The Best Material Kitchen Tools, Tested and Reviewed

Material Kitchen has become a favorite for cooking equipment in recent years, and it’s no surprise why: The brand’s ability to blend form and function with a price point that reflects strong workmanship is exactly what most of us are looking for. We love their breadth of products, including steak knives, cutting boards, cookware, kitchen utensils, and more. The knives are razor sharp, the boards are durable and nonslip, and their utensil set comes in a wooden holder so lovely that we consider it an art piece.

The brand is a fit for a variety of people thanks to its minimalist, modern aesthetic. Products come in a subtle rainbow of color options, and you get to choose whether you want your kitchenware to blend in or stand out. They also make such a wide range of products, including serveware like drinking glasses and small kitchen tools like vegetable peelers, that once you’ve become a devotee of Material Kitchen, it’s like you can never run out of items to stock up on. We’ve tested almost every piece from the brand and rounded up our favorite Material Kitchen picks; read on to learn more about everything you, too, will love. 

Our Top Material Kitchen Knives and Knife Storage Picks

Who It’s For

If you’re looking for knives that come very sharp out of the box and look great on the counter, Material Kitchen makes an assortment of them, from single selections to entire sets that include a lovely wooden block. They’re elegant, but they’re also sharp as all get out. These knives are great for home cooks who want quality and durability but are also looking for an easy transition from the kitchen to the dining room. The stands and blocks are perfect for those who prefer to display their knives rather than hide them in drawers.  

What to Consider

When looking for knives, we factor in everything from the type of steel in the blade to the way the handle feels in our grip. We prefer a balance in weight, as too heavy a knife will make your hand tired quickly, and too light of one will lack the force needed for tougher ingredients. 

How We Tested Our Material Kitchen Knife and Knife Storage Picks

We started out by observing the packaging and how easy it is to safely unbox the knives. From there, we looked at design and tested for functionality. In a variety of tests, we cut everything from thin printer paper to a thick, juicy steak to get a solid idea of how the knives function with delicate and tougher ingredients. Then, we looked at ease of cleaning and how they hold up over time. We also assessed the storage and care components, including knife blocks and sharpeners, to observe how well they maintained and protected the quality of the knives.

Choose a single color, like Morel or Glazed, or receive one each of four different colors with this set. A maple holder is included with your purchase, so you don’t need to make extra room on your knife block or leave them to get damaged in a drawer. We appreciate the comfort and balance of these steak knives, as well as how durable and sturdy they are. The matte handles have an excellent grip, making it easy to cut through the tough crust of a steak. While they’re dishwasher safe, we were very happy with how well they cleaned up by hand, no machine needed.  

It’s often said that if you have a great chef’s knife, you can get away with using it for nearly all your chopping tasks. The Material 8-Inch Knife proves that statement true. Made of carbon stainless steel that extends to the handle for a weighted balance, this blade breezed through everything from slicing tomatoes to cubing butternut squash, and we were impressed with the results. Because the knife is fairly long, we did find that the handle was a better fit for larger hands. But as an added bonus, it comes with a sheath and a lifetime guarantee. 

Excellently suited for smaller hands, this paring knife combines Japanese steel with a composite handle. We loved the grip of the handle for dry ingredients and enjoyed its effectiveness on delicate items, including oranges, shallots, and tomatoes. The knife’s ability to slice through orange segments without squeezing them and losing juice was great. Unlike paring knives that aren’t designed to last, the blade on this one is both heated and cooled at extremely high and low temperatures to extend durability. Because it is just shy of four inches, like all paring knives, we found it easier to cut small ingredients with it than large items. 

Display your knives with pride with this magnetic knife block set. A chef’s knife, paring knife, and serrated blade all come together with a stand made from consciously sourced wood. We found the block to be sleek-looking — it’s definitely worth displaying on your kitchen counter — and we loved the strength of the knives. The three blades are varied in size and function, so if you cook less often and only need the basics but want them to be beautiful, sharp, and durable, then this is the perfect set. We also think it’s great for gifting. 

If you’re only looking for a way to store your knives but don’t need any new blades, then you can also purchase the Material Knife Stand separately. And with it being magnetic on both sides, you have the option of which direction you want to display the gorgeous maple wood. We found it to be sturdy, particularly with its level of slimness and lighter weight of 5.5 pounds. Plus, it takes up very little counter space, which is helpful for anyone who has a small kitchen but still wants to be able to display their knives. We suggest using it for up to six knives, rather than the advertised eight, to make sure that everything grips firmly and that you have plenty of room to grab your knives easily. 

So small that it can easily be transported, this knife sharpener is simple and straightforward. We found that even if you have no prior knife-sharpening experience, you can get the hang of it in just a couple of strokes. Packaging is minimal, and the instructions are short but informative. We thought it was perfect for anyone who dwells in a smaller apartment or wants to keep a sharpener in a second home. You’ll sharpen each side of the blade one at a time, so expect to have to pass through twice as many times as you would for a sharpener that does both sides at once. 

Our Top Material Kitchen Cookware and Prepware Picks

Who It’s For

When you’re looking for pots and pans or cutting boards, you want to know that they will last for years to come. This is particularly challenging with nonstick pans and plastic boards, neither of which are known for their longevity. Similar to their knives and knife blocks, the Material Kitchen prepware line keeps durability front and center, making them a fit for anyone who wants kitchenware that is as good-looking as it is functional in the long term. 

What to Consider

For both cookware and cutting boards, we focus first on material and construction. Nonstick coatings generally claim to be non-toxic, but it’s important to examine that claim and the materials used in the coating to discern how true it is; for plastic cutting boards, we seek out BPA-free plastic primarily, then look at board size and thickness. We also examine how well each item stores after checking how easy it is to clean. 

