Every chef (and, if you cook everyday, you are at least the chef in your own home) has his or her own opinion when it comes to knives, but most would probably agree that there are 3 knives that every chef should own. They just might have differing opinions at to which 3 knives are actually essential. As someone who grew up with a chef for a mother, I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. Which means that I’ve dabbled with my fair share of different knives. In my opinion, here are the 3 knives that every chef should own.
8″ Chef’s Knife
Of the dozen knives that I own, the one that I use the most is my 8″ Chef’s Knife. It’s just an incredibly versatile knife — great for slicing and dicing vegetables, mincing garlic, chopping onions, trimming the fat off meat and peeling the skin off, say, a pineapple. My 8″ Chef’s Knife of choice is the Miyabi 5000 MCD.
It’s a Japanese blade, but with a little more heft like a German knife. In general, Japanese knives, like the Miyabi or Global, are incredibly lightweight versus German knives, like Henckles, which tend to be heavier. The right one for you is really going to depend on how the knife feels in your hand. I grew up using German knives, but love the sharpness of a Japanese blade so the Miyabi is ideal for me.
This knife is also so beautiful that it’s like a piece of art. I bought mine at Sur La Table which, along with stores like William Sonoma, is a great place to try out new knives. Good ones are expensive, but if you treat them right, you’ll have them for the rest of your life.
4″ Paring Knife
The second knife in my 3 knives every chef should own list is a 4″ paring knife. Mine is a Classic 4″ Paring Knife by J. A. Henckels.
It fits securely in the palm of my hand which is paramount when dealing with a paring knife. It’s an ideal knife for slicing a banana over your oatmeal in the morning, gutting out those nasty eyes that can form on a potato and peeling the seriously annoying skin off a shallot.
Serrated Knife
The last essential knife on my 3 knives every chef should own list is a serrated knife. A serrated knife has ridges, like a Ruffles potato chip, and comes in a variety of lengths. Mine is by Global and measures 9″.
The longer length allows me to slice through a round of bread as well as slice a tomato. In fact, if you’ve never used a serrated knife to chop a tomato, it will be life altering. I promise. A serrated knife makes dealing with any thin skinned fruit or vegetable a breeze.
Ok, so those are my top 3 choices when it comes to knives. My friend Max, who is a budding chef chef, would swap out the serrated knife for a boning knife, but as far as I’m concerned, isn’t that why god created butchers?