The Only 2 Kitchen Knives You Need (And 4 You Don’t)

Which kitchen knives are truly essential? In this video, I reveal the only two knives every home cook needs. I'll also give you my take on knives that aren't essential but are nice to have as you add to your collection over time. If you're starting completely from scratch or you're ready to throw out your old knives and invest in better quality, more functional pieces, keep watching.
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Made In Chef's Knife: madeincookware.pxf.io/LP11m3 (MadeInCookware.com)
MAC MTH-80 Chef's Knife: amzn.to/3P8WsbO (Amazon)
Zwilling Pro Chef's Knife: amzn.to/3OUhmvG (Amazon)
Wusthof Classic Chef's Knife: amzn.to/3bPBz74 (Amazon)
Shun Classic Chef's Knife: amzn.to/3usnovh (Amazon)
Mercer Bread Knife: amzn.to/3I0b9MK (Amazon)
HexClad Bread Knife: www.awin1.com/...
Made In Paring Knife: madeincookware... (MadeInCookware.com)
HexClad Paring Knife: www.awin1.com/...
Mercer Utility Knife: amzn.to/49zFZYo (Amazon)
Wusthof Utility Knife: amzn.to/49gfV4I (Amazon)
Oishya Nakiri: oishya.com/sak...
Made In Nakiri: madeincookware.pxf.io/OrJXMQ (MadeInCookware.com)
Shun Classic Nakiri: amzn.to/44EEEwv (Amazon)
Miyabi Birchwood Nakiri: amzn.to/3PsIVi0 (Amazon)
Wusthof Classic Nakiri: amzn.to/3EttfVu (Amazon)
Wusthof Classic Santoku: amzn.to/3NMZSQc (Amazon)
Made In Santoku: madeincookware... (MadeInCookware.com)
Miyabi Birchwood Santoku: amzn.to/3nIVvuV (Amazon)
Shun Classic Santoku: amzn.to/3OZXiZU (Amazon)
Misen Santoku: shrsl.com/3loec (Misen.com)
Wusthof Classic 3-Piece Set: amzn.to/3uxii3V (Amazon)
Made In 4-Piece Set: madeincookware... (MadeInCookware.com)
****Related Videos/Articles****
21 Different Types of Kitchen Knives Explained (With Comparison Chart) prudentreviews...
Santoku vs. Nakiri prudentreviews...
Santoku vs. Chef’s Knife prudentreviews...
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*****Products Featured in This Video***** Disclaimer: We may earn a fee if you buy via the affiliate links below (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Made In Chef's Knife: madeincookware.pxf.io/LP11m3 (MadeInCookware.com) MAC MTH-80 Chef's Knife: amzn.to/3SNTtto (Amazon) Zwilling Pro Chef's Knife: amzn.to/4fFa7Fx (Amazon) Wusthof Classic Chef's Knife: amzn.to/4fIHpn1 (Amazon) Shun Classic Chef's Knife: amzn.to/4dBpUTO (Amazon) Read my full guide for more details: prudentreviews.com/types-of-kitchen-knives/ Want to know when top kitchen knife brands like Zwilling, Wusthof, and Shun go on sale? Join our free newsletter to get deal alerts: prudentreviews.com/newsletter/

[@eronavbj]

My wife has used a paring knife almost exclusively for more than 40 years, since that’s what she’s comfortable with, whereas I am far more likely to use the chef’s knife. Never underestimate the subjectivity of cutting choices. Few individuals are trained professionally in this area. Most learn these skills from an older family member.

[@sarahlongstaff5101]

Yeah, I was going to say, when my kids were small, I used the paring knife all the time, slicing carrot sticks and apples and green beans for small hands and mouths.

[@5dstrix]

My parents used to use a serrated utility knife for just about everything the same way your wife was likely using a paring knife. I later got them a chef's knife, they had no idea what to do with it lol.

[@VT-mw2zb]

Yes. My wife, her mother and my mother prefer the santoku and nakiri because "they aren't pointy and scary". I have a 210mm chef's knife but they only occasionally use it to cut big watermelons or cabbage. Otherwise, they use the 5 or 8 in santoku. I use the chef's knife because it's the sharpest knife and I am comfortable with the sharpness that I get it to (shaving sharp). They found the sharpness "scary". I need a couple of paring and petty knives around because often, there are two people in the kitchen and one will work on the meat and the other on the vegetables and/or fruit. There need to be extra knives around.

