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We tested 24 space-saving knife strips from Made In, Wüsthof, and Zwilling. Flat Metal Strips With Holes
While many knife sets come with accompanying knife blocks, most professional chefs and restaurant kitchens prefer a magnetic knife holder over a style that sheathes your blades inside a wood or plastic block. And it's for good reason. “A magnetic knife holder is a great way to highlight your knives, plus they make it easy to see what’s available to use," says Geoff Feder, owner of Feder Knives, a custom knife company based in New York’s Hudson Valley. “The key is to choose a piece with strong magnets spaced apart, with the blades touching magnets at two points.”
Magnetic knife holders do more than keep your knives organized — they add style to your countertop and create extra kitchen storage space. Some knife strips keep blades safer and better maintained, needing fewer knife sharpening sessions. We tested 24 countertop blocks and wall-mounted strips to find the best magnetic knife holders for any space.
The rubber base on this elegant beech knife block won’t budge or tip as you store and retrieve your blades.
The countertop footprint is rather large, so this might not be a good choice for small spaces.
One look at this sleek piece and it’s easy to see why it was our favorite magnetic knife block. It's made of solid Italian beechwood with extra-strong neodymium magnets inside that hold blades quite securely. Each side has enough room for four knives with plenty of clearance between them. It's also almost 11 inches tall and can handle even the longest bread knife or fish fillet knife in your collection.
We gave high marks to this block’s gorgeous aesthetic in testing. It doesn't require any installation or holes in the wall — a perfect option for renters or anybody with a tile backsplash. The magnet strength was perfect, allowing the knives to “snap” into place but not stick so strongly that it was a struggle to remove them. The wood resisted scratching and kept looking gorgeous throughout the test period. It feels like an extra-luxe option at only a moderately luxe price. The main disadvantage is something it shares with all the countertop blocks on our list: It takes up more room than an equivalent wall-mounted option. But if you've got the spare counter space, we say go for it.
Type: Countertop | Dimensions: 11.3 x 4.5 x 10.9 inches | Material: Beechwood | Capacity: 8 knives
Food & Wine / Mary Claire Lagroue
Food & Wine / Mary Claire Lagroue
Food & Wine / Mary Claire Lagroue
This sleek magnetic knife strip can be hung horizontally or vertically for simple customization to your space.
It doesn't include the screws and anchors needed for installation.
For an unobtrusive yet effective way to store your knives in your kitchen, look no further than Zwilling’s sleek stainless steel magnetic knife bar. We named this inconspicuous piece our favorite knife strip in our testing thanks to its barely-there appeal and industrial strength. At a generous 17.5 inches wide, it has plenty of room for up to eight knives, but it can also be used with any magnetic tool, such as kitchen shears or honing steel.
While testing the Zwilling, we were immediately impressed by its minimalist appeal. The entire length is magnetic, rather than just certain sections. In other words, it can hold blades and gear of all shapes and sizes in any orientation, allowing you the ultimate flexibility if you have a surplus of metal tools in your kitchen. You can even hang it vertically to use a tall, narrow part of a wall.
While the installation was a bit complicated — screws and anchors are not included, so you may need a quick trip to your local hardware store — once it was attached to the wall, this thing did not budge. The stainless steel material was also incredibly durable and didn’t show any signs of wear and tear during our time testing. (Fingerprints were evident, but that's nothing a little stainless steel cleaner can’t tackle.) Ultimately, this magnetic knife strip would be a great choice for anyone with a larger collection of blades, anyone short on counter space, or those who prefer an industrial aesthetic.
Type: Wall-mounted | Dimensions: 17.5 x 5.75 x 4.49 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 8 knives
Food & Wine / Sidney Burds
Food & Wine / Sidney Burds
Food & Wine / Sidney Burds
This spinning wooden block is super-secure and gives you easy access to a dozen or more knives.
It's very expensive and takes up a lot of room.
Do you love the look of a traditional slotted knife block but loathe trying to pick out your favorite chef’s knife in the midst of prepping a stew? The 360KB is the luxurious pick for you. It's a hexagonal magnetic block that spins freely on its base to allow easy access to at least 12 full-sized knives. But you don't have to worry about tipping or teetering as you switch between your paring knife and butcher knife; the 10-pound base did not wobble at all in our testing. Every style of knife we stuck to this piece held on without a hitch in a way that felt safe but still easy to retrieve. The bamboo body is hefty and durable, with an easy-to-clean surface that didn’t scratch at all during testing. (It's also available in two types of walnut if you prefer.)
