The Five Must-have Kitchen Knives

If a criminal should ever meet up with an angry chef in an alley he'd better take flight, because chances are the chef is going to have the better knife. Therefore it stands to reason that if you want protection against unforeseen evils, surround yourself with this special army and ye shall be safe and well-fed.

Keeping your kitchen stocked with sharp and stylish knives can cost a small fortune-upwards of $2,500 for a full set. That's about the same investment as a used car or an exotic vacation. Hmm, a knife set… a trip to the Bahamas, or a Tin Man on wheels? But tough choices are what life's all about my friends and really there's nothing worse than a dull knife--except perhaps, a dull boyfriend.

You've probably watched in semi-coma amazement the TV commercials featuring magic knives that can cut through glass, then "slice a tomato paper thin!" First of all, who wants a paper thin tomato? I don't like wimpy tomatoes and I don't like wimpy men, but I digress…

I know it's kitchen chic to have one of those butcher block numbers on the counter with a million pieces of cutlery sticking out like a maniacal killer's bouquet, but for the everyday chef (without a cooking show) you really only need five good knives:

1. The Chef's Knife is primarily used for chopping and slicing and is most commonly an 8-inch blade, though you can also purchase in 6 or 10-inch blades. This is the knife you see the cooking-show chefs chopping away with as they smile and talk into the camera, never once missing their target or cutting off an unsuspecting finger.


2. The Paring Knife is small and easy to manipulate and is usually used for peeling/paring fruits and vegetables…and carving your initials into tree trunks.


3. The Utility Knife has a serrated blade and is the kissing cousin of the Chef's knife. Its use runs far and wide filling in wherever the Chef's knife just doesn't "cut" it. This is the knife you want for slicing through a turkey sandwich post-Thanksgiving.


4. The Bread Knife. Oh, yeah. While the Utility knife can also cut through bread, it just doesn't have the finesse of a bread knife cutting through a round of sourdough. For this San Franciscan native that's enough testimony right there.


5. The Carving Knife is for all of us meat-loving carnivores. A good carving knife can slice through a prime rib faster than you can say "What's for Christmas dinner?" It's also off-putting to intruders, though I hear a security system works well as does wasp spray. But you never see the damsel in distress in a horror movie waving around a sad little knife or a can of bug spray. That's a carving knife she's holding, my friends. Rent "Scream" if you don't believe me.

Now that you have your top five contenders, you can start smart shopping and chopping. On most sites, you can shop by brand, type and price. Good knives are an investment, but sticking with 3-5 knives will certainly cut down the cost. In my search I was able to put together a 5-piece set by mixing and matching top brands like Henckels, Global and Tojiro with the investment coming in at an average of $65 per knife--not bad when you consider the long term investment.

Now I know that when budgets take priority in decision-making, it's tempting to side with the guy on the commercial, promising "one great knife" or worse, the "Wait, there's more!" selection of 88 knives and a random Gift-with-Purchase cutting board, but in the end you really do get what you pay for.

Besides, wouldn't you rather have a few knives that can hold their own against an intruder and a tomato?