Wüsthof vs. Zwilling: Which Knife Brand Is Better?

I entered the fine dining world when Western European cooking was dominant and Western-style blades dominated chefs' cutlery choices. When looking at more experienced cooks and chefs, their knife rolls were full of steel from Wüsthof and Zwilling, and many cooks of my generation aspired to afford these brands.

Almost 40 years later, you’ll find more Japanese-style blades in professional kitchens, but I’m still a devotee of the German brands. It’s a matter of familiarity. Wüsthof and Zwilling are still producing high-quality steel, with a range of price points and quality to choose from. As the two brands are almost equal, we decided to put four offerings from each manufacturer to the test to see which is better. Here’s what we found.

Key Specs

• More Affordable: Zwilling
• Better Edge Retention: Wüsthof
• More Flexible: Zwilling
• More Product Variety: Zwilling
• Preferred by Chefs: Wüsthof
• Our Overall Pick: Wüsthof

What We Love About Each Brand

Wüsthof started manufacturing knives in 1814, and they are still made in Solingen, Germany. Today, it has nine lines of knives in incrementally different quality and price points. Given that depth and breadth of selection, professionals and consumers alike can find a blade to suit their needs and bank accounts.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels is an even older company than Wüsthof. It is also based in Solingen and hosts a variety of brand names, including Henckels, Myabi, and Staub. It has diversified from cutlery to appliances, tableware, and cookware. But cutlery is what we’re here for today, and Zwilling’s knife selection, speaking only of the original Western designs, spans many quality and price points, too. Wüsthof is more popular among professionals, but Zwilling also has a strong professional and home-use fan base.

Who Makes the Better Chef’s Knife?

The Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife is an iconic Western blade that’s an all-around workhorse in the kitchen. It’s heavier than most chef's knives at 8.5 ounces, but that adds to its utility for breaking through chicken or fish bones and cutting hard vegetables like squashes or root vegetables. But it’s not just a brute-force tool: It’s equally helpful in fine-dicing and slicing. It has a half bolster to keep your finger out of harm’s way, avoiding contact with the blade.

The Zwilling Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife has a similar design to the Wüsthof, but Zwilling's blades are generally more flexible, which the brand attributes to its technique of heating the steel at extreme temperatures before hardening it with ice. The handle measures an inch longer than the Wüsthof's and feels comfortable in the hand, which is an advantage when you're hand-washing it. We also liked the feel of the knife's smooth, finished spine and curved bolster; it's worth noting that the the blade was sharp enough to cut through sweet potatoes without us having to press down on the spine with our other hand. Our only issues were with the tip of the blade.

Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife

$170 $129 at Amazon $135 at Williams Sonoma $170 at Sur La Table

Blade Length: 8 inches | Weight: 9 ounces | Blade Material: High-carbon stain-free steel

Zwilling Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife

$200 $128 at Amazon $160 at Nordstrom $140 at Wayfair

Blade Length: 8 inches | Weight: 9.5 ounces | Blade Material: Cryodur steel

The Verdict: Which Brand Is Better?

Both knives earned perfect scores in design, ease of use, versatility, and ease of cleaning. The blades are both in 8 inches and made of high-carbon stainless steel. Both handles have arched bolsters for better thumb grip, while Zwilling's handle measures an inch longer. The Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife, however, narrowly beat the Zwilling Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife in performance. We found the tip of the Zwilling Pro to be a bit dull compared to the Wüsthof, possibly from breaking down a chicken in one of our initial tests. We needed to use more force on the Zwilling when coring a tomato, slicing through an onion, and (to a lesser degree) cutting a sweet potato, whereas the Wüsthof glided through them. Wüsthof wins this one.

How We Tested Chef’s Knives

Over the years, we’ve tested dozens of chef’s knives in our testing lab and at home. In our most recent round of tests, evaluated the knives on weight, balance, and comfort and how easy they are to clean without staining. Our more practical tests began with slicing a sheet of computer paper cleanly to judge the knife’s sharpness. Then, we diced onions in two sizes to see how versatile and maneuverable the blade is. We then tried to make paper-thin tomato slices to test the sharpness and level of detail the knife was capable of. After the delicate work, we diced butternut squash to test the knife’s sturdiness.

Who Makes the Better Serrated Knife?