[@macsarcule]

On the paring knife, I can see your point, but I’ve also seen loads of grandmas who do all their work, very quickly, with a paring knife, directly over a bowl, sans cutting board. Horses for courses ✌️😌

[@stevethea5250]

whats sans cuttin board ?

[@justinwalker3235]

@@stevethea5250sans means without

[@Kate.g.]

I have 4 knifes 1. Santoku 2. Bread 3. Office (small chef) 4. Chef. Probably a very unpopular opinion, but I prefer the Santoku knife to the Chef knife 😅

[@cbbohn8107]

I also prefer the santoku, but I use a chef’s knife to cut vegetables because it is more curved and rocks better

[@Liverpool1ne]

100% prefer santoku over chef’s knife. More versatile and the name even translates to three virtues/uses.

[@d-meth]

I love a 5" santoku and use it for most things

[@mariotrujillo1673]

Something I'd add with the two Chef's knife approach; have a different size. An 8in paired with a 6in works pretty great in my experience. On one hand if you're making a smaller meal like a personal or two person salad with a boneless chicken breasts, the 8in can feel a bit of an overkill but the 6in will get the job done and since it likely one you use less is going to be a little sharper. Another point is if you and your significant other are cooking together, one of you is likely cutting the fruit/veggies while the other is cutting the meat. Again you don't need the big 8in for a bunch of fruits/veggies and if your significant other is on the smaller side, having a smaller knife might be more comfortable for them.

[@JPK1337]

True but I'd go larger. I have an 8 inch carbon steel gyuto and a 10 inch zwilling pro for like breaking large fruits or hard cheese, chocolate, nuts, corn on the cob. anything that would chip my Japanese knife.

[@ropro9817]

Totally agree, as a casual home cook, I've never found a paring knife to be essential. I bought one a long time ago but I literally never use it.

[@PrudentReviews]

Same

[@johndoh5182]

What we need is totally dependent on the foods we work with and the way we prepare them. I need both a 4" pairing knife with a fine tip and a 2.5" thin bladed flexible pairing knife. Those small 2.5" pairing knives are ones you end up throwing away because there is no good way to sharpen them. You KNOW when you need them.

[@PrudentReviews]

@@johndoh5182agree it is totally personal. In my opinion the chef’s knife and serrated bread knife cover most tasks for the average home cook - but it’s certainly not universal.

[@NoZenith]

Once I learned how to use a paring knife properly by watching a video of Jack Pepin from Epicurious or some other channel here on youtube, I find I waste far less strawberries by pouring them instead of cutting the whole top off and taking both ends out of an apple and then peeling it and cut it in half and then cutting the core out is so much faster than trying to peel it with a peeler and then cut it up with a big knife knife! I recommend a tall profile pairing knife, something that's about an inch from The Cutting Edge to the spine. That way you can wrap a couple fingers around the handle and put your other two fingers and thumb on the blade itself to guide the knife through stuff. It's pretty amazing I highly recommend looking up the Jacques Pepin videos

[@sarahlongstaff5101]

I think paring knives are more parents. I used them all the time when my kids were small. Now that they're older teens, I use the chef's knife. But I'm not dicing grapes, apples, cheese cubes, and other veggies and snacks for kids' hands.

[@robertcameronjones]

I have quite a big collection of knives. I also cook every day. I have two knives I really need as well. My go-tos. 1) 7" Victorinox Chinese cleaver. It's better than a chef's knife for general work, and it's a built in scooper upper too. 2) A mercer boning knife that does all the paring knife stuff plus boning. Those two knives handle 95% of my daily work, and I love them. Neither are expensive. The boning knife is a bit harder to sharpen, but it's quite versatile.

[@theoverunderthinker]

I use a high carbon steel Chinese cleaver shaped knife (not a meat cleaver, I think like yours). I have an extensive collection of knives and I still use it more most things. I have a Japanese boning knife (for get the name: honesuki maybe?) for taking apart chickens, but use the chef's knife for most daily cooking chores (meaning, when I just want food). I use everything else based upon mood because I like the others, but I could get the job done with only the one.

