Astercook 14-Piece Kitchen Knife Set with Block and Built-in Sharpener Review (2026)

Who This Set Fits

This 14-piece knife set is aimed at someone furnishing a small kitchen from scratch who wants one purchase to cover chef, utility, paring, bread, and steak knives rather than buying pieces separately over time. Because the block includes a built-in sharpener, it suits a buyer who wants some way to maintain edge sharpness at home without owning a separate sharpening stone or steel, even if that convenience trades off some precision. The set's low price relative to its piece count makes it a reasonable starter set for a first apartment or a guest kitchen rather than a serious investment purchase. It is a weaker fit for someone who already owns a few good knives and mainly wants one or two additions, or for anyone who specifically wants only high-end blades and would rather buy fewer, better knives instead of a large bundled set.

What Is In The Set

Astercook lists the set as including an 8 inch chef knife, an 8 inch slicing knife, a 7 inch santoku knife, an 8 inch serrated bread knife, a 5 inch utility knife, a 3.5 inch paring knife, six 4.5 inch serrated steak knives, kitchen shears, a built-in sharpener, and a hardwood knife block to hold everything. The blades are made from German stainless steel, which Astercook markets as offering solid sharpness and corrosion resistance with full tang construction running through the handle for balance. The wooden block itself houses the built-in sharpener, so pulling a knife blade through the designated slot on the way in or out of storage gives it a basic touch-up rather than requiring a separate sharpening step. Astercook lists the assembled block and set at about 7 inches deep, 5 inches wide, and 13 inches tall, with a total weight of roughly 6.7 pounds.

Sharpening And Edge Maintenance

The built-in sharpener is convenient because it lives inside the block itself, meaning there is no separate tool to store or misplace, and using it only takes a few seconds each time a knife goes back into storage. Built-in sharpeners like this one generally use fixed-angle slots that pull material off the blade in a set groove, which is faster and easier for a casual cook than learning to use a whetstone but does not offer the same level of control over edge angle and finish that a whetstone or professional sharpening service provides. Over months of regular use, buyers should expect this style of sharpener to maintain a workable edge for everyday cutting tasks rather than restore a truly fine, precise edge the way manual sharpening methods can. Anyone who cares deeply about blade geometry and edge retention may eventually want to supplement or replace this method with a whetstone.

Living With It Day To Day

The full-tang German stainless steel construction and ergonomic handles are designed to give a balanced, comfortable grip during everyday prep tasks like chopping vegetables or slicing bread. Astercook states the knives are dishwasher safe, though hand washing and drying kitchen knives promptly is generally better for preserving a sharp edge and preventing spotting over years of use regardless of what the dishwasher label states. Because the set includes six steak knives alongside the core prep knives, a small household that rarely serves formal steak dinners may find several pieces sitting mostly unused in the block, which is worth weighing against the set's otherwise strong value for the price. The included kitchen shears add a genuinely useful extra tool for tasks like trimming herbs or opening packaging that a knife alone handles poorly.

Verdict And Alternatives

The 7.8 score reflects a set with strong value and full-tang German steel construction, held back by build and materials scoring lower than pricier competitors and by the built-in sharpener's limits compared with manual sharpening. Buyers who want sharper out-of-box performance and are willing to pay more should look at Astercook's own 15-piece set with a German stainless steel block, which ranks above this model in the same small kitchen roundup. Anyone who wants a recognized cutlery brand name should compare the Henckels Assure 14-Piece Knife Block Set, which also outranks this Astercook set slightly. For a budget-friendly, complete knife lineup with a hardwood block and built-in sharpener, this Astercook set remains a reasonable entry point for a small kitchen.

Frequently asked questions