What are the 3 basic knives you need in a kitchen?

Author: Dr. Adolph McClure  |  Last update: Saturday, February 21, 2026

There are three primary knives that every home cook should have in their kitchen: a chef's knife, a serrated knife (also called a bread knife), and a paring knife.

What are the 3 essential kitchen knives?

For most cooks, the trio of serrated, chef's, and paring knife will tackle pretty much any cutting task. Depending on what you prep frequently, though, you might want to add these other knives to your collection. Boning knife: Useful for cutting up, butterflying, or fileting meat, fish, or poultry.

What are the 3 knives for?

The chef's knife, the serrated knife & the paring knife are the three most important knives you should have in your black knife set collection. These three items can be used to carve a turkey for Thanksgiving, slice the tomatoes, shell strawberries, and much more.

What types of knives do you need in the kitchen?

5 Essential Kitchen Knives You Need Right Now
  • Chef's Knife. A classic chef's knife is the most important knife in your collection. ...
  • Paring Knife. A paring knife picks up where a chef's knife leaves off. ...
  • Serrated Knife. ...
  • Boning Knife. ...
  • Honing Steel.

What are 3 different types of knives used in the foodservice kitchen and what are their common uses?

Different Knives and the Best Uses for Each One
  • Chef's Knife. A chef's knife is one of the most frequently used tools in the kitchen. ...
  • Paring Knife. A paring knife is ideal for detail work and when working with small or tender vegetables. ...
  • Utility Knife. ...
  • Boning Knife. ...
  • Bread Knife. ...
  • Carving Knife. ...
  • Cheese Knife. ...
  • Tomato Knife.

WHY I DON'T USE EXPENSIVE KNIVES (The Only 3 Kitchen Knives You Need, All Under $30!)

What are the three most common types of knives?

Plenty of people end up with one of those big block sets and just carry on with their cooking lives, but in the majority of cases, those sets contain far more pieces than the average cook will ever need. In reality, most people can get away with just three: a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife.

What to use a Santoku knife for?

The Santoku knife is particularly useful for cutting and chopping vegetables, fruit and meat, and can also be used to slice fish. Its Japanese name refers to its "three virtues" or main uses: cutting, slicing and chopping.

What are the top 3 knives?

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.

What kind of knife to cut bread?

Mostly, a bread knife has what's called a serrated blade. The edge you cut with has a series of sharpened teeth separated by sharp, scalloped recesses. The teeth are designed to split into the bread's crust, while the scalloped areas between the teeth slice softer areas like the crumb.

What are the three rules of knife use in the kitchen?

Handling a knife:

Keep fingertips curled under the hand that is holding the food. Point the blade away from your body when cutting, washing, or drying a knife. Always use a cutting board. Secure your cutting board with a damp paper towel or non-slip mat.

What is knives Out 3 called?

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, or simply Wake Up Dead Man, is an upcoming American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is a standalone sequel to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and the third installment overall in the Knives Out film series.

What is the most versatile of all kitchen knives?

What is the most useful kitchen knife? If you're going to buy just one knife, we recommend getting a chef's knife (an 8-inch one in particular). For most home cooks, the majority of prep can be done with a chef's knife.

What is the last thing you must do after sharpening a knife?

The last step in sharpening is removing the burr – the hide side of an old leather belt will do, or buy a strop such as this one. A bit of baby oil on the leather will help you get a nice, even covering of the polishing compound. As with most things, you get what you pay for.

What knife does Gordon Ramsay prefer?

Ramsay likes Henckels knives. This is a German brand known for their toughness and bulky blades. The Shun Classic Western Chef's Knife, handcrafted in Japan, is Bobby Flay's recommendation for the best chef's knife. He's talked about the Shun brand many times, and says he uses this particular knife for most everything.

What is a serrated knife used for?

At its most general, a serrated knife refers to any knife that is equipped with a jagged blade. The serrations on these blades are usually deep and pointed, allowing them to slice through thick crusts and other tough foods. Like all knives, serrated knives come in a wide range of sizes.

What is a paring knife used for?

Paring knives are great options when coring or peeling fruits like apples and citrus. They also help to remove the peel on garlic and onions, trimming the long roots on radishes or cleaning radish stems. Use the tip of the knife to remove the outer layer on mushrooms and asparagus stems.

What knives do bakers use?

serrated bread/cake knife

To be perfect for pastry it should be 10” or longer with smaller, more compact teeth that are great for cutting cake and soft bread. A bread knife with larger teeth that are more spread out is better for hard crust breads and might tear up a delicate cake.

What knife would you use to chop carrots?

Best All-Around Knives for Cutting Vegetables

The stalwart of any kitchen is a chef knife, but a santoku knife also works great, and if you have never used a vegetable knife (sometimes called a vegetable cleaver), it is a fantastic knife for large vegetables.

What are the 3 knives every person should own?

There are three primary knives that every home cook should have in their kitchen: a chef's knife, a serrated knife (also called a bread knife), and a paring knife.

What knives does every home cook need?

Undoubtedly the best knife to have on hand for your day-to-day cooking, a chef's knife or cook's knife is a go-to for so many vital kitchen tasks. Its long, curved blade allows you to rock the knife back and forth for easy slicing, chopping, mincing, and dicing.

How often should I sharpen knives?

A kitchen knife should be sharpened every 1-2 months. Hone every week if you prefer a razor-sharp edge. For your professional chef's knife, you should have your knives professionally sharpened every 1-2 years. However, you might also still choose to sharpen them yourself every 2-3 months.

What is a cook's knife?

A chef's knife is among the most versatile knives in the kitchen and can be used for anything from chopping to cutting. Common uses for a chef's knife include cutting meat, dicing vegetables, slicing herbs, and chopping nuts. The flat side of the knife can even be used to crush garlic.

Why are santoku knives so popular?

The Santoku knife is a multipurpose knife because of which it must have a tall and clean edge. The higher edge creates more space between the food and the blade, resulting in cleaner and more defined slices. You can effortlessly use santoku knives for slicing sushi and vegetables.

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