The Best Knives to Have in Your Kitchen

Being a good cook depends on having a good set of knives. Here's a short guide to our most-used knife types: chef's knife, santoku, paring knife, and serrated bread knife. Get our full story right here to learn about our favorite blades and some helpful organizational tips for when your collection inevitably grows.

A Chef's Knife

There is no knife more essential than a chef's knife. The ultimate multipurpose blade, it can do just about anything that needs to be done, whether you're chopping an onion or carving a roast. If, for some reason, you have space for only one knife in your kitchen, this is the one to get.

A Santoku

A santoku is the quintessential Japanese workhorse knife. Like a chef's knife, it can be used for all sorts of tasks, but the blade is shorter and more compact. This is ideal for shorter, downward strokes, as opposed to the rocking-chopping and -slicing you'd do with a longer blade.

A Paring Knife

For dealing with small or delicate items—such as when you're peeling a shallot or halving a lemon—the small size of a paring knife is a huge help. Its narrow blade also lends itself to odd jobs in the kitchen, like testing to see if a roasted beet is tender or if a cake is done.

A Bread Knife

A bread knife is recognizable by its saw-toothed edge, which helps it easily and gently slice through all types of bread without squishing the crumb. But the drawback to a serrated blade is it's really difficult to sharpen, so once it gets dull, you either need to get it sharpened by a professional or get a new one. (So you shouldn’t spend too much on one..)

Get the whole story (and read more equipment reviews) right here!