The Only Four Knives You Need in Your Kitchen

Knives are like addition and subtraction in the kitchen. They are the fundamental building elements upon which most cookery is based. You might think that's dull (at least, that's what I thought), but I was incorrect. Knives are also the cool kids in the room since they not only perform the majority of the work in the kitchen, but they also make you seem good as the chef once you learn how to utilize them. Let's be real. There is a reason why people enjoy dining in Japanese steakhouses. Nothing beats sitting at a table and watching the chef create your dinner, using the knife like a magic wand quicker than the speed of light, transforming ordinary veggies into tasty works of beauty!

Unfortunately, knives are frequently ignored as a kitchen investment tool. Or, like me, you may have gotten a huge knife block as a present and are unsure which knife to use when. You might be shocked to learn that only four knives are required. What are you talking about? What about the sickle-shaped one, or the short serrated one with a double-pronged tip? Nope. You don't require them. You may enjoy them and use them on occasion, but the fact is that these four workhorse knives will serve you excellently every time for 90% of all culinary chores and 90% of all chefs. I'll let you in on a little secret: these are the knives you'll find in 90% of all professional kitchens!

Here are the four knives you will require:

Chef's Knife (either 8" or 10")

3" Paring Knife

Bread Knife with Serrated Edges

10" Slicing/Carving Knife

And this is why:

Chef's knives are the workhorse of any kitchen. In fact, most chefs utilize this knife for all of their kitchen activities; it acts as an extension of their hand. The length of the blade is there to promote job efficiency - it's OK if it takes the whole stroke of the blade to make a slice or dice - that's why it's there!

Paring knives are ideal for little tasks such as hulling and slicing a strawberry or peeling an apple when a peeler is unavailable. It's also a fantastic knife for youngsters to use when they first start learning to operate with knives since it gives their small hands greater control.

Serrated bread knife 

If you enjoy crusty loaves of baguette or a rustic boule as I do, you need a serrated bread knife. No other knife can safely or rapidly cut into the crust.

You could be thinking, 'That's my tomato knife!' If you do use it to chop tomatoes (which is a bit crazy, and you'll discover why if you attend one of our Knife Skills or Knife Skills Plus seminars), please wash and dry it immediately. Tomatoes are very acidic and can cause blade damage.

Knife for slicing/carving 

This is the same knife as before, but with changed names. This is a long-bladed, straight-edged knife that is thinner than a chef's knife and is typically rounded at the tip (occasionally with hollow scallops on the sides called Granton). It is used for carving/slicing meats and fowl. The narrower blade allows for thinner cuts, while the longer blade stimulates a sawing action similar to that used in carving.