This is a well-designed and highly useful kitchen tool, but the 360KB is very expensive, the priciest model we tested. It's also pretty bulky and has to sit where it can rotate freely, so it's not any more space-efficient than a non-magnetic knife block. It's all about the look, which will elevate even the most basic knife set. The 360KB is 10 inches tall and should be able to handle most blades, but if you have some extra-long brisket slicers you need to keep close at hand, you can trade up to the bigger 360KnifeBlock or ultra-sized MAX.
Type: Countertop | Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 10 inches | Material: Bamboo or walnut | Capacity: 12 knives
Food & Wine / Alessandra Amodio
Food & Wine / Alessandra Amodio
Food & Wine / Alessandra Amodio
This inexpensive knife strip also includes hooks for hanging non-magnetic tools.
The narrow magnetic bars are less secure than other designs, and they run the risk of scratching or damaging blades.
This simple-to-install holder can organize not only your knives but also that drawer of random utensils you use all the time. It has magnet space for eight knives, and six S-hooks for slotted spoons, silicone spatulas, and any other tool with a hole in the handle, magnetic or not. Both of its horizontal bars contain strong magnets to hold knives, and it even comes with the pair of screws and anchors you need for installation. It's the second-cheapest model we tested but wound up near the top in overall performance.
We were truly impressed with how easy it was to install the Eco Kitchen — and how secure it felt once it was in place. It certainly has a no-frills look, but it's thoughtfully designed, with internal magnets that span the length of both bars so you can use every inch. However, the two separate bars are more apt to scratch or chip knife blades than holders with magnets through the middle of the frame as well as the top and bottom.
Type: Wall-mounted | Dimensions: 17.75 x 1.75 x 0.62 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 8 knives and 6 hanging tools
Food & Wine / Christina Snyder
Food & Wine / Christina Snyder
Food & Wine / Christina Snyder
This simple wall-mounted block comes in several shades and types of wood, which is easier on blades than metal.
It's both shorter in length and higher in price than many metal options.
To keep your cutlery as sharp as can be, pros agree that wood is the best storage material. It's softer than steel and won't dull or damage blades as they slide across the surface. (We generally prefer wooden cutting boards for the same reason.) Plus it looks great in modern kitchens, which can sometimes be a little stark and devoid of natural textures. Benchcrafted's Mag-Blok performed well in our testing thanks to its strong rare earth magnets as well as its maple, cherry, oak, and walnut options.
Hanging the piece was easy thanks to the included hardware, so we had our test model up and running in minutes. The internal magnets span the entire width, allowing you to hang knives from end to end. The included block butter also earned some extra points; if you slather it on every few months, it'll keep the wood looking brand-new. On the downside, the Mag-Blok is fairly expensive compared to a steel model; the 12-inch version costs about the same as the Zwilling above and is two-thirds as long. (There's an 18-inch version, too, but it's even more expensive.)
Type: Wall-mounted | Dimensions: 18 x 0.75 x 2 inches or 12 x 0.75 x 2 inches | Material: Maple, cherry, oak, or walnut
Food & Wine / Smith Carpenter
Food & Wine / Smith Carpenter
Food & Wine / Smith Carpenter
After extensive testing, our top honors went to Made In’s Countertop Knife Block and Zwilling’s Knife Storage Bar. Both hold knives securely, make them easily accessible, and save kitchen space, and they're an aesthetically pleasing way to corral cutlery. Whether you'd prefer a countertop or wall-mounted model really comes down to your individual needs and space.
We tested 24 magnetic knife holders, including 10 countertop designs and 14 that attach to the wall. We used them for everyday knife storage over several weeks, noting design aspects that made them more or less useful. We also rated the holders on some specific metrics.
Food & Wine / Emelia Barron
Food & Wine / Toni Sutton
Magnetic knife holders are designed to organize your blades and save space, so you need one big enough to hold all your regularly used knives. Size is probably the most important factor to consider. For a wall-mounted holder, you can find models anywhere from 8 to 32 inches wide, which can handle anywhere from two or three to 20 knives. Many brands make identical models in several sizes so you can choose the exact right one for you. Just make sure to measure the wall where you plan to mount it as well as the knives you plan to put on it before you pick a size.
Countertop models aren't as long as wall-mounted ones, but they take up space in all three dimensions. These are best if you have plenty of room, or are looking to replace a slotted block with a magnetic one. Different configurations can hold different numbers of knives regardless of overall size, so check out the item's description to see how many it's recommended for.
