Quick Answer: For most people, buy the Boska Copenhagen Cheese Knife Set: three stainless steel knives for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese, dishwasher safe, with a lifetime guarantee. For a gift that looks the part, Laguiole by Jean Dubost (about $100). For paper-thin slices, the Wüsthof Gourmet cheese plane won America's Test Kitchen's test. You need three shapes, not ten: a soft-cheese knife, a fork-tipped knife and a pointed hard-cheese knife.
A cheese knife set is one of the most useful things you can give someone who makes boards, and one of the easiest to get wrong. Many sets pad the box with shapes nobody uses. A good set covers three jobs: slicing soft cheese without it sticking, cutting and lifting semi-hard cheese, and breaking hard cheese into chunks. These are the sets and tools worth buying, and what each one is best for.
How we picked these: no major outlet has published a side-by-side test of cheese knife sets, so this guide isn't scored with stars like our food guides. It names the widely sold sets and tools, what's in each and what it's best for, using maker specs, the one published hands-on test we found (America's Test Kitchen's cheese plane test) and editors' picks. Sources are listed at the end, and our method is on the buying guides hub. Prices and stock last checked October 2026. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Why |
|---|---|
| Best overall: Boska Copenhagen Cheese Knife Set ($) | Three stainless knives, dishwasher safe |
| Best gift set: Boska Monaco+ Cheese Knife Set ($$) | Brie, cheese and Parmesan knives |
| Splurge: Laguiole by Jean Dubost 3-Piece Cheese Set ($$$) | French cleaver, fork-tip knife and spreader |
| Best big-name set: Zwilling 3-Piece Stainless Steel Cheese Knife Set ($$$) | Holes in the soft-cheese blade |
| Best cheese plane: Wüsthof Gourmet 4¾-Inch Cheese Plane ($$) | Won America's Test Kitchen's test |
| Budget plane: OXO Good Grips Cheese Plane ($) | Recommended by America's Test Kitchen |
| Best single knife: Prodyne Multi-Use Cheese Knife ($) | Holes, serrated edge and a fork tip |
| Best board and knives in one: CTFT Cheese Board and Knife Set ($$) | Bamboo board with a knife drawer |
Boska Copenhagen Cheese Knife Set
Best overall · Best for: Everyday boards · $ budget
Three stainless steel knives from Boska, a Dutch cheese-tool maker, shaped for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese. Boska lists the set as dishwasher safe with a lifetime guarantee, at €19.99 on its own store (Boska). Bustle picked a knife from the same Copenhagen line as its best for hard cheese, noting it's cast from a single piece of stainless steel (Bustle).
- Why we like it: Covers all three cheese types for about $20 to $30, and goes in the dishwasher.
- Keep in mind: Plain, all-steel look. If the knives are a gift, the Monaco+ or Laguiole sets look more special.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, Boska online.
Boska Monaco+ Cheese Knife Set
Best gift set · Best for: A gift for a board lover · $$ mid-range
Boska's step-up set: a brie knife, a cheese knife and a Parmesan knife in satin-finish stainless steel, for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese (Knivesandtools). Boska sells it for €44.99, about twice the Copenhagen set (Boska).
- Why we like it: The same three jobs as the Copenhagen set, with a nicer finish for a gift.
- Keep in mind: Dishwasher safe, but retailers advise hand washing to keep the finish.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, Boska online.
Laguiole by Jean Dubost 3-Piece Cheese Set
Splurge · Best for: The most beautiful set · $$$ premium
From the French Laguiole maker Jean Dubost: an 8.5-inch cleaver for hard cheese, a 9-inch knife with a fork tip for most cheeses and a 6-inch spreader for soft cheese, about $100 (Cook's Warehouse). Cheese Grotto and Taste of Home both point to Laguiole pieces for a board.
- Why we like it: The set people leave out on the counter. Comes boxed, so it's ready to give.
- Keep in mind: Hand washing is recommended. The cleaver is better for chunks than thin slices.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, kitchen stores.
Zwilling 3-Piece Stainless Steel Cheese Knife Set
Best big-name set · Best for: Matching a Zwilling kitchen · $$$ premium
A soft-cheese knife with holes in a broad blade so brie doesn't stick, a fork-tipped knife for cheddar and Jack, and a pointed Parmesan knife, all in brushed stainless steel. Zwilling lists it at $99.99 and says it's made in China (Zwilling).
- Why we like it: Well-designed shapes from a famous knife brand.
- Keep in mind: Costs about four times the Boska Copenhagen set for the same three jobs.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, Zwilling online.
Wüsthof Gourmet 4¾-Inch Cheese Plane
Best cheese plane · Best for: Paper-thin slices · $$ mid-range
America's Test Kitchen tested nine cheese planes on cheddar and Manchego, and this one won: it "produced perfect, clean-edged, even slices of ideal thickness every time," thanks to a thin, flexible head and a comfortable handle (America's Test Kitchen).
