What You Need To Know About Knives

One of the most common questions I get is about knives and which ones to get, so I figured that would be a good thing to talk about to my millions (lol) of followers.

I know there are a lot of options out there with 12 to 18 to 24 piece sets that include a knife for every occasion but I’m here to tell you they’re not necessary. For a home cook, a good knife is essential and worth the investment of some extra bucks. In order to be successful in your kitchen, you need three things: a chef’s knife, a serrated edged knife, and a paring knife. The paring knife could be optional.

Honestly, I’m obsessed with my chef’s knife and I use it for literally everything except slicing bread. Some people say you should select your knife based on the food you’re trying to cut but that would mean owning a lot of knives.

A chef’s knife is generally 8 or 9 inches long, is made of German stainless steel, and has a heavy handle that makes it the most utilitarian tool in your kitchen. The German steel is incredibly durable which means you’ll have it for 20 years (hence the investment) and it can handle everything from a block of cheese to a fat lobster. They do require a little maintenance in the form of sharpening and honing but that’s only one to two months depending on the amount of use.

A serrated knife has pretty limited capabilities but is still important for any home cook to have. A serrated edge (sometimes referred to as a bread knife) is good for just that- cutting bread. It’s really necessary for cutting anything that has a tougher skin but a soft inside like tomatoes, soft breads or baked goods. If you’ve ever tried to use a straight edge knife to slice any of these things, you probably ended up with a crumbly, squishy mess that had be eaten with a spoon. The difference is that each little divet in a serrated edge has a blade, which results in a knife edge full of little teeth that gently cut into that tough surface without damaging the delicate center of your food.

A paring knife is honestly optional, depending on your cooking style. It’s a little guy, with a blade of about 3 to 4 inches, and is pretty lightweight. This is meant for cutting small fruits and veggies mostly, but because it’s not very heavy, it can’t be used for larger foods. Many people are more comfortable with the smaller knife which is totally fine, and since they’re smaller, they’re pretty affordable so it doesn’t hurt to have one.

Great brands for German style knives: Wusthof, Messermeister, Henkel (made in America!) I own a Messermeister Elite chef’s knife and I love it so much that I’ll probably be getting it tattooed on me at some point. Sorry Dad.

If you’re ready to buy a new knife but aren’t sure where to start, or you’re totally lost on how to use a large chef’s knife, let me know! Knife skills are an essential part of any good cook’s repertoire and I offer lessons!