The Knife Block

THE ESSENTIALS

For most of us, our kitchen is filled with tools and appliances that we rarely use - and we are no different.

It is too tempting to buy the shiny new thing “as shown on TV” or demonstrated by a chatty salesperson with a headset in your local warehouse or discount store.

For those who want a clean slate and only have what you need in your kitchen, you may be surprised at what you actually need.

A knife, of course, is an essential tool. You need it for so many tasks that you can’t image working in your kitchen without one.

…but which knife do you need the most? What should you buy and what can you skip? How many and what size?

Here is my list of “what knives I can’t live without”…and one not-quite-a-knife-but-still-an-essential-tool…

Chef’s Knife  8” to 10”

This knife is almost like my prized possession. It makes most regular kitchen duties a pleasure. Chef’s knives come in various sizes, but for better control and comfort, I wouldn’t suggest choosing anything larger than 10”. I actually prefer mine to be 8” since my hands are smaller and I like to tackle more delicate cuts.

 

Pairing Knife  3” to 4”

My go-to choice for potatoes or anything else I need peeling or slicing and where I need a sharp tip. If you can find one with its own protective sleeve, it also used to be my choice to send with my bartenders offsite.

 

Serrated Bread Knife   10” to 12”

Again, there are different lengths available for bread knives, but I find that the longer the knife, the less sturdy it may be in the hand. A good one that you can control will also work as a “frozen food knife” to saw through frozen blocks of spinach.

 

Boning Knife   6”

This can also be called a fish knife and it is primarily used for the delicate process of deboning fish or removing smaller bones from meats. This is the knife that you don’t want as heavy as the others. A well-made boning knife will feel comfortable in your hand, but light and slightly flexible to master those intricate cuts.

 

 

Heavy Cleaver

This is not a necessity but if you are always playing butcher in your kitchen, a good heavy cleaver slashes your kitchen time (pun intended) and can quickly make parts out of a whole chicken faster than you can say “coq au vin”.

 

 

SCISSORS

This isn’t a knife but is usually stored with them and in my kitchen - has become an occasional substitute. A good quality pair of kitchen shears can cut through thin crust pizza, remove the back bone from a whole chicken, snip herbs for garnishing and cut through most tough-to-open packaging. There are always scissors in my knife roll so I am never without.

Knives should be kept clean and dry and either in a drawer, on a magnetic strip on a wall or in protective sleeves or wraps to keep them clean, dust-free and ready for use. Knife blocks may be handy, but the slots cannot be cleaned and if there is anything that falls inside it can scratch the knife’s surface with every in or out.

Keep your knives honed in between each use, if possible, and take them to get professionally sharpened when you start to notice that they aren’t breezing through your roast like they used to.

You will notice that I didn’t mention a brand name anywhere.

Shopping for and selecting knives for your own use is just that - a personal decision. Well-known brand names are usually good choices only for their reputation for being well-made and/or made to last.  Your priority should be selecting your knives based on how they feel and not whether they match. It may turn out that you like the entire Henkels line, but it is more likely that you will have one or two from another manufacturer as well.

Take care of your knives and they will become your prized possessions - and may just help making dinner a little more enjoyable after all.