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.
22 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
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...May 19th 20251,255 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".April 25th 20251,6165
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20251,8915
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20253,376
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20243,8355
Other pages you may also like
How to zest a fruit?
You will have no doubt noticed that many recipes call for the zest of citrus fruit. The zest is that outer layer of the skin which adds so much flavour to a dish. There are many different ways to peel off the zest and various tools are available. Here is a summary of the “dos and don'ts” of...November 5th 201343 K3.8
85 grams of eggs?
Some time ago, I already spoke to you about the difference between baking and pastry-making, I emphasized, among other things, the precision of pastry-making which requires grams, cm, degrees and minutes. That's why, on the one hand, you have baking and cooking, where a certain tolerance is...November 26th 201851 K4.6
The super powers of cornstarch
I start this new year by evoking an old product, that you most probably have in your cupboards, a white powder, often in a small cardboard package with a slightly outdated look, only the "gluten free" is relatively recent, it is simply cornstarch, hence its name of maïzena. It's used for a lot...January 14th 202211 K
Parmesan cheese crusts
If you use Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) in your recipes, you may have already noticed: when you grate it, it becomes (very) difficult near the crust, especially if it is a slightly aged parmesan, as the cheese gets harder and harder. So we stop grating, leaving some crust on top, and a...September 14th 202214 K4.8
Maillard reactions
This subject cropped up recently in a discussion with my three charming nieces; do you know what Maillard reactions are? With a name like that, they could well be some principle in mechanics, but in fact the term applies to something much closer to all of us: it's what gives food more flavour...January 28th 201534 K4
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.