Chef's Knife

The true workhorse of the kitchen, this is the knife you'll be grabbing again and again for tasks from de-stemming kale to mincing garlic to slicing steak to chopping chocolate (that is, if you don't have a chocolate chopper). It. Does. Everything. 

Don't be afraid of using an 8- or 9-inch knife. You actually want a longer blade, because you're using a knife as an extension of your arm and you need the leverage to really get that power going from your shoulder joint all the way down to the thicker heel end of the blade.

(Maybe we need a video series on how to hold and use your knife? If you're interested, drop me a line at casey@goodfoodstories.com.)

Paring Knife

The chef's knife is your all-around kitchen helper, but when you're working with smaller ingredients, like digging the hulls out of strawberries or slicing and coring fruit like apples, pears, or peaches, you'll want to work with a paring knife.

This is the more detail-oriented knife, so when the bigger blade of your chef's knife would just get in the way, you'll want this one on hand. 

I confess that I think of this as my "morning knife" because that's when I'm usually cutting up fruit for breakfast!

Serrated knife

Though a very sharp blade will cut through pretty much anything, a serrated knife really shines when it comes to situations like slicing crusty bread. 

When you've got a tough outer layer that leads to a pliant, squishy inside, the saw teeth on this knife will help prevent the blade from slipping. Anyone who's cut their hand slicing a bagel knows this tragedy all too well!

Another perfect client for a serrated knife is a juicy, thin-skinned fresh summer tomato. Instead of squashing the tomato through the force of the blade, this slips right through.