The 3 essential knives
You must have heard a chef or cook say: "There’s no good cooking without good ingredients". This is very true, of course, but for any amateur or beginner it is equipment that really counts to start with.
What I mean is that you should not skimp on kitchen equipment, good utensils, a food processor or other machines – the right tools are vital if you want to cook well.
What I mean is that you should not skimp on kitchen equipment, good utensils, a food processor or other machines – the right tools are vital if you want to cook well.
21 K 5/5 (14 reviews)
Keywords for this post:KnifeKitchenChefTypesEssentialChoiceLast modified on: May 30th 2018
The 3 essential knives
In other words, your recipes stand a better chance of success, and will be easier and more enjoyable, if you have the right tools to begin with.
And when it comes to tools, the first and foremost, without which you can do nothing, the kitchen’s alpha and omega, is the knife.
It’s what cooks do: we cut, trim, slice, chop, peel, and a whole host of other verbs that describe everything that can be done with a knife. Let’s be clear, without a knife you would be hard pushed to do anything well, apart from a bit of baking. Even then, just for lining a simple tart tin, you would need to trim around the edges.
So you will need a knife, and a good one. No, on second thoughts, you will actually need three. With these, an amateur can do everything (or almost). Here they are in order of importance:
- Top place goes to this small knife with a blade of a similar length to the handle, about 3.5 to 4 inches (8-10 cm). This is very useful for cutting up small any food that is neither too large nor too hard. It’s the all-purpose knife that we reach for very often. The small blade makes it ideal for fine cutting or fancy details. Typical tasks: dicing a shallot.
- In second place is this medium-sized knife, about twice the size of the paring knife. The blade is a little thicker and longer and the handle is wider, which sits snugly in the hand. This is also a general work-horse knife, but not for cutting small, as the blade is too large. Typical tasks: Jointing or cutting up meat.
- In third place is this hefty chef’s knife, used for chopping. It is about three times the size of the small paring knife. The thick blade and solid handle allow cutting that requires an element of force. This is the specialist tool for chopping vegetables, but not only that. Typical tasks: chopping up a celeriac or cutting leeks into large chunks.
With these three you will be able to do everything you need, or almost, I would say. You will also need a vegetable peeler to make life easier and, if possible, a honing (or butcher’s) steel or whetstone to keep your three knives well sharpened. There’s nothing worse than a knife that doesn’t cut because it’s been badly sharpened.
While we’re about it, just a word about quality. As always, you should invest a decent amount, but without going over the top. There is no need to buy really expensive Japanese knives (OK, they’re classy, I know); you would be better off with decent French knives, with stainless blades and handles in something other than wood, as these are not extortionately priced. They will last you for many years. Meryl Streep, the American actress, once said on a TV show that every time she goes to France, she can’t resist buying French chef’s knives for their exceptional quality.
To sum up: To cook well, you will need 3 knives: paring, medium and large chef’s knives. Stainless steel blade, handle not in wood. And good quality – de la qualité!
And when it comes to tools, the first and foremost, without which you can do nothing, the kitchen’s alpha and omega, is the knife.
It’s what cooks do: we cut, trim, slice, chop, peel, and a whole host of other verbs that describe everything that can be done with a knife. Let’s be clear, without a knife you would be hard pushed to do anything well, apart from a bit of baking. Even then, just for lining a simple tart tin, you would need to trim around the edges.
So you will need a knife, and a good one. No, on second thoughts, you will actually need three. With these, an amateur can do everything (or almost). Here they are in order of importance:
Paring knife
- Top place goes to this small knife with a blade of a similar length to the handle, about 3.5 to 4 inches (8-10 cm). This is very useful for cutting up small any food that is neither too large nor too hard. It’s the all-purpose knife that we reach for very often. The small blade makes it ideal for fine cutting or fancy details. Typical tasks: dicing a shallot.