The Wüsthof Classic Double Serrated 9-Inch Bread Knife had an extremely sharp, irregularly serrated blade that made quick work of baguettes and tomatoes. The plastic grip was comfortable in most positions, and the weight and length were good for most slicing cases, although the blade was a bit handle-heavy. 

The Zwilling Pro 9-inch Bread Knife was a star in our testing, breezing through baguettes, boules, and tomatoes. The handle is comfortable and allows you to grip hard when slicing through hard bread crusts. The blade combines saw-tooth serrations and rounded waves, which helps diversify its use. The knife is also dishwasher-safe, although it’s easy to hand wash.

Wusthof Classic Double Serrated 9-Inch Bread Knife

$150 at Amazon $150 at Williams Sonoma $15 at Walmart

Blade Length: 9 inches | Handle Material: Plastic | Blade Material: Stainless steel

Zwilling Pro 9-inch Bread Knife Z15 Serration

$163 $140 at Amazon $140 at Williams Sonoma $140 at Sur La Table

Blade Length: 9 inches | Handle Material: Plastic | Blade Material: Stainless steel

The Verdict: Which Brand Is Better?

While both knives performed quite well in our tests, the Wüsthof Classic Double Serrated 9-Inch Bread Knife had a couple of drawbacks. The slightly handle-heavy design presented some challenges in getting a thin, even cut from a sourdough boule, and the tooth design made it a little tricky to wash. This round goes to the Zwilling Pro 9-inch Bread Knife.

How We Tested Serrated Knives

To evaluate serrated knives, we tested them on some of the most common cooking tasks. We sliced baguettes into half-inch-thick slices, looking for clean cuts without crushing or tearing. We sliced sourdough boules into inch-thick sandwich cuts, paying attention to how they handled the crust and the soft crumb. Finally, we thin-sliced tomatoes, looking for any snagging or tearing of the skin, uniform slices, no crushing, and the slices not sticking to the blade. 

Who Makes the Better High-End Knife Block?

Knife blocks are an easy way to garner a collection of knives with a sturdy wooden holder to keep them organized on your countertop. The Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set is an excellent selection of Wüsthof’s blades in a slightly bulky block. The chef’s knife and paring knife stood out for their sharpness, and a serrated utility knife was a nice touch. The kitchen shears lacked the strength to cut chicken bones but were easy to clean.

The Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set was a tough competitor. The chef’s knife and serrated bread knife were both top-of-the-line in quality and performance. The chef’s knife features a ¾-inch bolster, protecting our fingers without becoming an obstacle. The pairing knife hulled strawberries and peeled kiwis with little effort. Compared to the rest of the set, however, the kitchen shears felt cheap.

Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set with Beech Block

View on Wusthof.com

What’s Included: Peeling knife, paring knife, serrated utility knife, double serrated bread knife, chef's knife, carving knife, meat fork, honing steel, 9-slot block | Blade/Handle Material: Forged steel/plastic | Block Dimensions: 12.5 x 4.4 x 12 inches

Zwilling Pro 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$1,072 $650 at Amazon $650 at Williams Sonoma View on Zwilling.com

What’s Included: 2 Paring knives, serrated utility knife, prep knife, santoku, bread knife, chef's knife, shears, honing steel, 16 slot block | Blade/Handle Material: high carbon no-stain steel, plastic | Block Dimensions: 4.5 x 11 x 12 inches

The Verdict: Which Brand Is Better?

This was a hard call. Both sets presented an excellent collection of knives, and the decision came down to the kitchen shears. Both struggled with cutting chicken wings, but the Zwilling pair felt like the manufacturing budget ran out before getting to them. The handles were uncomfortable and somewhat cheap feeling, compared to the rest of the set. In this case, the Wüsthof Classic 10-Piece Knife Set wins.

How We Tested High-End Knife Blocks

We first evaluated the sharpness of each set’s chef and pairing knives using a device that measures the amount of pressure exerted to cut through a standard material. The less pressure required, the sharper the blade. We then put the chef’s knives through a series of vegetable slicing and chopping tasks. Moving on to the smallest paring knives in the set, we hulled strawberries and peeled kiwi fruit to gauge their sharpness and control. We cut sourdough boules and made croutons from sandwich bread to view their ability to slice through different bread densities without crushing. We tested shears by cutting chicken wings both at the joint and through the bone. We also cut chives to see if they could perform the task without tearing.

Who Makes the Better Value Knife Block?

When buying large collections of knives, the price can add up very quickly. For those who try to balance value and cost, the Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set and the Zwilling Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set are good options.

