Help your top chef chop, slice like a pro

Many people who prepare meals regularly have a favorite kitchen knife. For those who don’t, 5 On You Side’s Monica Laliberte offers these options for those on your gift list who like to cook.

A quality chef’s knife can make chopping, slicing and dicing easier and lessen the likelihood of an accident, and it does not have to cost a lot.

Consumer Reports evaluated 8-inch chef’s knives from Henckels, Wusthof, Mac, KitchenAid, Global, Zyliss, Keemake and Mercer. They checked balance, comfort, feel of the handle, and, of course, how well each cut. Consumer Reports writer Paul Hope, also a trained chef, used the knives at home.

“One of the hardest things you can do in the kitchen is to work with raw chicken. So I used each knife for that and to prep a variety of veggies,” said Hope.

Which ones sliced, diced and deboned the best?

Results show the Henckels Premio chef’s knife seems to fit every hand. At $40, testers said the handle is comfortable and the weight of the blade feels just right, not too heavy and not too light.

For the best classic design, the heftier Wusthof Classic has a blade that is a single piece of steel that runs from tip to handle. It’s $150.

The best budget pick? The $20 KitchenAid Classic Forged 8-inch Triple Rivet. Even though it’s not made of carbon steel, the blade cuts easily.

Knives also need care. To keep them sharp, don’t put them loose in drawers or in the dishwasher. The blades can get knocked around and dulled.