[@staticvoidmain]

nakiri is my favorite knife. it wasn't demonstrated, but the thing i like doing the most with is is mincing / fast chopping.

[@brokko_le3]

I love my nakiri, I use it most of all my knives. Then again, I don't cut a lot of meat, so it makes sense. It's small and agile and still great to scoop the cut vegetables. A chinese chefknife might even be better for that, but I still need to get used to the size. A thing I find very important in a knife is that vegetables don't stick to the surface too much when cutting. I prefer any knife that has the least stickage, no matter what type it is.

[@32a34a]

To slice a English muffin in half I just use a fork. The Made In knives are really nice and have a good comfortable fit.

[@Thomas-p1f1u]

Great review! I own well over 50 kitchen knives. I rarely use any knife other than my Chef and Utility knives! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! Unless you're a fish monger or a butcher, you won't need either a boning or filet knife.

[@3catmom844]

Thank you for your insight, it is always appreciated.

[@PrudentReviews]

Thanks for watching

[@jeetts59]

Needing and wanting are words apart. I love my selection of Japanese knives , I get great pleasure out of using them.

[@David-ym2vk]

My paring knife IS my utility knife. I use it for most things that aren't bread or large pieces of protein. I've also found serrated knives with rounded edges rather than pointed ones work best for bread as they cut more than they saw.

[@Kluneberg]

Interesting video, my use is different. Most used for me is a Nakiri(as a chef knife), then a tourné knife(not a fan of peelers and those small curved style of knifes are fantastic) and a butter knife(for spreading stuff). Never felt I need anything else. Bread knives I find completely pointless, I can cut a slice of bread that will look like machine cut by just using any chef knife, however I'm doing the opposite of what you recommend, no pressure on the knife just many light strokes going forward and back.

[@fredlar9421]

Two knives? That is double of a Chinese chef has.

[@Baltihunter]

That’s true. They’re experts with those big cleavers 🐲

[@ersari]

If you keep your chef's knife properly sharp, I find it cuts bread better than a breadknife. So your second knife in a 2-knife set could be a 3"-4" paring knife. But you are right, paring knife's are over rated.

[@JPK1337]

American bread, yes. real German or French sourdough, not a chance.

[@ironfoot1938]

@JPK1337 have you tried it though? Not sure about sourdough, but from my experience a decent bread here in Switzerland (Yes we have real bread too) is no problem for my chef knives. I'm a sharpening hobbist though, and I'm pretty sure that once they are dull they will do a crapy job.

[@Thomas-p1f1u]

All a really true Vegan needs is a Chinese Chef Knife, a Bread Knife, a Peeler, and a Box Grater. *Chinese Chef Knife - Findking *Bread Knife - Mercer Renaissance *Peeler - OXO *Box Grater - OXO

[@jdhsingi]

Wonderful video...thank you. But I get by with a traditional Chinese Vegetable cleaver......it could be nice to see a review of those.

[@Theofiilus2978]

In Germany they do have the Bread slicing machine in many grocery store though, but not in my country. I have a bread knife and also a small pairing knife sized knife with serrated i love it. When i graduate i need to upgrade my ikea chef knives to proper ones. I got one one in fancy box from my father I don't know how good quality it is. It doesn't show any logos just Rostfrei text which obviously means Rustfree/ stainless.

[@demokraatti]

For me the most essential knife in my kitchen is some 165 mm long wide Japanese knife. It can be a bunka, nakiri, usuba or maybe even a santoku. They are faster and more nimble than a chef knife when cutting or shoveling vegetables. Besides that a long protein slicer is nice to have. The restis less than necessary.

[@antlerman7644]

5:27 Nakiri is probably my second most used knife, especially if you eat a lot of vegetables they're very good, also much easier to sharpen.

[@aprilwangyuqing]

I had a wired set by wmf which consists of a chef knife, a Chinese chef knife, a scissor, and a petty, totally makes sense to me. I use Chinese chief knife for everything except cutting melon, or chief knife for everything except tenderizing meat.

[@toddjones1403]

I have a Shun classic six inch chef’s knife. It’s nimble and doubles as my paring knife.

[@PrudentReviews]

Good call - I almost included a 6-inch chef’s knife as a nice to have. Very versatile size.

