A proper steak knife turns a Saturday rib eye from a sawing match into dinner, and the three sets below have earned their spots through hundreds of reviews each. All three are serrated, which is the style that survives Australian dishwashers, and the straight-edge alternatives get their note at the end.
1. Best Overall: Victorinox Swiss Classic 6-Piece
The Swiss Classic set was our steak knife pick years ago, dropped off the shelves for a while, and is back with 253 owners averaging 4.8 stars. Victorinox makes them in Switzerland from the same steel as its paring knives, the wavy edge keeps cutting for years without attention, and the round tips are safe in a drawer full of hands.
At around $54 for six it's the set that ends the conversation. The handles are moulded nylon rather than timber, which is why they shrug off the dishwasher and why they'll never be the fanciest thing on the table.
What We Like:
- Swiss-made blades
- Wavy edge lasts years
- Dishwasher safe
What We Don't Like:
- Plain nylon handles
2. Best Value: HAUSHOF 4-Piece Serrated Set
The HAUSHOF set is the crowd-verified budget answer: four full-tang serrated knives in a gift box for around $20, with 942 owners averaging 4.7 stars. The serrations saw through crusted rib eye and the dishwasher without complaint.
Serrated edges tear slightly rather than slice, the standing trade of the style, invisible on a weeknight steak.
What We Like:
- Around $20 boxed
- Full-tang build
- Dishwasher survivors
What We Don't Like:
- Serrations tear, not slice
3. Best Budget Six: Wiltshire Laser 6-Piece
Wiltshire has been sharpening Australian dinner tables since the Staysharp era, and its Laser steak knives put six serrated blades on the table for around $16, rated 4.8 by 238 owners and backed by a five-year guarantee. For a set this cheap the guarantee is the tell: the brand expects them to last.
They're light in the hand compared with the sets above, which suits some grips and feels thin to others.
What We Like:
- Six knives, around $16
- Five-year guarantee
- Australian heritage brand
What We Don't Like:
- Light, thin handles
Other steak knives worth a look
- Straight-edge Japanese sets — the SYOKAMI-style high-carbon sets score superbly with owners, but the current listings ship from overseas, so allow a couple of weeks and check the warranty fine print.
- Laguiole Jean Dubost — the genuine French classic with the bee on the spine, shipped from Europe through Amazon; the same patience applies.
- Wüsthof and Scanpan sets — the German and Danish sets we've long recommended still sell through kitchen retailers at the $150-plus tier, matching their cook's-knife ranges.
How to pick steak knives
Serrated or straight is a maintenance question first. Serrated stays usable for years of neglect; straight cuts cleaner and asks for honing. Every pick above is serrated because Australian dishwashers win that argument in most houses; the straight-edge route is in the notes below.
Full tang is the durability tell. Steel running the handle's full length, visible as a metal spine between the handle scales, is what separates lasting sets from handle-snapping ones at every price.
Count the settings honestly. Sets of four suit couples until guests arrive. The six-piece sets above exist because steak night is a hosting event.
RELATED: The Best Cutlery Sets and The Best Kitchen Knife Sets
FAQs
Why do restaurants use serrated steak knives?
Volume and dishwashers: serrations survive commercial washing and stay functional without sharpening across thousands of covers. The same logic applies at busy family tables.
How do I sharpen straight steak knives?
A few strokes on a honing rod every month or two keeps them aligned, and a yearly touch on a whetstone or pull-through sharpener restores the edge. Serrated blades skip all of it until they eventually need professional attention.
