The 7 Best Paring Knives for 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Our Favorite

The Wüsthof Classic Ikon Paring Knife was the overall favorite among our testers due to its quality construction and top-notch performance.

More Paring Knives Our Editors Love

Ryusen Bonten Unryu 3 VG10 Damascus 105MM ($210 at Strata Portland)

We like this pick for a special gift for someone who would get great use out of a quality paring knife. Our editors see it as “a knife that doubles as a work of art.” It took on every task with ease and sliced cleanly, quickly, and without a single snag. Our tests found it had “terrific precision” and glides “like butter” through slicing tasks.

Masamoto Sohonten Molybdenum ($140 at Korin)

With a full-tang blade and rosewood handle, this knife is just the right size for slicing an orange. The heel catches slightly on some tasks, and it’s not the sharpest we’ve ever tested, but it’s great for slicing tomatoes and precision kitchen tasks. Our editors found it to be elegant, heirloom-quality, and great for a cheese board.

The Tests

Functionality

To test the quality of each knife, we assessed size, shape, weight, sharpness, durability, and durability. To test sharpness, we used each knife to slice through a sheet of paper from top to bottom. A sharp knife should glide effortlessly through paper without snagging, and you shouldn't have to rock or see the blade back and forth.

To test weight, feel, and functionality, we used each knife to peel and mince shallots, a common task for which paring knives are often used. A good paring knife should have a sharp tip that easily slices through smaller fruits and vegetables, and it should be easy to grip with one hand when peeling the skins off things like onions and garlic.

Look and Feel

When shopping for a paring knife, weight, balance, and grip size are three main factors to consider. Our testers did this by peeling shallots off the cutting board to see how each knife felt mid-air. By peeling the shallots in-air, our testers were able to assess how easy the handles are to grip, how heavy they are and how comfortable or cumbersome they might feel over time. They then minced the shallots against the cutting board to determine how sharp and balanced each knife felt, from handle to tip. Our testers considered how heavy each handle felt as well as how the handle felt compared to the blade weight. Though some knives were heavier than others, our testers didn't necessarily see weight as a problem as long as the handle and blade felt balanced.

Durability and Brand Promise

We considered any brand promises or specific manufacturer instructions when assessing each knife. If a knife was labeled dishwasher-safe, our testers ran it through the dishwasher on five cycles, then repeated the paper test to determine if dishwashing affected how sharp the blade was. If a knife was not labeled dishwasher safe, our testers washed it by hand with soap and water between each use to determine if washing affected functionality.

Factors to Consider

Blade Length

Most paring knives come in blade lengths between three to four inches, and you will want a smaller blade to handle it efficiently if you have a smaller hand. Most paring knives fall in the middle at 3.5 inches, which is a good choice for most home kitchens. 

Blade Sharpness

When choosing the best paring knife, it's essential to consider how sharp the blade is, how easy it's to care for, and how comfortable it feels in your hand. Like a chef's knife, a paring knife should feel sturdy and balanced with a sharp blade that doesn't dull quickly. There should be ample space to grip, and the blade's tip should be sharp. Behn prefers carbon steel because it holds better edges than stainless steel. 

Handfeel

Since a paring knife is used for more detailed work, you want to ensure it fits snugly into your hand for optimal control. It would help if you considered the overall balance in your hand when shopping around to ensure it rests properly in the middle of your palm.

What Didn’t Make the List

Strong Contenders

Kuhn Rikon 3.5-inch Knife ($12 at Amazon)

This knife is comfortable to hold, and the blade and handle are well-balanced. Our testers found the edge broader but shorter than other knives in the group, making it slightly difficult to maneuver.

Material Kitchen the Almost 4-inch Knife ($50 at Material)

Though the blade's handle is attractive and the knife is super sharp, our testers found it slightly slippery.

Sasaki Matsuta 3.5-inch Paring Knife ($50 at Amazon)

This full-tang knife is heftier than some of the others. Still, our testers weren't bothered by the weight and found it beneficial for specific tasks like mincing shallots.

Zyliss 3.25-inch Paring Knife with Cover ($10 at Amazon)

Our testers found this knife incredibly well-balanced, with a long, tapered handle that ensures added comfort. The blade's curve didn't make consistent contact with the cutting board when mincing, making it feel awkward.

J. A. Henckels Classic Precision 4-inch Paring Knife ($44 at Amazon)

Testers love how easily this knife sliced through paper, but the heavier handle contributed to an overall lack of balance. 

Results Still Simmering

Zyliss Comfort Pro Paring 4.5-inch Paring Knife ($15 at Amazon)

This knife was one of the sharpest of the bunch and very lightweight; however, our testers found that the handle was too small, causing their knuckles to hit the cutting board when mincing.

Global GS-38 3.5-inch Paring Knife ($65 at Williams Sonoma)

The metal handle became slippery when wet, lacking the sturdy grip ideal for knifework, and the belly of the blade was not as sharp as expected during the mincing process.

Zwilling Twin Signature 4-inch Knife ($38 at Zwilling)

We found that this blade is more flexible than most, which is helpful when peeling vegetables is helpful, but it can also be a hindrance when slicing hard foods like parmesan cheese or carrots.

MAC Chef Series 4-inch Paring Knife ($ at Amazon)

The knife did an excellent job cleanly cutting through most of our tests, but we found that it is better for a rough chop than a fine mince. Due to its size, it's a little harder to finesse.

Opinel Carbon Steel 4-inch Paring Knife - Set of 2  ($20 at Opinel)

The knife is lightweight for shallots, needs to be professionally sharpened to be effective, and feels more flimsy than other knives. If you need a dishwasher-safe option, this will work, but it’s not ideal for serious kitchen tasks.

Victorinox 3.25-inch Rosewood Paring Knife Straight Sided  ($30 at Amazon)

Testers noticed that the knife noticeably dulled after multiple tests. It did a decent job slicing through Tomatoes but squished out the seeds and required more force and general to make cuts.

Miyabi Kaizen II Paring Knife ($120 at Amazon)

Even though the blade is sharp, it is too short and small to do things like finely chop a tomato without squeezing out the seeds.

Low Performers

Victorinox 3.9-inch Swiss Classic Paring Knife ($10 at Amazon)

Our testers did not find the handle of this very lightweight knife to be exceptionally comfortable but did note that it felt balanced and slip-resistant, thanks to a textured surface. 

Victorinox 3.25-inch Paring Knife  ($8 at Amazon)

Testers didn't like how the knife dragged during paper tests, and the lack of flexibility made curving motions such as coring a tomato difficult.

Kyocera Ceramic Revolution Series Paring Knife  ($25 at Amazon)

The Kyocera was a good size overall, but the handle is on the larger side, which could be challenging for those with smaller hands. It also felt too light and flimsy to some testers.

Farberware Paring Knife Set  ($8 at Amazon)

Testers thought the knife could be sharper, incredibly straight out of the box, because it struggled to get through most tests and the cuts cleanly.

Farberware 3.5-inch Ceramic Paring Knife  ($19 at Walmart)

The ceramic blade didn't feel flimsy in hand, but it was not sharp. It only partially slices through a piece of paper after getting stuck halfway and feels relatively cheap.

Our Expertise

Jennifer Zyman is a Senior Commerce Writer for Food & Wine and a recovering restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Bon Appetit, Eater Atlanta, The Kitchn, Local Palate, National Geographic, Simply Recipes, Southern Living, and Thrillist. To write this story, she used testing results and expert advice from Michael Behn, owner and head sharpener of Moshi Knives. Laura Denby is a former professional chef who has spent years cooking in professional and private kitchens throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Hamptons.