Is there anything more adult than a solid appetizer platter? Think about it — you’re having a few friends over (COVID-safe, of course), opening a bottle of wine and enjoying a selection of charcuterie, cheese, grapes, nuts and perhaps a selection of spreads. You’re preparing a delicious meal while your guests chit chat over the hors d’oeuvres. You’re grown-up AF. You have your life together so much that you’ve even got a small stack of cocktail napkins for them to serve themselves with, as well as a mini cheese knife set to tie the whole experience up in a bow of sophisticated maturity.
You can’t have a cheese board without a cheese knife set. Sure, you could use your regular old kitchen knives and the cheese will get cut. But there’s something about those little knives with the small handles that get you right up close to the gouda and enable you to cut more exactly. You need cheese knives with cheese, and a variety of them for different types. If you think you’re cutting a creamy brie or gruyere with the same knife as a tangy manchego you’re sorely mistaken. Just like people, cheeses are all unique and prefer different things — and when we honor these differences through action we really see results. That being said, we’ve gathered a plethora of our favorite cheese knife sets from across the web for your next dinner party. No matter which curled milk variety you enjoy the most, these sets have a knife that’ll cut it to perfection.
1. BOSKA Copenhagen Mini Cheese Knife Set
BEST OVERALL
These cheese knives are made of premium stainless steel with a hollow, lightweight design that makes them easy to handle over the appetizer table. There are four different kinds of knives represented in this set — each specified for a slightly different type of cheese — soft, semi soft, hard and spreadable. The blades are sharp so you get a solid, exact cut each time and the knives made for harder cheeses are serrated so you get through tough varieties like parmesan easily. The jetted edges of the two sharper knives are also perfect for grabbing your cut piece of cheese once it’s separated and stacking it, so you can avoid touching the board with your bare hands. This knife set checks all the boxes for a knife set and remains relatively affordable at less than $25 for all four knives.
Related Stories
2. Dynamic Gear Bamboo Cheese Board Knife Set
RUNNER UP
We’ve decided to include a variety of cheese knife sets and cheese board/knife sets on this list since they’re pretty interchangeable in terms of the need for them, and having the board as a storage vessel is handy. This bamboo set from Dynamic Gear has a slide-out drawer that reveals four different cheese knives including a soft cheese/spreader knife, a hard slab knife, a poker for serving and a sharper blade for harder cheeses. The board itself has a grooved brim for serving around the border for keeping the apps inside and is made of 100% natural bamboo so it’s long-lasting and easy to clean.
3. Smirly Cheese Board and Knife Set
MOST EXTENSIVE
If you take entertaining, and cheeses, seriously and want to ball out a little this cheese knife set is the one for you. It’s got a central board with two wings for extra food and a round serving tray included, not to mention the slide-out drawer with cheese knives, sauce bows, black slate labels, a corkscrew for opening wine and a guide. This cheese board has plenty of room for all the fix-ins you could want and is made of bamboo wood, beautifully crafted to last you through party after party.
4. YXChome 4 Cheese Knife Set
BEST BUDGET
Let’s take it back to basics with an affordable cheese knife set that costs less than $10. If you’re ballin on a budget and still want to adult up, this set is the way to go. The knives are made of professional-grade stainless steel with wooden handles and the set includes a spade knife for hard cheeses, a mini fork, a narrow plane knife for slicing and a spreading knife. The knifes are lightweight but solid and have an ergonomic design that’s easy to use for everyone.
5. Table Grazing Extra Long Cheese Board
BEST FOR ENTERTAINING
This extra-long cheese board makes it so that everyone can reach the appetizers at the same time, and gives you plenty of room for spreading out your selection. This 46″ long cheese board comes with a matching oak cheese knives set with three mini knives for all types of cheese. It’s made of oak wood for aesthetics and sturdiness, and comes with a convenient handle at the end for easy serving.
6. LUNAR Premium 6-Piece Cheese Knife Set
BEST FOR GIFTING
This is a complete cheese knife collection with four different knives, a cheese fork and spreader — pretty much everything you need to cut any type of cheese. They’re made of stainless steel and come elegantly boxed making them a convenient gift for a wedding, bridal shower or housewarming. The blade and brushed handle blend together to create a seamless tool that’s easy and convenient to use. They’ve got a solid design that won’t fail you mid-cut, and are designed to impress and compliment any charcuterie board presentation.
7. Acacia Wood Cheese Knives, Set of 3
BEST RUSTIC
Who doesn’t love a good cabin-y vibe? This cheese knife set comes ensconced in a piece of acacia wood that slides open and closed to reveal the knives. The board as well as the handles of the knives are made of 100% solid acacia wood and the blades are made of 420JS stainless steel. The board has a natural bark edge for an extra touch and the whole set is BPA, phthalate, lead and latex-free.
8. Compact Swivel Cheese Board With Knives
MOST PORTABLE
This bamboo cheese board slides out into a full wheel platter that also has a slide-out drawer for three cheese knives. The most convenient part? At fully closed this cheese board and knife set is a compact wedge you can easily pack with you for a picnic in the park, a trip to the beach or a dinner party with friends. Fully opened the board has a 17″ diameter and closed it’s a 9.75″ wedge.
9. NFL Bamboo Serving Tray & Cheese Knives Set
BEST FOR CUSTOMIZATION
Cheese and game day go together like wine and cheese do, so do your snack platter justice with this cheese serving tray and knife set that can be personalized for your favorite NFL team. The team’s logo will be emblazoned proudly into the center of the wooden board. The tray and bowl are made of ceramic while the cutting board is 100% bamboo. The cheese knives are stainless steel and have a ceramic handle with a white lacquer finish. The set includes, in total, one tray, a square dish for nuts, fruits, etc, a cutting board with a cheese fork and cheese knife.
10. Recycled Wine Bottle Platter With Spreader
BEST HANDMADE
So this isn’t exactly a full cheese knife set, but it includes a spreader and is so unique we had to include it in the round-up. These platters are made of old wine bottles that have been melted down for a functional and decorative backdrop for cheeses. While beautiful, this cheese platter is also portable and easy to clean after each use. It’s also handmade and made of recycled materials.
The Best Cheese Board Sets for a Fromage-Filled Holiday Party