Medium chef’s (or utility) knife
- In second place is this medium-sized knife, about twice the size of the paring knife. The blade is a little thicker and longer and the handle is wider, which sits snugly in the hand. This is also a general work-horse knife, but not for cutting small, as the blade is too large. Typical tasks: Jointing or cutting up meat.
Large chef’s knife
- In third place is this hefty chef’s knife, used for chopping. It is about three times the size of the small paring knife. The thick blade and solid handle allow cutting that requires an element of force. This is the specialist tool for chopping vegetables, but not only that. Typical tasks: chopping up a celeriac or cutting leeks into large chunks.
With these three you will be able to do everything you need, or almost, I would say. You will also need a vegetable peeler to make life easier and, if possible, a honing (or butcher’s) steel or whetstone to keep your three knives well sharpened. There’s nothing worse than a knife that doesn’t cut because it’s been badly sharpened.
While we’re about it, just a word about quality. As always, you should invest a decent amount, but without going over the top. There is no need to buy really expensive Japanese knives (OK, they’re classy, I know); you would be better off with decent French knives, with stainless blades and handles in something other than wood, as these are not extortionately priced. They will last you for many years. Meryl Streep, the American actress, once said on a TV show that every time she goes to France, she can’t resist buying French chef’s knives for their exceptional quality.
To sum up: To cook well, you will need 3 knives: paring, medium and large chef’s knives. Stainless steel blade, handle not in wood. And good quality – de la qualité!
Lasts posts
Your oven in "proofer" mode
In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...September 27th 20243,1445
The right size of zucchini
When you buy zucchini at the market, you're often offered a wide variety of sizes, from very small to very large. But which ones to choose? Here are a few tips.September 9th 20243,4835
The (small) miracle of béchamel sauce
Making a béchamel sauce is going to confront you with a little miracle that happens every time: You pour milk over a roux, it's very liquid, you stir over a low heat, and then all of a sudden, miracle, the sauce sets, it thickens, you've got your béchamel. Let's see what happened.August 27th 20243,9434
Pastry doughs
To make a classic tart, you'll need a pastry of course, and if you don't use puff pastry (normally reserved for "fine", in french, tarts), you'll have a choice of shortcrust, shortbread, sweetcrust or "à foncer". Let's take a look at the differences between these four.August 16th 20244,0184.4
A few tips on homemade ice cream
If you make ice cream at home, which is a very, very good idea, you'll find a few tips and tricks in this article that should make your life easier. Combined with the site's ice cream recipes, they'll help you improve your production, to the delight of everyone around you, children first.August 11th 20244,0615
Other pages you may also like
What can I use for blind baking a pastry case?
When it comes to home-made desserts, tarts are always popular. They can be divided into two basic types: those cooked with their filling, such as an apricot and almond cream tart, and those where the filling is added after baking the pastry case, such as a strawberry tart or chocolate tart. For...May 2nd 2017106 K4.5
The art of the charlotte
In cooking, a charlotte is a delicious moulded dessert, with biscuits around the outside that have been soaked in a flavoured syrup, filled with a light cream or mousse. The charlotte is left to set in the fridge before being turned out and served in slices. It is very light and a lovely sweet...February 27th 201340 K4.3
The 3 kinds of meringue
Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...June 14th 201358 K4.5
Stand mixer tools
Whether we call it a stand mixer, food processor, or simply refer to it by brand (Kenwood, KitchenAid, etc.), this machine is a valuable tool for amateur cooks, bakers or pastry chefs like ourselves. All these machines come supplied with 3 different tools. Let’s take a look at their names and...November 2nd 201933 K4.5
The window-pane test in bread-making
The home bread-makers often ask themselves “Have I kneaded my dough long enough?” . A good question, as dough that is insufficiently kneaded will not rise properly or will fall flat when the top is slashed, which is very frustrating. To know when the dough is ready, one can rely on the length...June 16th 202189 K 23.9
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.