ensure protected storage along with other cutlery items as well as will let you safely take the knife with you for on-the-go use.

All things considered, the Kuhn Rikon paring knife is a stylish and functional kitchen accessory that stands out for one-of-a-kind craftsmanship and will come in handy in any home kitchen.

When it comes to Swiss army knives and multi-tools, Victorinox is an indisputable leader that has a solid reputation and is widely popular among outdoorsmen, military men, and people leading active lifestyles. Recently, the producer has launched a line of kitchen tools and utensils which, just like all their other tools, utilise the best Victorinox technologies and boast hard-to-beat quality.

To start with the cutting performance, the blade is made of premium grade stainless steel. This steel is durable and will last for a long while, showing no signs of rust or corrosion even subject to extensive daily use and cutting acidic stuff on a regular basis. Speaking of the blade, it is not self-sharpening but it holds the cutting edges pretty well so you can be sure it won't go blunt too quickly. Furthermore, it has a pointed tip which combined with a straight design of the blade will let you make smooth and confident cuts, allowing you to produce uniformly thin slices, dice vegetables into ideally shaped cubes and sticks, swiftly peel fruit as well as cut through smaller meat chunks. And if you need to cut more delicate and softer ingredients, the knife with a serrated blade is also available.

Moving on to the design, the knife comes fitted with a handle made of polypropylene. It makes the whole tool very lightweight and suitable for long-lasting cutting sessions. At the same time, the material is impressively sturdy and stiff to easily withstand the test of time.

To resume, with Victorinox, you can be 100% sure you’ll get a quality cutting tool that will serve you for quite a while and make numerous cutting tasks a breeze. And you can’t but like its budget-friendly price tag.

Little goes a long way. This is what best describes the Gourmet paring knife from Wusthof. At a glance, it’s easy to see that this model is slightly smaller than other knives we have on the list. Yet, don’t let that smaller size fool you since this isn't a bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Measuring 8 cm in length and with a semi-pointed design, the blade of this knife is a perfect match for multiple minor tasks that need accuracy and precision such as cutting fruit and vegetables, chopping onion or herbs, quickly removing pepper seeds, or neatly taking out an apple core. On top of that, the model doubles as a larding knife to finely chop meat or sausages without destroying the fibres and then conveniently pick the chunks.

Now, though this knife has smaller dimensions, it doesn't mean its performance is poor. Produced from forged high-carbon steel, the blade here is made following a special Precision Edge Technology (PEtec™) and is ground by a computer-operated laser to ensure a uniform sharpening angle from the blade base all the way up to the tip. Thanks to this, it will deliver excellent cutting performance and remain sharp for much longer. Just remember to wipe it dry after wash to prevent unwanted corrosion.

As far as the knife’s design goes, it’s a really well-balanced piece of cutlery. A riveted handle makes the whole construction of the knife strong and durable making sure that it won't get wobbly over time. At the same time, thanks to its curved shape, it will be convenient to hold it in the hand and cut with maximum precision. 

All in all, if you need a quality knife for performing some smaller cutting tasks quickly and without breaking a sweat, you can’t go wrong with this nice paring knife from Wusthof.

A kitchen knife is not the kind of utensil people buy too often. A really good knife can serve you almost a lifetime while most knives of restaurant chefs can be used by the next generations of cooks for decades. When it comes to the ProCook paring knife, it doesn't claim to become the legendary heritage, no, but it is darn close to it, which is backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty. At the same time, it isn't expensive, so you will not need to pay through the nose for it.

While you wouldn't usually expect too much from a knife at a price point below 10 quid, this one will really impress you. First things first, it has a full-tang blade. It measures 9 cm in length and is neatly balanced by a hefty triple-riveted handle with a weighted end for added stability, comfort, and control over the cutting process. Securely attached to the blade, the handle will provide a firm non-slip grip for making smooth yet precise cuts. As such, the knife feels solid and nice in the hand, just like its more expensive rivals.

To proceed, the X30™ stainless steel the blade is made of stands out for its 52±2 Rockwell hardness, which is a surprisingly high rate considering the price tag of the knife. Such hardness level was achieved by a thought-out steel alloy formula containing carbon and chrome. Carbon here works to prevent the metal brittleness while chrome provides an anti-tarnish finish to keep rust and corrosion at bay. As a result, the blade will keep a sharp edge and retain its attractive look for longer.

So, to cut a long story short, smartly designed and made from quality materials, this paring knife from ProCook will become your helpful and reliable kitchen assistant for years to come.