The Misen Chef Knife Promises a Stellar Slicing Experience for Under $100—But Can It Deliver?

I’ve tested dozens and dozens of chef’s knives, so I know a thing or two about what makes a good one. Sure, there are personal preferences—I like a compact handle—but there are also some objective truths: A good chef’s knife should be sharp, balanced, and easy to use. It gets bonus points if it’s affordable and easy to maintain. With these criteria in mind, I got my hands on the reasonably priced Misen chef knife, ran it through a litany of tests, and used it in my daily cooking routine to see if it was any good. 

The Tests

• Edge Sharpness Test: I ran the knife through the Edge-on-Up Professional Edge Tester three times and averaged the results to get an idea of the knife’s out-of-the-box sharpness. 
• Paper Cutting Test: After running the knife through the sharpness reader, I used it to slice vertically through a piece of paper, noting if it tore or cleanly cut through. 
• Onion Test: I used the Misen to dice an onion, noting if it made clean, neat cuts. 
• Carrot Test: I used the knife to julienne, dice, and chop hardy carrots. 
• Tomato Test: Tomato skin is rubbery, so if a knife is dull, it’ll see-saw across it or mash through it. I put the Misen up to the challenge by using it to slice and dice a whole tomato.
• Pineapple Test: I used the Misen to trim, core, and dice a whole pineapple to see if it could do it deftly. 
• General Use Test: I continued to use the Misen chef’s knife for a few weeks, noting if it stayed sharp and was versatile. 

What We Learned

The Misen Chef’s Knife Was Sharp 

Right out of the box, the Misen was sharp. It took an average of 118 grams of pressure to cut through the wire on the edge tester, which falls into the “double-edged razor blade” sharpness category according to this chart. While a sharpness reading isn’t the be-all-end-all, it still often indicates a knife that’ll cut through food readily. And that the Misen did, too: It slid neatly through tomato skin, which can cause trouble for a duller blade. Carrots were dispatched without cracking, and using the knife to peel, core, and dice a pineapple was smooth and precise. 

It’s also nice that the Misen is made of stainless steel. It’s a good introductory blade that doesn’t require as much care as carbon steel, which is more brittle and prone to rusting. A blade edge that can be honed back into shape is a bonus, too. 

It Has an Achilles Heel

Enter my biggest qualm with the Misen: the heel. It protrudes, kicking out and stopping the rock-chop motion short. Since the blade has a strong curve, it makes it even more jarring when the heel suddenly hits the edge of the cutting board—it feels like the stroke is incomplete. This isn’t unique to the chef’s knife; I’ve tested multiple Misen knives and have had the same issue.

Another qualm: While I like a longer chef’s knife—I love the 8.2-inch Misono UX10—the Misen’s blade felt gangly. Paired with the protuberant heel, the cutting motion was stilted and off-kilter. I think this is because it has a slightly taller blade, nearing two inches at its tallest point. 

The Handle Was Comfortable 

Negatives aside, the handle was lovely: compact, sleek, and with a matte coating that made it easy to grip. It let me feel more in control and get good purchase even when breaking down a tough pineapple. Editor Rochelle Bilow, who has owned and used the Misen, concurs. “The Misen knife's handle is one of the best I've used—it's grippy enough that I can confidently chop and slice, even when my hands are damp,” she says.

The Verdict

The Misen sliced and diced neatly, cutting through onions, carrots, tomatoes, and hardy pineapple without hitching. I liked the composite handle, which had a matte texture that helped me get a good grip. However, I found the chopping motion stilted due to a long heel, wider blade, and sizable curve. While this is a decent knife, at $98, I think there are other, better, similarly priced options out there, like the Misono Gyuto. That said, if you want a solid stainless steel blade that’s easy to maintain, the Misen is a good choice. 

The Pros 

The blade was sharp right out of the box, and deftly chopped onions, diced carrots, sliced tomatoes, and peeled and cored a pineapple. I also quite liked the composite handle, which stayed grippy even when wet. It has a Goldilocks weight of 8.3 ounces—neither too heavy nor too light. It’s a good-quality knife for less than $100, and its stainless steel blade requires little upkeep.

The Cons 

The curve of the blade, its height, and the large heel made the chopping motion feel stilted. The heel hit the cutting board quickly during each stroke, halting the motion suddenly—I was not a fan.  

Key Specs

• Material: Santoprene and polypropylene handle, stainless steel blade
• Blade length: 8.25 inches
• Handle length: 4.25 inches
• Weight: 8.3 ounces

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats.
• She’s been testing gear, including tons of knives, for more than three years. 
• For this review, she used the Misen chef’s knife to cut, slice, and chop a medley of ingredients and integrated it into her daily cooking routine.