Any experienced cook or chef will tell you that there are really only a few essential knives required to master most types of cooking. While many will also say that they themselves own an expansive “master” set of different knives, they will also encourage a novice cook to invest in the most utilitarian knives before upgrading to an entire set.
What are the most frequently recommended knives? Generally, the chef’s knife or the “cook’s knife”, the paring knife, and the serrated knife will be the most frequently used by someone who has just begun to learn how to cook or who has just acquired their first kitchen. In addition to these knives, it is usually recommended that the cook acquire a honing steel to keep their knives sharp, and to begin noting the times when their three essential knives fail to give them the results they want. This usually means that a smaller cook’s knife, or something like a cleaver or carving knife is going to eventually be required.
Let’s begin by looking at the cook’s knives. These can come as six, eight, nine or ten inch blades. The best are made from high carbon steel in order to retain their sharpness, and are usually weighted and balanced too. There is a great deal of debate about the best handles for knives, but usually all that matters is that the handle is ergonomically designed and made from easily maintained and durable materials. Some handles are formed at the same time as the blade and wrapped in a composite material, and other knives will have riveted handles attached to a portion of the blade as well. Both options will work well, and it is essential just to be sure that the knives are described as “balanced” or “ergonomic” to know that you are headed in the right direction. This is the knife that will be used for chopping, slicing, and even carving and is going to usually be the one put to the most work.
The next busiest knife in any kitchen is the paring knife, and this is a small knife (usually around three and one-half inches in length) which is used to do everything from peeling and trimming to other finer details. Again, the same materials and design criteria as the cook’s knife should be used in the selection of the paring knife.
Lastly, the serrated knife, which can also be described as a “slicer” or a “bread” knife is going to provide much more service than simply slicing a variety of doughy breads. In fact, these are usually excellent knives for slicing ham, delicate fish and even tomatoes. They are also great for cutting into things that have a resistant skin or outer crust too.
The honing or sharpening steel should be weighted and balanced, and it is actually a good idea to purchase the knives and honing steel from the same manufacturer to get the best results. This means it is also a good time to consider a pre-designed “set” of knives because they tend to come with things like steak knives and a handy storage block too.