Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife Review (2024)

We purchased the Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

While awaiting the arrival of the Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife, we stocked up on fruits and vegetables, anticipating a lot of salad in our lives. Our curiosity was piqued because of Cutco’s previous direct-to-consumer method of sales. Now, the knives are available on Cutco’s website as well as online retailers, making them easier to buy. Armed with plenty of produce and several cutting boards, we tested the knife for all of our meal prep. From soft tomatoes to crunchy lettuce, we used this chef knife to see if it lived up to its hype. Read on for our results.

Design: Unique and attractive

Chef knives tend to be very similar to each other, so we weren’t expecting anything earthshaking when we opened the Cutco Petit Chef Knife. Its blade is 7 5/8 inches long, which is a bit shorter than typical 8-inch chef’s knives. That’s no doubt why it’s called a petite chef’s knife, but we didn’t notice a difference in the performance compared to our usual chef’s knife. The blade is rounded towards the tip and flat towards the handle so it’s just as good for rocking cuts as it is for slicing and mincing, making it a true all-purpose blade.

The real difference we found between this chef’s knife and the many others we have used over the years was the handle. While many knives have curves that are supposed to make holding the knife more comfortable, this one has peaks and valleys on the surface of the handle. As we examined the knife and held it, the handle seemed a little strange. But when we started to use the knife, it fit like a glove, almost like magic. As we continued to use the Petit Chef Knife, we found that our fingers gripped it properly because of where they fit in the valleys, which resulted in a relaxed and comfortable grasp.

This knife has three rivets that keep the handle and blade secure. The rivets are spaced further apart than usual, with one very close to the blade and the other at the far end of the handle. We’re not sure if that’s a functional design or simply aesthetic, but it’s something we noticed.

As far as looks, the blade is shiny and polished on the unsharpened portion, with a matte finish where the blade has been angled for cutting. The handle is dark brown with some lighter streaks—not quite like woodgrain, but reminiscent of old-time resin products. Besides the dark brown handle we received, this knife also comes in a pearl white colorway. It looks more shiny than matte and didn't seem to show fingerprints or water spots. Overall, this chef's knife looks unique and attractive.

Material: Stainless steel and resin

The blade is made from 440A high carbon stainless steel which is corrosion resistant, so it can handle a little more abuse than other knives. While there might be water spots if it’s left to dry on its own, it’s unlikely to rust or corrode if someone forgets to dry it right away. This metal is also easy to sharpen at home.

Cutco Knives says that the Petit Chef knife's handle is a “highly engineered thermo-resin,” so it’s not the same material that grandma’s clock was made from, and we expect it to last a long time.

Performance: Super sharp

When the knife arrived it was wrapped in simple bubble wrap and there was no box for it. Once it was freed from the bubbles, there was a cardboard sheath over the blade. The sheath very clearly indicated that the knife was extremely sharp—and it had a blue dot showing where to hold the cardboard to unsheathe the knife safely.

This knife is heavy enough to be well balanced, but not overly heavy that it's hard to lift. We found the knife very easy to work with, even when we were prepping a lot of food. The handle is fairly slim, so it would be great for cooks with small hands. However, reviewers with larger hands have noted that it's comfortable to use too. While the handle looks a bit shiny, it’s not slick, so it never felt slippery while we were chopping.

Since the blade was sharp when it arrived, we tried using it to slice tomatoes; it was able to chop them effortlessly. The knife was just as good handling fruits and vegetables, chopping salad greens, and slicing meat. No matter what we cut, the blade slid through smoothly and easily, even when we were making paper-thin slices. While we still like our longer knives for carving meats, and we like our shorter paring knives and serrated knives for other tasks, if we had to choose just one knife to work with, we’d be happy with this one.

Cleaning and Maintenance: Hand wash

Like any sharp knives, this chef’s knife should be hand washed. Although this knife came with a sheath to protect it during shipping, we removed the cardboard and disposed of it so that the knife could be stored properly in our knife block. It could also live on a magnetic knife strip.

Eventually, all knives need to be sharpened. Fortunately, there are plenty of quality knife sharpeners on the market, but if the user isn’t comfortable doing that at home, Cutco offers free sharpening, honing, and repair of its knives forever. They will also replace their knives, if necessary, and no receipt is required to prove ownership, so this knife is truly a life-long purchase.

Price: Expensive, but worth it

While this isn’t the most expensive kitchen knife we’ve seen, it is on the higher end of the price range retailing around $140. Given the quality of the knife, we can’t argue with the cost. But what really makes this knife a bargain is that if it ever gets damaged beyond repair, Cutco will replace it.

Cutco Knives Petite Chef Knife vs. Trusted Butcher Kitchen Knife Set

At first glance, the Trusted Butcher Kitchen Knife Set that we also tested has a lot going for it. It costs less than the Cutco, and it includes an 8-inch chef knife and four steak knives. What the Cutco Petit Chef Knife has in its favor, though, is a company that has been in business for generations and a guarantee that promises this knife will be a lifetime companion. Despite the higher price, our choice is the Petit Chef Knife.