It doesnt have the heel of a heavier-duty knife like the Wusthof or J.A. Henckels Classic, but its well-balanced and makes clean cuts on tomatoes and herbs, makes quick work of dicing onions and breaks down a chicken with relative ease.

But even with so much use, 150 can feel like a high price for a good knife -- let alone for one you might end up disliking.

So before hitting buy on Amazon or tossing the cheapest knife in the cart on your next outing, its important to ask yourself two questions: What does a chefs knife offer, and what do you need it for in the kitchen High-quality chefs knives offer versatility above all.

Unless you spend considerable time deboning fish or peeling pears, you dont need a special boning knife, paring knife, carving knife, serrated knife or other specialty knives because a chefs knife should be able to accomplish 95 of your needs.

And lets not even get started on the counter space consumed by a giant knife block.

As for the blade Durable, since it gets so much use, and consistently sharp.

Theres nothing worse than a dull knife when cutting, chopping and slicing, so edge retention should be a priority.

Luckily, Ive tested some of the most popular chefs knives on the market, and below are the best chef knife picks for every kind of home cook.

Macs most popular chef knife is perfectly balanced, so you never feel at risk of losing control of the blade.

Its belly is also comfortably rounded, which makes the rocking motion while mincing feel natural.

The Wusthof was my favorite before I got my hands on the Mac, but after this Japanese-style knife arrived, I found myself turning to it for all my basic needs.

Its one of the weightiest knives I tested, which helps it slice more delicate foods such as tomatoes as effortlessly as warm butter and cut through more robust foods like butternut squash without exertion.

The heavier knife weight helps guide the blade in consistent movements as you use it, but the Wusthof isnt so heavy that you ever feel controlled by the blade.

The Wusthof was my initial pick for best overall knife until I got my hands on the Mac knife (above), and it still stands up as a top-of-the-line option.

The only shortcoming of the Wusthof is the slightly softer steel used for its blade, which makes it not quite so razor-sharp as the Mac.

That said, the Wusthof classic is perfectly balanced between the handle and blade, and it has a heel to protect your fingers, which makes it feel all the safer to wield.

One of the best measures of how comfortable a knife feels in your hand is breaking down a chicken -- as it requires many types of cuts across skin, meat, fat and cartilage.

When I used the Wusthof to break down a bird, it felt as though Id been using the knife for years.

This knife is top-to-bottom one of the best available at a reasonable price.

Its versatile and comfortable, and its high-carbon steel forged blade will keep a sharp edge as well as nearly any other knife -- Mac and Global excluded -- in this price range.

Globals design is also unique: the handle and blade are made of a single piece of high-carbon steel, and the handle is filled with sand to weight it.

Like the Wusthof and Mac knives, Globals 8-inch option is well-balanced and meets all your usual mise en place needs.

While the edge isnt quite as sharp as Macs 8-inch blade, this versatile knife will feel great for anyone preferring lighter blades.

And if you find it on sale for a cool 80, like I did, then you should absolutely snap up this lightweight kitchen knife.

Henckels Classic, but its well-balanced and makes clean cuts on tomatoes and herbs, makes quick work of dicing onions and breaks down a chicken with relative ease.

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