The Mac Tools Kitchen Knife Set: A Kitchen Essential

For a budget-friendly kitchen knife set that is still sturdy and razor-sharp, this one fits the bill. MAC knives are forged from chrome molybdenum vanadium high-carbon cutlery steel in Seki City.

The steel has a hardness of between 57 and 61 on the Rockwell scale, which resists chipping better than softer steel but is more brittle than harder steel. MAC knives require more care than most, such as hand washing and drying immediately after use.

Mac Tools Chef’s Knife: The All-Purpose Workhorse

The chef’s knife is the workhorse of any kitchen, a versatile tool capable of prepping anything from delicate fruit to hearty vegetables to proteins. It’s usually anywhere from six to 14 inches long and features a broad, tapered blade that’s ideally suited for chopping, dicing, mincing and slicing.

MAC’s sub-zero tempered steel is an upgrade from traditional hardened stainless steel, creating an exceptionally sharp edge that stays razor sharp longer than other knives. The blade is also crafted from an alloy of chromium, molybdenum and vanadium, which is semi stainless and tough enough to prevent chipping. The pakkawood handle is comfortable and nonslip, even when wet, and it’s designed to stay centered during cutting, making it safer to use.

This model is an excellent choice for any chef looking to step up their knife collection, as it provides the comfort and performance that professional line cooks depend on. During testing, the MAC Mighty Hollow Edge was capable of tackling all of our tasks, from finely dicing onions to breaking down chickens and even removing the rind from watermelon. We especially liked the knife’s ability to cut through a thick onion with ease, eliminating the tears that often come along with this task.

The only downside to this knife is that, if you’re accustomed to a more rounded belly on your chefs knife, it may take some time getting used to the flat profile of the MAC Mighty. Additionally, if you wash your knives by hand instead of throwing them in the dishwasher, a thinner blade could be more prone to rusting or discoloration if not properly dried. Otherwise, this is a great knife for the home cook who’s willing to care for their kitchen tools.

Mac Tools Paring Knife: Precision at Your Fingerti

MAC paring knives are stealthy kitchen tools with a variety of functions suited to their small size. Typically under 8” total, paring knives have short, non-serrated blades and are designed to handle delicate tasks, like peeling or deseeding ingredients or cutting small, awkwardly-shaped foods.

The Mac paring knife we tested was sharp, comfortable to hold and had a pointed tip that penetrated food easily. Its bolster also concentrates the weight of the knife at the center of the blade and creates a smoother grip area for your thumb when using a chef’s style grip. The handle is perfectly balanced for precision and maneuverability.

When hulling strawberries or deveining shrimp, the paring knife’s pointed tip digs under and into foods with surgical precision. To hull a strawberry, simply slice off the inedible top with four cuts around the stem and four across the base, twist and pull out. For the best results, the knife should feel firm and swift in your hand.

The Mac paring knife was a close competitor to the Zyliss, but edged slightly ahead in our tests. The Zyliss’s curved handle and up-swept blade allowed for greater knuckle clearance when holding the knife in a standard chef’s grip, but the narrower blade of the Mac made it easier to maneuver into the tight spaces of a bowl of strawberries. It also came with a nifty knife sheath, so you can store the paring knife safely in your drawer. This makes it a great addition to a basic set.

Mac Tools Santoku Knife: Japanese-Inspired Excelle

Like a chef’s knife, the santoku is an all-purpose workhorse that’s essential for any kitchen. It can chop, mince, and slice vegetables, meats, and fish. Unlike traditional Western-style knives, which have a double bevel on their blades’ edges, the MAC santoku has a single bevel edge that’s thinner and sharper than a conventional blade. The resulting edge holds its sharpness longer, making it easier to cut through ingredients quickly and easily.