You’re trusting the internal magnets in these holders with razor-sharp blades, so you need them to be strong. The best magnetic knife holders employ rare earth or neodymium magnets, both of which will maintain their strength and integrity for a long time. You also want to seek out a knife holder that has as much surface magnetized as possible, rather than one with areas at the ends that won't stick to metal. But you don't want the magnets to be too strong; having to wrench and wrestle with a blade is another way to cut yourself. Knives should pop into place and not rotate under their weight but also release from the holder with one arm's strength.
Like anything else out in the open in your kitchen, your magnetic knife holder will need periodic cleaning to rid it of food splatters, dust, and grime. Most stainless steel options will show things like fingerprints pretty quickly, but that can be alleviated with a quick wipe-down. Wood is a bit more forgiving with fingerprints, though soft woods can get visible scratches from knife blades. Periodic oiling or waxing can help with these, and help keep the wood from drying out and splitting.
While most countertop models come preassembled, a wall-mounted knife holder will need to be, well, mounted to the wall. You should check the included directions for details, but this typically requires two screws, preferably with anchors to make sure they stay firmly in place. You'll just need a basic drill and screwdriver to install these, but it's important to make sure the screws are level so the bar hangs straight. Some holders include a helpful paper template so you can line up the holes perfectly; it's easy to miss in the packaging, so take a look before you throw out the box.
If you can't or don't want to put holes in the wall, there are also models that can use removable adhesive like Command strips. Just check the weight limit so your knives don't pull the holder off the wall.
Not inherently so, but design can make certain models more or less likely to harm knives. Pulling a knife off in a way that runs the edge of a blade along a metal surface can cause scratches or chips, and you should be careful as you grab. You should also never stick a knife to the holder while wet; this can cause rust. According to Feder, you should also avoid exposed magnets, which can cause rusting or an unnatural patina. If you're concerned about delicate knives, wood is generally preferable, as it's softer than steel and can't scratch the blade. Of course, wood knife holders are also generally more expensive.
Provided you've picked a well-reviewed model (hint, hint) with strong enough magnets, a magnetic knife holder shouldn't randomly drop blades on the floor. But you should keep the same things in mind that you would when storing any kind of knives or other sharp tools: Keep your knife block or bar out of the reach of kids and pets, and in a spot where it can’t be accidentally bumped into while you’re doing other tasks in the kitchen.
In addition, you’ll want to attach your knives to the holder in the right orientation. “It's safer to store the knives point-down on a magnetic block, where the bolster of the knife rests on the top of the ledge of the strip,” says Feder. The more metal that's in contact with the magnet, the more strongly it'll stick, so you want the thickest part of the knife to sit against the holder rather than the narrow tip.
To remove a wall-mounted knife holder, you can usually just remove the various screws, anchors, hooks, or magnets holding it up. Seamless models without visible screws usually have a face plate that lifts off to reveal the mounting bracket, but it's a good idea to hold on to the instructions for when it comes time to take the thing down. If you've drilled holes in the wall, you may also need to patch drywall or replace tile that's been damaged.
Böker Wood Magnetic Knife Block ($119 at Amazon)
This round countertop block has a tiered design whose look we love. Unfortunately, it's not a very efficient use of space, as it can hold only seven knives in a fairly large area.
Fomidao Magnetic Knife Block ($40 at Amazon)
This sleek stainless steel block can hold five or six knives per side, and its suction-cup feet keep it securely in place nicely on the counter. But it picks up fingerprints and stains really easily, especially considering that you're likely to be grabbing blades with wet or greasy hands pretty often.
Wüsthof 18-Inch Magnetic Knife Holder ($65 at Wüsthof)
Wüsthof is consistently among our favorite knife makers, and it makes perfect sense that the brand's knife holder also scored high in testing. The seamless bar is available in acacia, walnut, or stainless steel and will look great in just about any kitchen. It's just a lot more expensive than other wall-mounded options.
Modern Innovations Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Bar ($26 at Amazon)
With a powerful magnet, minimalist look, and low price, this is a great wall-mounted option. The problem is that it's only 16 inches wide and can't hold as many knives as the Eco Kitchen above.
We tested a lot of magnetic knife holders with largely similar designs, so build quality is most of what made the difference between the top and bottom finishers. The low-ranked models in our tests had weak magnets, showed wear and tear after just a few days of use, took up too much space on the counter, or some combination of the three. We also gave low marks to high-priced knife holders that didn't offer any advantages over their cheaper competitors. Some of those brands included Le Creuset, Material Kitchen, and Zwilling.
Cold Rolled Steel Strip Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist living in New York with over a decade of experience in the food, home, and lifestyle categories. When she's not diving into the latest trends and products, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and children.