Are Cuisinart Knives Any Good? An In-Depth Review

Cuisinart is known for its food processors, but are its knives any good?

In this review, you’ll learn the pros and cons of Cuisinart knives. I break down the design, materials, performance, price, and more.

By the end, you’ll know if Cuisinart knives are right for your kitchen.

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Use the links below to navigate the review:

• Knife Collections
• Design
• Materials and Construction
• Performance
• Price
• Downsides
• FAQs About Cuisinart Knives
• Bottom Line: Are Cuisinart Knives Any Good

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Knife Collections

Cuisinart has eight knife collections, including individual knives, sets, and knife blocks. The chart below is a quick reference guide to the key features of each collection.

Swipe or scroll to view the entire chart.

Knife Collection	Where It’s Made	Blade Construction	Handle Material	Price
Cuisinart Graphix	China	Stamped	Stainless Steel	$
Cuisinart Marble Style	China	Forged	Polymer Plastic	$$
Cuisinart Nitrogen	China	Forged	Polymer Plastic	$
Cuisinart Non-Stick Edge	China	Stamped	Polymer Plastic	$
Cuisinart Triple Rivet	China	Forged	Polymer Plastic	$
Cuisinart Advantage Colored Knives	China	Stamped	Polymer Plastic	$
Cuisinart ColorCore	China	Stamped	Stainless Steel	$
Cuisinart ColorPro	China	Stamped	Polymer Plastic	$

Design

Cuisinart knife collections are available in a wide variety of design options. They range from classic knives to brightly colored blades and handles.

As you’ll see in the varied designs, Cuisinart attempts to appeal to a broad market rather than focusing on one style, like premium cutlery brands.

Knife Block Sets

Cuisinart offers a variety of knife block sets, including the Stainless Steel Prep Set and the Triple Rivet Collection with white, black, or walnut handles. Knives in the Stainless Steel Prep Set look have a seamless steel appearance from tip to butt end, similar to Global knives.

Cuisinart Advantage Colored Knives

Cuisinart Advantage Colored Knives have stamped stainless steel blades with non-stick coating. The collection is available in a wide range of designs and colors, from black and white to geometric print blades with black handles to solid-colored knives from tip to handle. Some even feature bright tie-dyed and cactus prints.

Nitrogen Collection

The Nitrogen Collection has a traditional black handle with silver rivets and a forged nitrogen-infused stainless steel blade.

Triple Rivet Collection

The Triple Rivet Collection also features a black handle with silver rivets and a forged stainless steel blade. 

Non-stick Edge Collection

The Non-stick Edge Collection has stamped stainless steel and high-carbon blades with a soft-grip, anti-slip handle. The blades have a non-stick coating and groove to prevent food from adhering.

Graphix Collection

The Graphix Collection has a stamped stainless steel blade, and the uniquely designed handle is shaped and textured for an easy grip.

Marble Style Collection

The Marble Style Collection has a stamped stainless steel blade and ergonomically designed handles with a marble print to complement kitchen décor.

ColorCore Collection

The ColorCore Collection includes stamped stainless steel blades and silver handles. This collection has colored rivets, bolsters, and blade covers.

ColorPro Collection

The ColorPro Collection features stainless steel blades and ergonomic white, gray, black, or red handles, creating a clean, classic look.

Materials and Construction

Cuisinart knives are made from 3CR13 stainless steel, a Chinese steel containing 0.3% carbon and 13% chromium. It is cheaper steel that’s soft, rust-prone, and dulls quickly. 

The Marble Style, Nitrogen, and Triple Rivet collections feature forged blades. The Non-stick Edge, ColorCore, ColorPro, Advantage, and Graphix collections are made with stamped blades.

Forged and stamped are terms that describe how a knife blade is manufactured.

Forged knives are made from a single piece of steel. The steel is heated, pounded, and molded into shape before being cleaned, attached to a handle, polished, and sharpened.

Stamped blades are cut, either with a laser or by stamping, from a large sheet of steel, much like you’d use a cookie cutter to cut multiple cookie shapes from a rolled-out piece of dough. After stamping, the blade is tempered with heat, honed, sharpened, and attached to a handle.

In general, forged blades are thicker, more durable, easier to sharpen, and better quality (and more expensive).

Cuisinart doesn’t advertise the sharpness of its knives. But its YouTube demonstrations recommend sharpening the blades to a  22-degree angle on each side, giving the edge a total angle of 44 degrees.

Forty-four degrees is not that sharp when it comes to quality kitchen knives. German blades are usually sharpened to 15-17 degrees per side, and Japanese knives can be as sharp as 9-12 degrees per side.

Additionally, the steel Cuisinart uses for its blades scores 55 on the Rockwell Scale, which means it’s relatively soft. Premium knives typically range between 58 and 61. Soft blades tend to dull more quickly. However, harder blades are more likely to chip.