Unlike many other santoku knives that have a thick, blunt blade, the MAC superior series santoku knife features a thin, razor-sharp edge made from high-quality molybdenum vanadium steel alloy that’s been hardened in sub-zero temperatures to improve durability and edge retention. This special process also makes the blade stain-resistant, easy to clean, and easy to hone. The handle is crafted from ergonomic Pakkawood, which fits comfortably in the hand and offers excellent balance.

The Strategist named the MAC Mighty Santoku the best overall santoku knife of 2018, calling it “a joy to use.” This lightweight, yet durable knife is incredibly sharp out of the box and stays sharp through repeated use. The santoku’s hollow edge repels food, allowing you to chop through carrots and other dense vegetables without sticking.

In our testing, the santoku effortlessly glided through both tough and soft vegetables and fish. This versatile knife is an excellent choice for beginners or experienced cooks who are looking to upgrade their current set of knives.

Mac Tools Bread Knife: Effortless Slicing

The 10-1/2-inch Superior bread knife from Mac Tools combines expert design with high-grade steel to create an enduring kitchen workhorse. It slices through crusty loaves with ease, cuts through soft vegetables and fruits, and carves roast meats and poultry with paper-thin slices. The long, thin blade is ideally balanced for precision cutting without fatigue to the hand, wrist or forearm. The serrated edge grips the bread’s tough crust and glides smoothly through the loaf’s soft interior, preventing shredding. It’s also capable of handling tougher foods such as tomatoes and citrus.

This premium knife is constructed from a high-grade, rust and stain resistant molybdenum/vanadium steel with an extra sub-zero tempering process that increases resiliency for a longer, sharper edge. The curved blade profile is tapered from spine to edge for reduced wedging and the superior serrations are ground to exquisite scalpel-sharpness. It also requires very little maintenance, needing only the occasional sharpening to keep its razor-sharp edge.

Unlike many serrated knives that dull easily, the Mac Tools Superior bread knife retains its edge for a longer period of time due to the extra hardness of the blade. However, it’s important to properly care for all sharp knives to ensure the longest possible edge life. This includes cleaning and drying them thoroughly after each use, storing them in a sheath or block, and ensuring the proper angle at which they’re sharpened.

The pakkawood handle is securely attached to the blade with three rivets and offers an easy-to-grip, comfortable fit, even when wet or greasy. It’s lightweight at 5.6 ounces and features a perfect, well-balanced weight distribution that’s both ergonomic and user-friendly. The handle design also provides ample knuckle clearance to prevent accidental slips and protect hands from the sharp edge during use.

Mac Tools Steak Knives: Elevate Your Dining Experi

Whether you’re grilling up a steak for a special occasion or chopping up vegetables for a weeknight dinner, the right knife set is essential to cooking like a pro. With these high-performance, lightweight blades from Mac Tools, you can effortlessly prepare a meal with confidence and ease. They come razor sharp out of the box, stay sharp longer and are perfectly balanced for comfortable cutting. And the best part? These sleek, modern-looking knives are affordable enough to make every day meals feel like a gourmet dining experience.

This 18-piece set comes with a full array of kitchen knives (an 8-inch chef’s, 7-inch santoku, 3-1/2-inch paring and 6-inch bread knives plus steak knives), a sharpener and a rubber-wood storage block. Considering the price, the quality of this collection was impressive to our testers. In fact, the 8-inch chef’s knife in this set is a favorite among home cooks and ranked high on Epicurious’ list of top chef’s knives. This is due to the high-carbon steel in this series, which has a hardness of 59 on the Rockwell Scale and offers the perfect balance between edge retention and durability.

However, the rounded back of this knife is slightly off center, which can cause problems with chopping and makes scooping chopped ingredients out of the bowl more difficult. The knives also have a narrow blade profile, which can create difficulties with cutting through bones and frozen foods. And while the handles were a hit with our testers, they did have one person wrinkle their nose at the vertical-tempered glass block, and another who kept waffling between “so cool” and “trying too hard.” But these are minor issues and shouldn’t prevent you from making this set your go-to for every dinner from scratch.