In Nine Best Knife Block Sets, Half the Knives Are Steak Knives

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Every knife block set is sold by a number: fifteen pieces, sixteen, seventeen. It is not a count of knives. On every listing here that itemises its contents, the block is a piece, and so are the shears and any honing rod or sharpener. The bigger gap is steak knives. Nine of the ten listings say what is in the box, and in every one of those nine, steak knives are at least half of the knives. The Martha Stewart’s 16 pieces hold 13 knives, and eight of the 13 are steak knives.

The number that matters is what is left. Take away the block, shears, rod or sharpener and steak knives, and the prep knives left come to five, six or seven per set. The Ninja leads with seven. The Farberware, the best seller at #1 in Knife Block Sets, names only three.

So this guide counts the knives. For each set we list what is in the box, how many are steak knives, the sharpening, the named steel, any dishwasher claim and the warranty. Star ratings and review counts were not captured for this roundup; popularity below is Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank only.

Our Quick Picks

At a Glance

Ten Knife Block Sets, Sorted by the Kitchen Knives Left After the Steak Knives

Read the first two columns together: the first is knives against the advertised piece count, the second is what remains once the steak knives come out. Both are our count from each listing’s own contents list.

#	Model	Knives in the Pieces	Non-Steak Knives	Sharpening Included	Best Sellers Rank	Standout	Main Drawback	Check Price
1	Ninja NeverDull 17-Pc	15 of 17	7 (incl. boning)	Built-in wheel, lever	#3 in Knife Block Sets	Only boning knife; 10 Year Limited Warranty listed	Stamped blades; third-party seller; scarce stock	View on Amazon
2	Astercook 15-Pc German	12 of 15	6	Built-in	#2 in Knife Block Sets	1.4116 steel, dishwasher claim, lifetime warranty	Lists 14 items for 15 pieces	View on Amazon
3	Cuisinart Forged 15-Pc	12 of 15	6 (incl. bird’s beak)	8-inch sharpening steel	#4 in Knife Block Sets	Forged, full tang; defined lifetime warranty	No bread knife; dishwasher not stated	View on Amazon
4	imarku 14-Pc Japanese	12 of 14	6	Built-in pull-through	#1 in Gyutou Knives	Stated 10–15° edge; lifetime warranty	Steel grade not stated	View on Amazon
5	McCook 15-Pc Cherry Block	12 of 15	6 (5-inch santoku)	Built-in, shielded	#6 in Knife Block Sets	Only stated hardness, HRC 57±2	No bread knife; not dishwasher safe	View on Amazon
6	Martha Stewart Lockton 16-Pc	13 of 16	5	Sharpening rod	#5 in Knife Block Sets	Eight 4.75-inch steak knives; forged full tang	No slicing knife; hand wash only; no warranty	View on Amazon
7	Amazon Basics 14-Pc	11 of 14	5	8-inch sharpener	#11 in Knife Block Sets	Full tang, triple riveted; sold by Amazon.com	No santoku; no warranty stated	View on Amazon
8	Henckels Statement 15-Pc	11 of 15	5	Professional honing steel	#8 in Knife Block Sets	Lifetime defects warranty; dishwasher or hand wash	No slicer; steel not named; one piece unexplained	View on Amazon
9	Farberware 15-Pc	9 named of 15	3 named	Sharpening tool, type not stated	#1 in Knife Block Sets	Best rank on the page; sold by Amazon.com	Three of 15 pieces never itemised	View on Amazon
10	Astercook 6-Pc	Not itemised	Not itemised	None stated	#1 in Utility Knives	Smallest footprint; drainage block; dishwasher claim	Does not name a single knife	View on Amazon

Best Sellers Ranks and specifications are taken from each manufacturer’s Amazon listing as displayed on 5 October 2026 through a United States connection, and may change. Knife counts are our count from each listing’s contents bullet. Steak knives are counted as knives in the first column and removed in the second. Shears, scissors, blocks, honing rods, sharpening steels and separate sharpeners are counted as accessories; a sharpener built into a block is treated as part of the block. The Astercook 15-piece lists 12 knives, one shear and a block with a built-in sharpener, and the Henckels lists 11 knives, a honing steel, shears and a block; each is 14 items for a 15-piece claim, and neither listing says what the fifteenth piece is. The Farberware names nine knives, a block, a sharpening tool and shears, 12 items for 15 pieces. The Astercook 6-piece does not itemise its contents. Ranks are category Best Sellers Ranks as returned on 5 October 2026; overall ranks are in the detail cards. Amazon files the imarku under Gyutou Knives and the Astercook 6-piece under Utility Knives, so their category ranks are not comparable with the other eight. Listed weights for the Astercook 15-piece and the Henckels are rounded here from 7.27966389124 and 8.598028218 pounds. Star ratings and review counts were not captured for any product here.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column