The handles of most Cuisinart knife collections are plastic, which can limit the balance of the knife and the precision of your cuts.

The only exceptions are the Graphix and Stainless Steel Prep collection which have hollow steel handles. Graphix handles are textured to improve grip (similar to Global knives).

Performance

So how do Cuisinart knives perform in the kitchen?

I’ve been testing several collections for months and have bad news. None of them perform particularly well.

The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up a Cuisinart knife is that it’s lightweight. It doesn’t feel solid or sturdy like Wusthof, Zwilling, or other Western-style knives. Blades in the stamped collections are super thin, flexible, and feel cheap.

The next thing you’ll notice is that they feel unbalanced. The blade is significantly heavier than the handle, so the knife tips forward if you loosen your grip or attempt to balance it on two fingers.

If you use your knives in short bursts, this isn’t a major issue. But an unbalanced knife will lead to unnecessary wrist fatigue and strain if you’re chopping for extended periods.

In terms of cutting ability, Cuisinart knives are sharp right out of the box (even with the larger, 44-degree edge angle).

As you can see below, they can easily make paper-thin slices of grapes and other fruits and veggies. The initial performance is comparable to brands like Henckels, Misen, and Calphalon.

However, after a few weeks, I noticed them starting to dull. I wasn’t surprised by this because the 3CR13 stainless steel Cuisinart uses for the blades is soft, and soft steel dulls quickly.

They’re relatively easy to sharpen with a handheld or electric sharpener but using a whetstone can be challenging. Since most Cuisinart blades are thin and flexible, they can bend as you run them across the whetstone, resulting in an inconsistent angle.

Overall, Cuisinart knives perform as you’d expect low-cost knives to perform. They can certainly get the job done, but they lack heft, balance, and dull quicker than most brands I’ve tested. If you’re looking for a high-performing, long-lasting knife, you should look elsewhere.

Price

Cuisinart knives are affordable compared to other premium knife brands. Their price is lower because of the materials, construction, and fact that they’re manufactured in China.

Cuisinart prices are similar to mid-range brands like Calphalon and Farberware. But they’re significantly less expensive than high-end brands like Zwilling, Wusthof, or Shun.

The chart below breaks down the prices of the different Cuisinart collections as well as other brands for comparison.

Downsides

While Cuisinart knives are relatively affordable and come in a wide range of designs, there are several downsides to consider before making a decision and subsequent purchase.

Low-quality steel: Cuisinart knives are made from low-quality steel, which means they have a higher risk of rusting and poor edge retention.

Stains: The steel can also stain, so if you opt for Cuisinart knives, clean and dry them immediately after use.

Unbalanced: The handles on Cuisinart knives are too light, which makes the knives feel unbalanced. They’re prone to tip forward if you’re not holding them tightly.

Lightweight: The blades on the stamped collections (all except Marble Style, Nitrogen, and Triple Rivet) are also really lightweight. They feel cheap and flimsy and will require more effort on your part to cut through food.

Sharpness: Additionally, Cuisinart blades aren’t very sharp (44-degrees total angle) and are likely to dull quickly due to the softness of the steel. You’ll need to sharpen Cuisinart knives more frequently than other brands.

Sharpening: Since the blades are not as stiff as higher-quality knives, they are more difficult to sharpen on a whetstone (when the blade flexes, it’s difficult to produce a consistent angle).

Quality control: Reviews of Cuisinart knives often mention quality issues such as loose handles or knife blocks that don’t have the correct size openings for the knives.

Made in China: Cuisinart knives are made in China. Read this guide to learn about the best kitchen knives not made in China.

Mostly Sets: You can find a few individual Cuisinart knives on Amazon, but they are mostly sold as knife sets, which often include several unnecessary pieces.

FAQs About Cuisinart Knives

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about Cuisinart knives.

Bottom Line: Are Cuisinart Knives Any Good?

Cuisinart is an established kitchenware brand but is better known for food processors and small appliances. Knives are a secondary product within its extensive kitchenware portfolio.

The main advantage of Cuisinart knives is the price. It’s one of the most affordable brands you can buy. They also offer a variety of collections, so it’s easy to find a design that’s comfortable and fits in your kitchen.

That said, you get what you pay for. Cuisinart knives lack edge retention, durability, and balance. They’re lightweight and feel like low-cost knives you’d buy at the grocery store. They keep costs low by manufacturing in China and using lower-grade steel.

Bottom line — unless you’re on a tight budget, you’re better off investing in a higher-quality knife that will last longer and perform better. Brands like Misen, Henckels, and Victorinox produce high-performing knives that are still affordable.

If you’re still interested in Cuisinart, you can read dozens of reviews and check the current prices on Amazon.

You can check out my recommended alternatives at the links below:

• Misen knives on Misen.com and Amazon
• Henckels knives on Zwilling.com and Amazon
• Victorinox knives on Amazon