The Best Knives to Have in Your Kitchen

Chop to it No Images? [Click here]( [Serious Eats]( The Best Knives to Have in Your Kitchen Being a good cook depends on having a good set of knives. Here's a short guide to our most-used knife types: chef's knife, santoku, paring knife, and serrated bread knife. [Get our full story right here]( to learn about our favorite blades and some helpful organizational tips for when your collection inevitably grows. [A]([Chef's Knife]( There is no knife more essential than [a chef's knife](. The ultimate multipurpose blade, it can do just about anything that needs to be done, whether you're chopping an onion or carving a roast. If, for some reason, you have space for only one knife in your kitchen, this is the one to get. [A S]([antoku]( A santoku is the quintessential [Japanese workhorse knife](. Like a chef's knife, it can be used for all sorts of tasks, but the blade is shorter and more compact. This is ideal for shorter, downward strokes, as opposed to the rocking-chopping and -slicing you'd do with a longer blade. [A P]([aring Knife]( For dealing with small or delicate items—such as when you're peeling a shallot or halving a lemon—the small size of a [paring knife]( is a huge help. Its narrow blade also lends itself to odd jobs in the kitchen, like testing to see if a roasted beet is tender or if a cake is done. [A]([Br]([ead Knife]( A [bread knife]( is recognizable by its saw-toothed edge, which helps it easily and gently slice through all types of bread without squishing the crumb. But the drawback to a serrated blade is it's really difficult to sharpen, so once it gets dull, you either need to get it sharpened by a professional or get a new one. (So you shouldn’t spend too much on one..) Get the whole story (and read more equipment reviews) right here! [T]([he Best Knives to Have in Your Kitchen]( [Kitchen Storage and Organization Essentials That Keep Us Sane]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( Serious Eats 88 35th St Ste 602 Brooklyn, NY 11232 Click Preferences to control which emails you receive from Serious Eats. Clicking Unsubscribe will remove you from all Serious Eats emails…which would be sad. [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](