How We Tested Material Kitchen Cookware and Prepware

We ran two tests on the brand’s nonstick pan, trying it out on both steak and eggs and looking at everything from whether or not food stuck when cooked to how easy it was to clean. For the cutting boards, we started by looking at how well they stayed put on the counter. Then, we used them to slice, chop, and dice varied ingredients, paying attention to factors such as whether they dulled our knives quickly and how much the ingredients slid around on the boards. 

Material’s The Coated Pan features a copper core coated in a nonstick finish, and you can choose from sky blue, mineral green, or dune brown for this pan’s color. We cooked both eggs and steak in it and were very happy with the results, as well as how quickly it cleaned up after use. Its performance felt equivalent to ceramic cookware. This pan works on any surface, including induction cooktops, and heats fast, thanks to the copper core. We did find it to be priced on the higher end for a nonstick pan of its size, though. 

This set comes with three cutting boards in several color options. Color themes include Seaside, Forest, Meadow, and Moonbeam, and you get three different colors with each set. We’ve used these boards for years on end, which many plastic cutting boards can’t stand up to. The nonslip corners prevent the boards from moving around the counter, and your back will appreciate how lightweight they are. We find them incredibly easy to handle, including how effortless they are to lift and scrape down in mid-use. They’re made from recycled plastic and renewable sugar cane, making them ecologically sound, too.

It’s all about the angle for this board, which comes in black or a natural wood finish and transitions seamlessly from the kitchen to the dining room to make a beautiful charcuterie presentation. One side has a reservoir for drippage, while the other is flat, which we liked. We also appreciated how lightweight it is and how smooth the surface of the wood is. Wood oil is included with your purchase, which should be used regularly to prevent the wood surface from becoming dull over time; that will also help cover up inevitable scratches.

Our Top Material Kitchen Tool Picks

Who It’s For

Kitchen items like cooking utensils and scissors are ones we can go years on end without thinking about replacing. Because of that, you need them to hold up well to repeated use. With the high finishes and unique designs Material Kitchen is known for, these items are for anyone who wants to be able to display their tools and appreciates modern touches. 

What to Consider

For utensil sets, we look at how many items you receive and their quality. We factor in which utensils will be used the most and how easy they are to both use and clean. For items like kitchen shears, we check for handle comfort, how versatile they are for different materials, and how high maintenance they are to care for. 

How We Tested Tools from Material Kitchen Kitchen

We compared these items against the other kitchen items they’d be used with, noting how well (or not) they get along with things like nonstick pans or pots. We used them and discerned comfort, such as how stable one’s hand feels with the scissors, and tried them out on ingredients ranging from herbs to large cuts of meat with bones. 

You can pick from two different shades of wood for the included holder and four different colors for the utensils in this complete set, which comes with a great array of items, including a chef’s knife and a slotted spoon. We found that we used at least one of the items on a daily basis and we thought they were extremely well made, particularly in regards to the quality of the steel. We loved how easy these utensils were to hold, as well as how seamlessly they worked and how refined they made our daily culinary tasks feel. If you’re looking for an elevated prep experience, the Iconics set gives you just that.  

Fans of y-shaped peelers will love the Forever Peeler. We loved the packaging and agree that the innovative U-shape to the hand design is precisely that. While it’s not perfect for very small hands, it should work for most. It’s dishwasher-safe and boasts that the material is essentially indestructible. It also has one perk that most vegetable peelers do not, which is that the blade is replaceable. If yours dulls, simply pop in a new one. That does, indeed, make it last forever. 

Utilizing micro-serrated blades of German steel, these shears have you covered for many different kitchen cutting tasks. We found that the slender handle was useful for delicate tasks like cutting herbs such as basil or parsley, but they worked equally well on harder jobs like cutting through bone, too. The handgrip is lined with silicone so they are more comfortable than straight steel. We also thought they were quick and easy to clean. While they can’t be taken apart, they are safe for the dishwasher. We also appreciated how light they are and the thought and care that was clearly put into their design. 

Our Top Material Kitchen Glassware Pick

Who It’s For

If you’re looking for a new set of glasses with a midcentury modern flair, Material Kitchen has you covered. Their ventures into glassware hold up to their notable simplistic themes while providing just enough style to make your dinner table a prettier one. Priced on the slightly higher end, these glasses are perfect for anyone looking for versatility in their dinnerware as they curate an assortment of dishes.

What to Consider

Look at how many glasses come in a set because you want to make sure you receive as many as you’ll need for everyday use. Volume is key also, as well as knowing what drinks you need to use them for. We also look for ease of use and cleaning and factor in size, shape, and material. 

How We Tested Material Kitchen Glassware

We used these glasses for a number of applications. We paid attention to not just how much liquid they hold but also what the experience of drinking was like and whether it was comfortable. We considered factors like how the lip of the glass feels in one’s mouth and how cool they keep our beverages and for how long. 

Available in malachite green, clear, and smoke hues, you’ll receive four borosilicate glasses in this set. They’re ultra-thin but also ultra-strong: We found them useful for kombucha, soda water, milk, and even whiskey, thanks to how comfortable they are to hold. And we loved how well they kept our drinks chilled. The green color has a midcentury modern feel that we thought would be as at home at a kitchen table as they would on a movie set. Thanks to their shape, which is reminiscent of glasses used to hold fountain beverages, you can even use them for small ice cream dishes. 

Our Expertise

Contributor Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author. She has written for platforms such as Simply Recipes, The Spruce Eats, Allrecipes, Huffington Post, and Health.