Three Must-Have Kitchen Knives

For the beginner cook, choosing the right kitchen knives can save time and money over the long run. Read on to learn why you really only need three types of kitchen knives to do all of your culinary cutting and why choosing quality over price is so important.

To get all of your kitchen cutting done quickly and easily you really only need a Chef's Knife, a Paring Knife, and a Serrated Knife. Having one of each of these kitchen tools on hand will ensure that you can prepare any recipe that is thrown at you.

How to Choose the Right Kitchen Knife

When it comes to choosing the right kitchen knife you'll want to purchase high quality knives such as those made by the J.A. Henckels or Wusthof companies.

Inexpensive knives will wear out and lose their edge over time. A good sharp knife will save you time in the kitchen and will not need to be sharpened or replaced very often, saving you money.

When choosing your knives, think of the purchase more as an investment than as a quick purchase. Trust me, in the long run you'll be glad you did.

Keep in mind that not all knives are created equal. In addition to looking for high quality you'll also want to choose a knife that is comfortable in your hand and not too heavy. Look for a knife with smooth edges on its handle and a balanced feel when you are holding it. If the blade tips forward while you are holding it, that knife is too heavy for you. Choose another brand.

Test each knife before making your purchase by slicing imaginary food with it. In other words, pretend you are using the knife in the manner you will use it in the kitchen to be sure you've found the knife that fits best and is the most comfortable in your hand.

Why You Need a Chef's Knife

The chef's knife will be used the most in your kitchen. You will use it for chopping, slicing, dicing, and cutting. Professional chef's seem to choose a 12 inch blade for their chef's knife but the home cook can usually get away with an 8 inch blade chef's knife for all intensive purposes. You'll need to hold one of each size to determine which would work best for you.

The curved blade and comparitively heavy handle of a good chef's knife is designed to make chopping easy. Leave the tip of the knife on the cutting board and simply rock the knife back and forth over the items to be chopped.

You should always use your chef's knife in combination with a cutting board.

Why You Need a Paring Knife

A paring knife is used when you need to do more controlled cutting in the kitchen such as when you will be peeling and cutting delicate fruit, or for cutting and chopping smaller ingredients such as garlic. You'll also use your paring knife for detailed cutting such as when you need to slice vents into your pastry dough, or for removing ribs from fresh peppers.

Unlike the chef's knive, you generally don't need to use a cutting board with a paring knife. Due to it's small size and precision cutting you should be able to do things like peel apples while holding the knife and fruit in your hands.

Paring knives vary in length size and usually run anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 inches long. Again, it is recommended that you hold several different sizes in your hand to determine which length is the most comfortable for you.

Why You Need a Serrated Knife

The saw-like teeth of a serrated knife make it easy to slice through things that are hard on the ouside but soft on the inside such as a loaf of crusty French bread, a grilled sandwich or a moist layer cake.

A serrated knife also works best when used to cut through the tough skin of a juicy tomato, without crushing the meat inside.

The serrated knife is designed to be used like a saw, gliding the knife in your hand, back and forth, with each pass cutting deeper into the food item.

Serrated knives come in many different lengths.  I find the 5 inch length to be the most comfortable and useful for me.  As a guide, you should choose one that will be long enough to cut through a loaf of bread but still comfortable in your hand when slicing delicate tomatoes.

Additional Knives in the Kitchen

Most professional chefs and home cooks have several different sizes of the three knives discussed in this article but to really get cooking you'll only need one of each.