The stars of the Zwilling set were a pairing knife that was easy to use and almost weightless, a serrated bread knife, and shears that chopped through chicken bones with no problem. The set from Wüsthof had a nice, sharp, easy-to-handle paring knife, and the shears performed admirably. 

Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$320 $275 at Amazon $275 at Williams Sonoma $275 at Crate & Barrel

What’s Included: Peeling knife, paring knife, serrated utility knife, serrated bread knife, chef's knife, carving knife, meat fork, honing steel, kitchen shears, 9-slot European block | Blade/Handle Material: Stainless steel/plastic | Block Size: 4.5 x 10.5 x 12 inches

Zwilling Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set

$280 at Amazon $280 at Target $280 at Wayfair

What’s Included: Peeling knife, vegetable knife, paring knife, serrated knife, slicing knife, bread knife, chef's knife, honing steel, shears, 13-slot block | Blade/Handle Material: Stainless steel/plastic | Block Size: 14.17 x 6.3 x 6.1 inches

The Verdict: Which Brand Is Better?

The Wüsthof Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set was a good starter set but isn’t of lasting quality. The chef’s and serrated knives were almost too short to be useful. The Zwilling set had more quality components, though the chef’s knife struggled when cutting dense vegetables. We call this round for the Zwilling Gourmet 10-Piece Knife Block Set.

How We Tested Value Knife Blocks

We first evaluated the sharpness of each set’s chef and pairing knives using a device that measures the amount of pressure exerted to cut through a standard material. The less pressure required, the sharper the blade. We then put the chef’s knives through a series of vegetable slicing and chopping tasks. Moving on to the smallest paring knives in the set, we hulled strawberries and peeled kiwi fruit to gauge their sharpness and control. We cut sourdough boules and made croutons from sandwich bread to view their ability to slice through different bread densities without crushing. We tested shears by cutting chicken wings both at the joint and through the bone. We also cut chives to see if they could perform the task without tearing.

More Products We Love

Kramer by Zwilling 8-Inch Chef's Knife: This is part of a special Zwilling collection designed by Master Bladesmith Bob Kramer. We like that its wide blade and rounded spine increase knuckle clearance from the cutting board, making it suitable for heavy work, but we also found the knife itself heavy.

Wüsthof Classic 3.5-Inch Paring Knife: This classic paring knife has a full bolster, a triple-riveted full-tang handle, and a high-carbon steel blade. The 3-1/2 -inch blade takes and keeps an edge amazingly well. Full disclosure: I used this paring knife in professional kitchens for decades and now use it at home. With an overall length of seven and a half inches, it may seem too small to some folks with large hands, but, being a rather ham-fisted human, I’ve never had a problem with the length and can work with fine detail with this knife.

Wüsthof Classic 9-Inch Hollow Edge Carving Knife: This classic Western carving knife has a thin nine-inch blade with scallops for smooth slicing and reducing meat adhering to it. The size is a perfect medium for those who prefer longer or shorter slicing blades — not too long for those with smaller hands and not too short, either. The high-carbon steel blade keeps an edge, and we found it well-suited for carving roasts, poultry, and large pieces of meat.

Zwilling Enfinigy Cordless Cool Touch Electric Kettle Pro: This electric kettle from Zwilling boiled water in about six minutes in our tests, and the keep-warm feature keeps the water hot for about half an hour. It has six pre-set temperatures for hot beverages, from coffee to tea to cocoa. Unlike some models we’ve tested, this kettle stayed to the touch thanks to its dual-wall insulation. The brushed stainless steel finish is stylish and durable. 

Zwilling Madura Plus Fry Pan: This is a frying pan with depth, which makes it excellent for non-frying tasks, like cooking pasta. But it also has a durable granite coating, which is non-stick and safe for use with metal utensils. The tradeoff is that coating contributes to a higher weight, which is not to say it's as heavy as cast iron, but it was one of the heavier non-stick frying pans we tested. The pan and coating are oven-safe, but only to 300°F. It’s a pan best used for stovetop cooking and forgoing the oven.

The Last Word

Zwilling and Wüsthof are time-honored manufacturers of quality steel and other kitchen equipment. Most of the winners we picked were hard choices resulting from fractional differences in quality or versatility. In short, it’s hard to go wrong with either brand.

Our Expertise

Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Serious Eats, and other publications. Greg is strongly attracted to quality steel, as his ever-growing knife collection testifies.