How We Chose These Ten

We researched current listings, compared manufacturer specifications and documentation, and read each listing’s contents list, steel claim, care instructions and warranty line by line. We did not carry out hands-on testing, and nothing below is presented as measured performance data. Star ratings and review counts were not captured for this roundup. We used Amazon Best Sellers Rank, buy-box stock and listing specifications instead, and nothing on this page describes or implies how owners have scored these sets.

• Knife sets with a block only — every product here ships its knives with a countertop block. Magnetic strips, in-drawer trays and roll bags were not in the running, and neither were single knives.
• New units, verified in stock — each product was the buy-box offer and in stock on amazon.com on 5 October 2026. The Ninja was flagged as scarce stock at capture and was sold by a third-party seller, Chartleader.
• Every piece counted — we took each listing’s contents bullet and sorted it into knives, steak knives and accessories. Where the items listed do not add up to the advertised piece count, we say how many are missing. Every knife count on this page is our arithmetic from the listing’s own words.
• Knives named as the listing names them — a a “5-inch Utility Fillet knife” is recorded as thatldquo;7-inch santoku knife hollow edgea “5-inch Utility Fillet knife” is recorded as thatrdquo; is recorded as a hollow-edge santoku, and a 5.5-inch serrated utility knife is not counted as a bread knife. Blade lengths are quoted only where the listing gives them.
• Steel recorded exactly as printed — a grade such as 1.4116 where one is given, a hardness figure where one is given, and the plain words “high-carbon stainless steel” where that is all there is. Forged and stamped are recorded only where the listing uses those words.
• Care and warranty as stated — a dishwasher-safe claim is logged only where the listing makes it, and a hand-wash instruction only where it gives one. A warranty is logged with its own wording, or as Not stated.
• Model numbers compared — we checked every model and part number for duplicates. No two listings share a model number, and the two Astercook listings are different models, as set out below.
• Popularity from Best Sellers Rank only — ranks are quoted exactly as returned on 5 October 2026, overall and in the category Amazon assigned. Eight of ten sit in Knife Block Sets; two are filed elsewhere.

The Ten Knife Block Sets in Detail

Counting the Knives in Each Set

Here is every set broken into knives, steak knives and everything else, using only each listing’s own contents bullet. Every count in this table is our arithmetic from the words of the listing. Where the items named fall short of the advertised number, the gap is shown.

Accessories are two or three pieces in every itemised set. Every set counts the block. Every set includes at least one pair of shears or scissors, and McCook includes two. Five add a separate rod, steel or sharpening tool. On the itemised sets, knives make up between about 73% and 88% of the advertised pieces, by our arithmetic. The piece count overstates the knives, but not wildly.

Steak knives are the real padding. Seven of the nine itemised sets include six; the Ninja and the Martha Stewart include eight. On every one, that is at least half the knives. Steak knives are useful, and our steak knives guide explains how to judge them, but they are table cutlery. They do not chop an onion, carve a chicken or slice a loaf. Remove them and the 14- to 17-piece sets on this page shrink to five to seven kitchen knives, and the Farberware to three named.

Three sets do not add up. The Astercook 15-piece and the Henckels each name 14 items for a 15-piece title. The Farberware names 12 items for 15. None of the three explains the gap. For the Astercook, our best reading is that the built-in sharpener is counted separately from the block it is built into, since the imarku comes out at 14 with the same contents. But that is inference. The Henckels has no built-in sharpener to account for its missing piece, and for the Farberware, three pieces are simply unnamed.

Identical contents, different numbers. The imarku and the Astercook 15-piece hold the same six kitchen knives, six steak knives, a shear and a block with a built-in sharpener. The imarku calls that 14 pieces; the Astercook calls it 15. If you compare sets by piece count, you will rank the imarku below a listing that contains exactly what it contains.

