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See why.Universal Knife Blocks
We tested 10 universal knife blocks priced from about $25 to just under $250, using them to hold our winning and Best Buy à la carte knife sets, each featuring a chef’s knife, serrated knife, paring knife, slicing knife, boning knife, and shears.
By Published Nov. 1, 2016. Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 2011, America's Test Kitchen TV Season 21: A Trip to Vietnam
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What You Need To Know
Knife blocks allow you to store your knives without mounting a magnetic strip on your kitchen wall or taking up valuable drawer space with an organizer. Because conventional blocks hold only knives of specific sizes (the small slot for the paring knife, the deep slot for the slicer, etc.), we prefer universal blocks, which are designed to accommodate knives of all sizes in any configuration. There are two types of universal knife blocks: those that use magnets to secure the knives and those that use a mass of bristles or folds or an open grid to hold them. To find the best universal knife block on the market, we tested 10 models priced from about $25 to just under $250, using them to hold both our winning and Best Buy six-piece à la carte knife sets (which both include a pair of shears).
What did we find out? While nonmagnetic models were generally cheaper, they were less durable: Plastic bristles shed and bent out of shape, plastic folds got nicked easily, and the wooden grid chipped with extended use. Worse, nonmagnetic models were often smaller and less safe, crowding the knives together and/or leaving larger portions of their blades sticking out.
We preferred magnetic models, which generally exposed less of the blades and held the knives more securely—usually in a side-by-side configuration that made it less likely that the knives would scrape against each other and dull or scratch the blades. We liked blocks with magnets that were just strong enough to hold a heavy cleaver without letting it slip but not so strong that we struggled to remove it. To learn more about the magnets in each block, we used iron filings to locate and measure them. Magnet type, size, shape, or number didn’t seem to matter, but magnet coverage did: Blocks with large gaps between their magnets had less usable space overall and forced us to find the magnetic hot spots in order to secure the knives.
Stability was a final and important concern. We preferred heavier blocks with wide bases lined with rubbery nonslip material, features that helped keep the blocks from tipping over when we removed knives or bumped the blocks. Too light—or too narrow—and the blocks became dangerously top-heavy when loaded with knives.
At just under $250, our winning block, the 360 Knife Block by Design Trifecta, is a serious investment, but it will serve your knives well for years to come. It weighs almost 14 pounds, ensuring that it will never budge from your counter. It’s roomy, sturdy, and durable, surviving extensive testing with nary a scratch. With excellent magnet coverage, it was easy to attach and remove knives—a rotating, lazy Susan–esque base allowed for q...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
Admittedly expensive, this handsome block certainly seemed to live up to its billing as “the last knife block you ever have to buy.” The heaviest model in our testing, this block was ultrastable, and its durable bamboo exterior was a breeze to clean. Well-placed medium-strength magnets made it easy to attach all our knives, and a rotating base gave us quick access to them. One tiny quibble: The blade of our 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a little.
- Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 3 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This roomy block completely sheathed our entire winning knife set using just one of its two sides—and quite securely, thanks to long, medium-strength magnet bars. Heavy, with a grippy base, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard made this model extra-safe but also made it a little trickier to insert knives and to clean; the wood block itself showed some minor cosmetic scratching during use.
- Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This smaller version of the Downtown Block secured all our knives nicely, though the blade of the slicing knife stuck out a bit. With a base lined with grippy material, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard afforded extra protection against contact with blades but made it a little harder to insert knives and to clean; the wood itself got a little scratched during use.
Recommended with reservations
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This small, scratch-resistant model had a stable, rubber-lined base and could hold all our knives, though the blade of the 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a bit. But inch-long gaps between its small magnets made coverage uneven and forced us to find the magnetic hot spots in order to secure the knives. Its acrylic guard made it safer to use but harder to insert knives and to clean.
Not Recommended
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This handsome block was done in by its shape—a tippy, top-heavy quarter-circle that wasn’t tall or broad enough to keep the blades of three knives from poking out. It lacked a nonslip base, and its extra-strong magnets made it unnerving to attach or remove our heavy cleaver. Finally, it got a bit scratched after extensive use.
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This magnetic block sheathed all our knives completely, though with a bit of crowding. But it was hard to insert each knife without hitting the block’s decorative slats on way down, and because the block was light and narrow, it wobbled when bumped. Worse, we couldn’t take it apart, so splatters that hit the interior were there to stay. Additionally, the outside stained easily, and when we wiped it down, the unit smelled like wet dog.
- Design: 2 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This model stabilized knives with a mass of stiff, spaghetti-like bristles that shed and nicked easily after extensive use, covering our knives with plastic debris. While all our knives fit securely, several of the blades stuck out, making this unit feel less safe overall. Finally, though the bristles could be removed and cleaned in the dishwasher, their nooks and crannies made this block hard to wash by hand.
- Design: 1 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 1 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This plastic block required us to aim each knife into the folds of an accordion-pleated insert that was removable for easy cleaning but got nicked easily with repeated use. Because we could only insert the knives vertically, longer knife blades stuck out; a cleaver was too wide to fit. The lightest model in our lineup, this block was dangerously top-heavy when loaded with knives.
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
Our former winner has been redesigned since we last tested it. Though stable, this plastic-bristled block was short and narrow, making it hard to fit all our knives without crowding the blades; longer blades stuck out. Stiffer, thicker bristles made knife insertion tough, and the bristles themselves were a pain to clean by hand and got nicked and bent out of shape easily.
- Design: 1 stars out of 3.
- Safety: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Cleanup: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This attractive wood block used a grid system to make a classic slotted knife block shape universal. But it was difficult to clean and to insert knives into the grid; the posts chipped easily when we failed to aim the knives just right. Long blades didn’t entirely fit in the block, and without anything to secure the blades once inside, shorter knives swung free through the open sides.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.
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