What Knife Brands do Celebrity Chefs Prefer?

In addition to being entertaining, celebrity chefs help promote confidence in the home kitchen. Not only do they share favorite recipes, but they also teach us to elevate ordinary home cooking into something a bit more special. And they teach foundational techniques, tips and tricks along the way.

At KnivesAdvisor, we were interested in exploring what kitchen knives and knife brands celebrity chefs actually use. In this post, we highlight the types and brands of knives most favored by celebrity chefs in the US.

Ina Garten

To kick off our post on what knife brands are favored by celebrity chefs, we start with Ina Garten.

Ina Garten (born February 2, 1948) is a renowned American cookbook author, television host, and culinary personality. She is famous for her “Barefoot Contessa” brand, emphasizing simple, elegant, and approachable home cooking. A self-taught chef, she formerly worked in nuclear policy before pivoting to food and running a specialty store in the Hamptons.

Ina Garten’s Preferred Knife Brands

Ina consistently praises Wüsthof, a German knife maker based in Solingen. She uses the Wüsthof Classic line, and has mentioned that “they last a lifetime” if properly cared for. She emphasizes that rather than having many specialized knives, most home cooks really need a few versatile ones. Her “essential set” includes these four types:

• Chef’s knife — her go-to, especially an 8-inch one from Wüsthof.
• Paring knife — for smaller, precise jobs.
• Slicing knife — for carving meats, etc.
• Bread knife (serrated) — for loaves, tomatoes, etc.

Ina generally prefers forged, high-carbon steel blades (as in the Wüsthof Classic line) over stamped blades. And for good reason.

Forged, high-carbon steel blades offer superior durability, exceptional edge retention, and optimal balance compared to stamped blades. They are crafted by heating and hammering a single piece of steel, which aligns the metal’s grain structure for long-lasting strength.

Ina also recommends using a good knife sharpener, and likes the brand Chef’sChoice.

Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay (born December 10, 1964) is a renowned American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and Food Network personality. He is famous for his signature grilling style, Southwestern cuisine, and competitive cooking shows like Beat Bobby Flay. A James Beard award winner, Flay has operated several restaurants including Mesa Grill, Gato, and Bobby’s Burgers.

Bobby Flay’s Preferred Knife Brands

Shun is probably Flay’s most talked-about knife brand. He often cites the Shun Classic Western Chef’s Knife as one of his favorites. In addition to preferring Shun knives, Flay also uses a cleaver by Güde and has praised the brand for its design and feel.

Based on our research, here are the knife types Bobby Flay uses regularly:

• Chef’s knife — Flay tends to use a good chef’s knife for almost everything: chopping vegetables, cutting meat, slicing, etc. He says this tool is essential
• Paring knife — Used primarily for smaller detail work, including peeling and trimming
• Santoku knife — For certain tasks, especially veggies or slicing; the shape and edge feel suit the kinds of things he cooks
• Bread knife (serrated) — for crusty loaves, tomatoes, etc.

Like Ina Garten, Bobby Flay favors versatility – preferring a knife that can handle many tasks rather than a large set of specialty knives. He believes sharpness, balance, and comfort in hand are more important than flashy brand names. While Flay uses his Shun chef’s knife regularly, he has said he is not married to any one brand.

Giada De Laurentiis

Giada De Laurentiis (born August 22, 1970) is an Italian-American chef, Emmy Award-winning television personality, and cookbook author. She is famous for bringing quick, approachable Italian cuisine to the Food Network for over two decades. Born in Rome, DeLaurentiis was raised in Los Angeles and worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago before being discovered by TV.

Giada uses several high-quality knife brands, but she frequently cites Coltellerie Berti as her “all-time favorite”. She also relies on specific models from Japanese and Swiss manufacturers for her daily kitchen tasks.

Giada De Laurentiis’s Preferred Knife Brands

• Coltellerie Berti: These Italian-made, handcrafted knives are her top choice. These knives are handmade by a single artisan from start to finish and feature distinctive ivory-colored lucite handles.
• Imarku: Giada has recommended the Imarku 7-Inch Santoku Knife as a go-to tool, noting that a Japanese santoku is ideal for precise slicing because it is often thinner and shorter than a traditional chef’s knife.
• Victorinox: For smaller tasks, she uses Victorinox Swiss Classic paring knives. She has featured these in videos for her lifestyle site, Giadzy, noting their distinctive red handles and serrated blades as everyday essentials.
• Laguiole: For table service, she has recommended Laguiole New Age Steak Knives as a “sexy and glamorous” gift pick.

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay (born November 8, 1966) is a renowned Scottish-born British chef, restaurateur, and television personality known for his fiery, perfectionist persona and Michelin-starred career. Famous for TV shows like Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, and Kitchen Nightmares. He is the founder of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, and has been awarded a total of 17 Michelin stars over the course of his career

Gordon Ramsay’s Preferred Knife Brands

These are the main brands associated with Ramsay, either in his professional kitchens or in his endorsements / advice for home cooks:

• Wüsthof: A German brand known for precision-forged knives. Ramsay has been spotted using Wüsthof knives many times – in particular, the Wüsthof Classic Ikon series.
• Zwilling J.A. Henckels: Another German staple. Ramsay uses Henckels knives in various cooking demonstrations.
• Shun: Like Bobby Flay, Ramsay sometimes uses Japanese style knives. Shun is one his preferred Japanese brands.
• Global: Known for lighter Japanese steel blades. Global also appears in reports of his knife usage.