Which Knives Each Set Actually Includes

Counting the kitchen knives is half the job. The other half is checking which ones they are, because six knives can cover very different ground. This table shows each kitchen knife shape by set, with lengths where the listing gives them.

Every itemised set has an 8-inch chef knife. That is the one shape all nine agree on, and the one most cooks use for most jobs. If the chef knife is the knife you care about, a set is a roundabout way to buy it; our chef knife roundup compares single chef knives on their own terms.

Two sets have no bread knife. The Cuisinart replaces it with a bird’s beak parer; the McCook with a short serrated utility knife. Of all the gaps on this page, a missing bread knife is the one most households will notice soonest. Six itemise one with a length, and the Farberware names one without.

One set has no santoku and one has a small one. The Amazon Basics leaves it out; the McCook’s is 5 inches against 7 everywhere else. A santoku overlaps heavily with a chef knife, so its absence costs less than a missing bread knife. Our santoku knife roundup explains when the shape earns its slot.

Only the Ninja adds a boning knife. It is the seventh kitchen knife that puts the Ninja ahead on count, and the only shape on the page that does a job no other knife in the block does well.

The Best Knife Set With Built in Sharpener, and the Ones With a Rod

Four listings build a sharpener into the block. Four include a separate rod, steel or sharpener, one includes a sharpening tool it does not describe, and one includes nothing. The difference matters more than the marketing suggests, because a honing rod and a sharpener do different jobs.

A rod hones; a built-in sharpener grinds. A steel or honing rod pushes a rolled edge back into line and removes little metal, so it is used often and lasts for years. A pull-through or wheel sharpener removes metal to form a new edge, so it is used less often and changes the knife a little every time. The two are complementary. A set with only a rod still needs a sharpener eventually; a set with only a built-in sharpener has nothing for the quick touch-up between sharpenings.

No built-in sharpener states its angle. The imarku and the McCook both state a factory edge, 10–15° and 15° respectively, and neither says what angle its own block sharpener grinds at. If the two differ, the sharpener will slowly reshape the edge to its own setting. The Ninja says its wheel engages the blade “at the perfect angle”, without a number. Our knife sharpener guide explains why that matters, and our electric knife sharpener roundup covers powered alternatives that state their angles.

Serrated knives are a separate problem. Three listings describe their steak knives as serrated, and bread knives are serrated by design. Pull-through and wheel sharpeners are generally made for straight edges. None of the four built-in listings says whether its sharpener handles serrations. Expect to send serrated blades out, or to replace steak knives eventually.

A built-in sharpener is convenient, not essential. It lives where the knives live, so it gets used. That is its real advantage. If you already own a good sharpener, a set without one loses nothing, and a block without a sharpener slot is one less place for grit to collect.

Steel, Care and Warranty, as Each Listing States Them

Below the contents list sit three claims that decide how a set ages: what the steel is, whether it can go in a dishwasher, and what happens if something fails. The listings are far less consistent here than on contents.

One grade, one hardness figure and one blank. The Astercook 15-piece names 1.4116, a widely used European kitchen stainless. The McCook gives HRC 57±2. The Henckels describes no steel at all, only “German Engineered” and “Stain and rust-free blades”. The other seven say “high-carbon stainless” or “German stainless”, which describes a family rather than a steel. “High-carbon” on a stainless kitchen knife is almost universal marketing; it tells you little on its own.

The dishwasher split is four, four and two. Four listings claim dishwasher safety: both Astercooks, the imarku and the Henckels, which says “in the dishwasher or by hand”. Four tell you to hand wash: the Farberware, the Martha Stewart, the McCook and the Amazon Basics. The Ninja and the Cuisinart do not say. A dishwasher-safe claim is a statement about corrosion. It does not protect an edge from knocking against racks, and it says nothing about a wooden block, which should never go in a dishwasher whatever the knives can take. Even the imarku admits that hand washing extends sharpness.

Five warranties, and two lifetimes with terms. Four listings promise a lifetime warranty and one, the Ninja, lists a 10 Year Limited Warranty. The Cuisinart defines its lifetime most fully: defects in material and workmanship, normal home use, original purchaser. The Henckels spec table says “Lifetime Warranty Against Manufacturer’s Defects”, which sets the scope in fewer words. The Astercook 15-piece and the imarku say “lifetime” without terms. Five listings state no warranty at all, including the best-selling Farberware and the Martha Stewart.

