I Cook for a Living, and This Restaurant-Grade Knife Is the Only One You’ll Ever Need (Perfect for Fall Meal Prep!)

If there’s one essential everyone should have in their kitchen, it’s a good, sharp knife. The right one can handle a multitude of meal-prep tasks — including cubing hard root vegetables, chopping up delicate herbs, dicing raw onions, and slicing meats — and is the tool you’re bound to reach for every single day. One of our favorite sources for top-quality cutlery, Made In, recently added three new Japanese knives to their core collection, including the 6-inch Japanese Damascus Steel Santoku Knife. And because we’re already fans of the brand’s original Santoku knife, we decided to give it a try. Or, rather, we let an expert give it a whirl: Carl, a professional grill master who manages and cooks for a barbecue catering company in Massachusetts. After putting the blade through the paces, Carl was completely blown away by its performance. “It’s incredible!” he says. 

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Made In is the DTC brand behind some of our favorite cookware and kitchen tools. In fact, its pieces are so popular that they’re constantly selling out. Inspired by the success of its limited-edition Japanese Bunka knife, Made In created the Japanese Damascus Steel Santoku Knife. Crafted in Seki, Japan, a city that’s produced knives for 800 centuries, the Santoku features 33 layers of Damascus steel and a stainless VG-10 core with a high carbon content that keeps the knife sharp for a longer time. The 6-inch blade is folded into 66 layers, which creates a wavy pattern that’s unique to each knife. It’s also full tang, with an ergonomic handle that has a comfortable grip and makes for the perfect cutting experience. True to its name (“Santoku” translates to “three purpose”), this super-versatile knife is ideal for prepping meat, fish, vegetables, and so much more.

Besides the “cool pattern” on the blade, Carl was extremely impressed by the knife’s incredible sharpness and lightweight design. “It’s easy to handle and has just enough weight to it to tackle all kinds of prep work,” he says. Chopping herbs like rosemary and parsley took a few swift seconds with the Santoku knife, and its thin, razor-sharp blade made it effortless to cut thin or thick slices of meat like steak and sausage with precision. 

But the blade really shined when it came to cutting vegetables like broccoli, potatoes, onions, and carrots. “It cut through them with no resistance,” marvels Carl, who adds that the knife will especially be good for harder, more fibrous fall ingredients like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.  

At $199, Made In’s Japanese Damascus Steel Santoku Knife is a bit of an investment, but it’s worth it in the long run, says Carl: ”It’s really versatile, gives restaurant-grade performance, and it’s built to last.” 

Buy: Made In 6-inch Japanese Damascus Steel Santoku Knife, $199