Like most of the celebrity chefs featured in this post, Ramsay prefers a small set of essential knifes for regular use. Below are the primary types of knives used by Ramsay on a day to day basis:

• Chef’s / Cook’s Knife (around 8-inch) — the primary go-to versatile knife for chopping, slicing, dicing. Ramsay often uses an 8-inch German-style chef’s knife.
• Paring Knife — for small/delicate tasks (peeling, trimming).
• Bread Knife (serrated) — for slicing loaves, crusty breads without crushing them.
• Boning Knife — for meat, filleting, breaking down poultry etc.
• Utility Knife — mid-size, in between paring and chef’s knife for tasks that are too big for paring but too small for chef’s knife.

Ree Drummond

Ree Drummond, popularly known as The Pioneer Woman, is an American blogger, author, Food Network television personality, and entrepreneur. She built her empire by documenting her life on a rural Oklahoma cattle ranch. She eventually expanded into a massive lifestyle brand with cookbooks, a magazine, and home goods.

Ree has long stated that her “all-time favorite” knife is the Wüsthof Classic 7-Inch Hollow Edge Nakiri. She has used this German-made knife for over a decade, often featuring it on her Food Network show and social media for daily chopping and vegetable prep.

A nakiri is a Japanese-style vegetable knife. It has a thin, rectangular blade, ideal for chopping vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes.. Ree describes her nakiri as making her “heart go pitter-pat”.

Though the nakiri is a favorite type of knife, she also uses standard chef’s knives for versatile tasks like slicing meat or larger produce

Mario Batali

Mario Batali (born September 19, 1960) is a widely known American chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He is celebrated for popularizing regional Italian cuisine. Batali gained popularity in the early 2000s for his charismatic on-screen personality and his signature look of orange Crocs and ponytail. His flagship New York City restaurant, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, earned a Michelin star.

Batali is most recently associated with Chelsea Miller Knives, a high-end brand of handmade cutlery. He reportedly owns a collection of at least seven of these knives, which are custom-made in Brooklyn from repurposed horseshoe rasps and high-carbon steel. 

Mario Batali’s Preferred Knife Brands

• Chelsea Miller: These are his “obsessions” for professional work. Handcrafted by artisan Chelsea Miller, these blades feature a distinctive textured look from their original rasp material. They are known for their extreme durability and unique aesthetic.
• Sabatier: In older interviews, Batali has expressed a preference for classic French Sabatier knives for standard kitchen tasks.
• Sanelli: He has also been seen using Sanelli knives, particularly their professional lines that feature ergonomic green handles designed for heavy-duty restaurant use.
• Eli Anderson: Another maker of one-of-a-kind, high-end culinary knives that ranks highly by Batali.

Jamie Oliver

Rounding out our post on what knife brands are favored by celebrity chefs, we end with Jamie Oliver.

Jamie Oliver is a English celebrity chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author who rose to global fame with his 1999 television series The Naked Chef. Oliver is known for his approachable, fresh approach to cooking and passionate food advocacy. He has operated and launched multiple global restaurant concepts, including Jamie’s Italian, and published dozens of cookbooks. Oliver is also a fierce campaigner for healthy eating and launched the “Feed Me Better” campaign in the UK in 2005.

Throughout his professional career, Jamie Oliver has also shown a strong preference for high-end German cutlery from Wüsthof.  He has cited these as a favorite for their precision and “indestructible” workhorse nature in commercial environments.

In fact, Jamie has previously stated in interviews that if a knife isn’t German-made (specifically by Wüsthof), it often doesn’t make it onto his professional rack.

He also uses and endorses his own signature range of knives created in partnership with Tefal.

Jamie Oliver’s Preferred Knife Brands

• Wüsthof: A German brand known for precision-forged knives.
• Tefal: Jamie has a long-standing partnership with Tefal to produce a line of “Ultimate” kitchen knives designed for home cooks. 

Like some of the chefs profiles above, Jamie tends to prefer a handful of essential knives vs. a large specialty set. Here is a list of his primary go-to knives for everyday use:

• Chef’s Knife (15cm or 20cm): His all-rounder knife for chopping meat and vegetables.
• Santoku Knife: A Japanese-style blade with “pits” (Grantun edge) that allow air in to prevent food from sticking.
• Paring & Utility Knives: Essential for smaller tasks like deseeding chilies or prepping fruit.

Final Words

We hope you enjoyed this post highlighting some of the knives and knife brands favored by some of the biggest celebrity chefs in the US and abroad.

Celebrity chefs are constantly on the go, and need knives that deliver. While each chef may prefer specific brands, all share common perspectives about what makes a good knife. Based on our research, here is a summary of what celebrity chefs look for in kitchen knives:

• Sharpness & Edge Retention: They want knives that stay sharp and cut cleanly. A dull knife slows you down and reduces precision.
• Balance & Comfort: They look for well-balanced knives, with a comfortable handle and ergonomic grip.
• Durability: Forged blades are preferred, with quality steel and full tang construction. They need to take a lot of use.
• Versatility: They don’t believe in having too many single-use knives in home kitchens. Rather, they prefer a small set of very good knives that cover most tasks.

Image Credits:

Ina Garten (By Montclair Film – MFF24_Ina Garten_Grabowsky_TTL_3492, CC BY 2.0), Gordon Ramsay (By Dave Pullig – flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Mario Batali By USDA photo by Lance Cheung – Flickr: 20120524-OSEC-LSC-011.JPG, Public Domain,

By Karl Gabor – CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31594070

By Business Wire – CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42219443

Giada De Laurentiis – Food Network