Model Numbers and the Two Astercooks

We compared every model and part number on the page, and no two listings share one. The only same-brand pair is Astercook’s, and the two listings describe different products.

The models share a prefix and nothing else. A60.K15064P is the 15-piece German-steel set with a built-in sharpener and a lifetime warranty. A60.K060119P is a 6-piece set in a slim drainage block with no sharpener, no itemised contents and no stated warranty. Do not read one listing’s claims onto the other. Two other model fields are worth noting: the McCook’s reads only “1” against a part number of MC29, and the Astercook 15-piece gives two different codes in its own spec table.

Best Alternatives

What Each Step Up Actually Buys

The plain sets — Amazon Basics and Farberware. Both are sold by Amazon.com, both say hand wash, neither states a warranty. The Amazon Basics buys 11 numbered knives with bread and slicing blades and full-tang, triple-riveted handles. The Farberware buys the best rank on the page and stainless handles, with three pieces you will need to ask about.

The built-in-sharpener sets — Astercook 15, imarku, McCook. All three hold 12 knives. Stepping up to these buys a sharpener in the block, and two of the three add a lifetime warranty and a dishwasher claim. The Astercook adds the only named steel grade; the imarku adds a stated 10–15° edge; the McCook adds a stated hardness and steel handles, at the cost of a bread knife.

The forged classics — Cuisinart and Martha Stewart. These buy forged, full-tang, triple-riveted construction and a separate honing tool. The Cuisinart adds a defined lifetime warranty and a bird’s beak parer and loses the bread knife; the Martha Stewart adds eight steak knives and a styled block and loses the slicer and any warranty.

The name-brand stamped set — Henckels Statement. It buys a maker’s lifetime warranty against defects, a dishwasher-or-hand-wash care line and a honing steel. It gives up the slicer and any steel description, holds 11 knives and leaves one of its 15 pieces unexplained.

The fullest set — Ninja NeverDull. The step to the Ninja buys three more knives than the 12-knife sets, including the only boning knife here, a lever-driven sharpener and a 10 Year Limited Warranty. It gives up forging for stamped blades and is sold, at capture, by a third-party seller with scarce stock.

The outlier — Astercook 6-piece. It buys a small footprint and a drainage block. Until the seller names the knives, it does not buy a known lineup.

What to Check Before You Buy

Count the Knives, Then Subtract the Steak Knives

Take the contents bullet and add up the knives yourself. On this page, the advertised count overstates the knives by two or three pieces, and steak knives make up at least half of what is left. The 14- to 17-piece sets here hold five to seven kitchen knives. If a listing does not itemise, as the Astercook 6-piece does not, ask before you buy.

Check for a Bread Knife

Seven sets include one; the Cuisinart and McCook do not. A bread knife is the serrated blade most households use daily, for loaves, tomatoes and cakes, and a slicing knife does not replace it. If the set lacks one, budget for a separate bread knife.

Decide Between a Rod and a Built-in Sharpener

Four sets build a sharpener into the block; four include a separate rod, steel or sharpener. A rod hones and a sharpener grinds. Ideally you want both. If you choose a built-in sharpener, ask what angle it grinds at, because none of the four listings says.

Read the Steel Claim for a Number

One listing names a grade, 1.4116, and one gives a hardness, HRC 57±2. Most say “high-carbon stainless”, and the Henckels names no steel at all. A number is something you can compare; a phrase is not. Forged or stamped is the other construction detail worth noting, and two listings say neither.

Take Dishwasher Claims as Rust Claims

Four sets say dishwasher safe and four say hand wash. Even where the steel will not rust, the dishwasher dulls edges and is hard on handles, and the wooden block should never go in. Plan to hand wash and dry whatever the listing says, and the claim becomes a safety margin rather than a routine.

Find the Warranty Wording

Five listings state a warranty and five do not. Only the Cuisinart and the Henckels say what their lifetime covers. The Ninja’s 10 Year Limited Warranty is a concrete term, but the set was sold by a third-party seller at capture; confirm the warranty applies to that purchase.

Measure the Counter Under the Cabinets

Listed heights run from 6.1 inches on the McCook to 14.57 on the imarku, and the Martha Stewart gives no dimensions. Listings do not say whether figures are for the block or the box. Measure the depth of your counter and the gap beneath wall cabinets, and remember that the longest knives need clearance to lift out of the block.

