The Top Three Knives Every Kitchen Needs

The 3 Essential Knives

Many chefs regard their knives like musicians do their instruments. Yet despite all the talk about knives that goes on in both home and professional kitchens — and despite all the knives out there that are truly great to have — there are just three knives every kitchen ultimately needs: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife.

Together, these three multi-purpose powerhouses can accomplish virtually any kitchen task: butchering smaller cuts of meat, mincing fresh ginger, topping strawberries, slicing crusty loaves, peeling apples, cutting juicy, almost-bursting ripe tomatoes — you get the idea! They are the foundational tools of food preparation and plating, and their versatility means any recipe or smorgasbord is within reach. To better understand why the chef’s knife, paring knife, and bread knife are each greater than the sum of their parts, let’s break down these all-purpose kitchen companions a little further. 

The Chef's Knife:

A chef’s knife is the most versatile knife in the kitchen. The blade usually ranges from eight to ten inches, though six- or twelve-inch chef’s knives are not uncommon — especially if your hand size is more comfortable with smaller, lighter blades or larger, weightier blades. Western-style chef’s knives tend to have a rounded tip and a slight curvature in the belly of the blade, which facilitates a rocking motion when slicing and chopping. Asian-style chef’s knives usually have a flat or rounded tip and a straight cutting edge. (You can read more about these knives in Asian-Style Knives 101.) There are as many perfect chef’s knives as there are cooks in the kitchen — what matters most is which one works best for you!

The Paring Knife:

Think of the paring knife as a tiny chef’s knife: just as useful, yet even more dexterous. With a shorter, two- to four-inch blade and a compact handle, this knife is perfect for more intricate and detailed work, such as trimming, peeling, and decorating. Use your paring knife to core apples, peel peaches, trim fat from small cuts of meat, devein shrimp, finagle the seeds from a lemon, slice a pan of brownies, or carve fun details into fruits and vegetables for platters or garnishes.

The Bread Knife:

A bread knife is a specialty knife with a long, serrated blade that’s designed to cut through crusty loaves without tearing or compressing the softer insides. This knife is trusted for any type of bread or baked good: golden-brown baguettes, hearty seeded wheat, soft white sandwich loaves, buttery dinner rolls, bagels, tiered cakes, pound cakes, sponge cakes, banana bread, and beyond.