- Why we like it: The best tool for Gouda, Jarlsberg and Gruyère slices on a board.
- Keep in mind: Not a knife set. It does one job, very well. ATK's test dates from 2017.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon.
OXO Good Grips Cheese Plane
Budget plane · Best for: A cheap, good plane · $ budget
Recommended in the same America's Test Kitchen test. It performed nearly as well as the Wüsthof, though cheese edges stuck and broke off more often (America's Test Kitchen).
- Why we like it: A good plane for less, from a brand sold everywhere.
- Keep in mind: Slices aren't quite as clean as the winner's.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon, most kitchen stores.
Prodyne Multi-Use Cheese Knife
Best single knife · Best for: One knife for everything · $ budget
If you only want one knife: holes in the blade stop soft cheese sticking, a serrated edge handles hard cheese, and a forked tip lifts slices, for about $15. Bustle named it the best all-purpose cheese knife (Bustle).
- Why we like it: Cheap and covers most of a board on its own.
- Keep in mind: Picked on shopper reviews rather than a hands-on test.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon.
CTFT Cheese Board and Knife Set
Best board and knives in one · Best for: A complete starter gift · $$ mid-range
A 13 by 13 inch bamboo board with a drawer holding four cheese knives, plus chalk and slate labels, for about $30. NBC Select's editors chose it, praising its raised edges that stop food and juice sliding off (NBC Select).
- Why we like it: A board, knives and labels in one box: an easy gift for a new host.
- Keep in mind: The knives are basic. For better knives, add a Boska set to a separate board.
- Where to buy: Check price on Amazon.
Which cheese knives do you actually need?
Three shapes cover every cheese on a board. Anything more is a nice extra.
| Knife | Use it for | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-cheese knife | Brie, Camembert, goat cheese | Thin or open blade, often with holes so cheese doesn't stick |
| Fork-tipped knife | Cheddar, Gouda, Manchego | Medium blade with two prongs at the tip for lifting slices |
| Hard-cheese knife | Parmesan, aged Gouda | Short, pointed or spade-shaped blade for breaking off chunks |
| Spreader (optional) | Boursin, whipped feta, jam | Short, blunt blade |
| Cheese plane (optional) | Thin slices of Gouda or Jarlsberg | Flat paddle with a slot |
Taste of Home's guide to cheese knives lists 14 shapes, but most boards only ever use the first three.
What to look for when you buy
Check: Stainless steel blades and handles go in the dishwasher; wood handles don't. Look for a pointed hard-cheese knife: many cheap sets swap it for a second spreader. A box or case keeps the set together as a gift.
Skip: Sets of six or more tiny knives with thin wooden handles. They look generous in the photo, but the blades bend on hard cheese and the handles crack in the wash.
Giving a set as a gift? Pair it with a book that tells them what to put on the board: our charcuterie gift guide has ready-made sets with a knife set, a board and a book. For a serving board to go with the knives, see which charcuterie board to buy.
For how to cut each cheese, see how to cut cheese for a charcuterie board. To see every buying guide, visit our charcuterie buying guides.
Cheese knife questions
What is the best cheese knife set?
For most people, the Boska Copenhagen Cheese Knife Set: three stainless steel knives for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese, dishwasher safe, for about $20 to $30. For a gift, the Laguiole by Jean Dubost 3-piece set.
What cheese knives do I need for a charcuterie board?
Three: a soft-cheese knife for brie, a fork-tipped knife for cheddar and Gouda, and a short pointed knife for Parmesan. A spreader and a cheese plane are nice extras.
Is a cheese knife set a good gift?
Yes, for anyone who hosts or makes boards. Most kitchens don't have one, and a good three-piece set costs $20 to $100. Pair it with a board or a board book.
Can cheese knives go in the dishwasher?
All-stainless sets like the Boska Copenhagen can. Sets with wooden handles should be hand washed, and some makers advise hand washing even stainless sets to keep the finish.
What is the best cheese plane?
The Wüsthof Gourmet 4¾-inch cheese plane won America's Test Kitchen's test of nine planes. The OXO Good Grips plane was a close, cheaper runner-up.
Sources
- America's Test Kitchen: The Best Cheese Planes (2017)
- Cook's Illustrated: Testing Cheese Planes (2017)
- Boska: Cheese Knife Set Copenhagen
- Boska: Cheese knives collection
- Knivesandtools: Boska Monaco+ Cheese Knife Set
- Zwilling: 3-pc Stainless Steel Cheese Knife Set
- Cook's Warehouse: Jean Dubost 3-Piece Cheese Set
- Bustle: The 10 Best Cheese Knives (2021)
- NBC Select: The best charcuterie boards (updated Dec 2025)
- Taste of Home: A guide to cheese knives (2024)
Get one board idea a week, plus the free charcuterie cheat sheet, when you join the Charcuterie Lab newsletter.