Common Mistakes

• Comparing sets by piece count. The imarku’s 14 pieces and the Astercook’s 15 hold the same 12 knives.
• Forgetting the steak knives. In all nine itemised sets they are at least half the knives; the Martha Stewart has eight of 13.
• Assuming a bread knife is included. The Cuisinart and McCook 15-piece sets have none.
• Buying a set that does not itemise. The Farberware leaves three of 15 pieces unnamed; the Astercook 6-piece names no knives at all.
• Treating a honing rod as a sharpener. The Cuisinart’s 8-inch steel realigns an edge; it does not regrind one.
• Trusting a built-in sharpener’s angle. None of the four states it, and the imarku’s knives start at 10–15°.
• Running the block through the dishwasher. Four listings say the knives can go in; none says the block can.
• Reading “lifetime” as a warranty. The Farberware’s “lifetime of reliable use” is a durability claim; no warranty is stated.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the Ninja NeverDull if you want the most kitchen knives and a sharpener that works from a lever. Fifteen knives in 17 pieces, seven of them for prep including the only boning knife here, and a 10 Year Limited Warranty listed. Accept stamped blades, the heaviest block, and a third-party seller with scarce stock at capture.

Buy the Astercook 15-piece if you want every common claim in writing. Twelve knives with blade lengths, 1.4116 steel, a built-in sharpener, a dishwasher claim and a lifetime warranty, at #2 in Knife Block Sets. Accept that it lists 14 items for 15 pieces.

Buy the Cuisinart if you want forged, riveted knives and a warranty you can read. Twelve knives, an 8-inch steel and the most fully worded lifetime warranty on the page, sold by Amazon.com. Accept that there is no bread knife.

Buy the imarku if you want a thin factory edge. The same 12 knives as the Astercook 15-piece, a stated 10–15° edge, a pull-through sharpener and a lifetime warranty. Accept that no steel grade is given and plan to hand wash.

Buy the McCook if a stated hardness matters to you. HRC 57±2, a 15° edge, steel handles, a shielded sharpener and two pairs of shears. Accept no bread knife, a 5-inch santoku, no dishwasher and no warranty.

Buy the Martha Stewart if you seat eight for steak and want a styled block. Eight steak knives, a forged full-tang build and an acacia block, sold by Amazon.com. Accept five kitchen knives, no slicer, hand washing, no warranty and no dimensions.

Buy the Amazon Basics if you want a plain, honestly counted first set. Eleven numbered knives with bread and slicing blades, full tang and triple riveted, the lightest block here. Accept no santoku, no warranty and no built-in sharpener.

Buy the Henckels if a maker’s warranty and easy care matter more than the lineup. A lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects, dishwasher-or-hand care and a honing steel, sold by Amazon.com. Accept five kitchen knives, no slicer, no stated steel and one unexplained piece.

Buy the Farberware only after the seller names all 15 pieces. It has the best rank on the page and is sold by Amazon.com, but the listing names nine knives, three accessories and nothing else.

Buy the Astercook 6-piece if counter space comes first and you have confirmed the knives. A 3.74-inch-square drainage block and a dishwasher claim; no knife is named and no warranty is stated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Knife block sets are sold by a number, and the number is not a count of knives. On every itemised listing here, the block is a piece, the shears are a piece, and a rod or sharpener often is too. That costs two or three pieces per set. The 14- to 17-piece sets on this page hold 11 to 15 knives.

The steak knives are the bigger gap. In all nine sets that say what is in the box, steak knives are at least half the knives. Take them out and the kitchen knives come to five, six or seven, three named on the best-selling Farberware. Then check which knives those are: two sets have no bread knife, one has no santoku, two have no slicer, and only one has a boning knife.

So buy a knife block set by its kitchen knives. Add up the contents yourself, subtract the steak knives, and check for a chef, bread and paring knife at the least. Then read the steel line for a number, treat a dishwasher claim as a rust claim, find the warranty in words, and ask what angle any built-in sharpener grinds at.

If you buy one set from this page, make it the Ninja NeverDull: 15 knives in 17 pieces, the most kitchen knives here, a sharpener that works from a lever and a 10 Year Limited Warranty listed, after confirming that warranty with the seller. If you want every claim in writing for less, the Astercook 15-piece states the steel, the sharpener, the dishwasher claim and a lifetime warranty; if you want forged knives and a warranty you can read, choose the Cuisinart and add a bread knife.