[@JoshuaYoungsma]

Chefs knife is the one i use the most with serrated and paring knives coming in 2nd and 3rd. I do own a very nice santoku but hardly ever use it.

[@oml81mm]

I would go for two chef's knives, one about eight inches and one nearer five or so. My speciality knife, which is seldom necessary for most folk, would be a thin, flat and flexible (and very sharp) knife for working with fish. Most important is sharp knives and a good cutting board. I use bamboo.

[@evanherk]

I have a dozen good knives but the one I find myself using most lately is a victorinox Chinese cleaver. Thin, light, well balanced, razor sharp and it will transport the cut stuff through the kitchen on the blade. Occasionally I reach for my 9 inch Gyuto or my Japanese 5 inch petty knife. Add a peeler and a bread knife and that's 99+% of all my kitchen cutting.

[@apsynto]

I have one of those and love it. That, curved blade pairing knife and a cheap but Japanese made santoku get used for 99%of the jobs. Strangely enough I prefer the cheapo even though I have both Kai and Global versions

[@iixxion]

You have some great knowledge on your channel, and I agree 100% with your two essential knife recommendations, but your knife skills need a LOT of work. I only point this out because people come to your channel to learn the right way to do things, and if they copy your knife methods, they will learn things incorrectly. Also, do not cut tomatoes with your bread knife. yes, that's not a serrated knife, it's a bread knife. it should only ever be used to cut bread items. If you keep your chef knife sharp, it will cut through any tomato with ease. Your chef knife can be used on many bread items with proper technique, but yes, those loaves with an excellent thick hard crust will be a challenge.

[@jc3drums916]

Some things not mentioned in this video: 1) Japanese knives come in three categories of steel: stainless, carbon, and semi-stainless tool steel. The latter two will get you the best performance, but even the stainless is harder than German steel. All must be sharpened by hand. 2) There are two kinds of Japanese chef's knives, gyuto and kiritsuke. Gyuto is the standard kind, with a blade shape based on French knives I believe, while kiritsuke has a straighter edge sort of like a santoku (but longer and with a sharper point), and is traditionally used only by the executive chef of a restaurant. It's designed to be capable at the jobs of usuba/nakiri (vegetable cleaver) and yanagiba/sujihiki (slicer), and is often used as a chef's knife/gyuto as well. 3) Japanese knifes may be single- or double-beveled (usuba vs. naikri, etc.). Single-beveled knives are capable of thinner cuts than standard double-beveled knives, but they're more difficult to sharpen and steer to one side when you try to cut straight down, so they take some getting used to. They are also specific to one hand, and left-handed knives are usually special orders and cost 50% more. 4) Longer knives can process more food, depending on what you are cutting. However, they require larger cutting boards, and the really long knives may be too long for small kitchens, such as those in apartments, which may have shallower counters. 8" chef's knives seem to be the standard, but I prefer a slightly longer 240mm (~9.4"), but even that was on the verge of being too long for my apartment kitchen. I do not recommend Shun knives. They're decent, and they look beautiful, but they're a bit overpriced. Also, they may be Japanese knives, but their blades have the shape of a German knife, with a straighter spine and more curved belly. If you want a relatively inexpensive Japanese knife, try Tojiro. I agree that paring knives aren't necessary. I only use mine for strawberries, tomatoes, and maybe mincing garlic, although I tend to use my petty more, even though it's longer and a little more difficult to be precise with, just because my paring knives are all cheap and don't cut as well. That said, watching guys like Jacques Pépin quickly peel with a paring knife makes me want to use them more. I use my chef's knife just fine on crusty bread. Just don't press too hard, and pierce the crust a little with the tip of the knife before cutting. That said, I do plan on getting a long (>10") slicer at some point, which will also be used on large loaves and even cutting cakes into multiple thin layers. I think it's good to have a petty or utility knife to complement the chef's knife, for cutting small things, supreming citrus, etc.

[@laraoneal7284]

I was going to ask you to do Knives video & after I subbed to I found this. You are so thoughtful and thorough Andrew. I just love ur vids.

[@PrudentReviews]

Thank you!! If you think of a video idea that I do t have yet, please let me know. Always open to new ideas.

[@laraoneal7284]

@@PrudentReviews yes I will. Just bought one zwilling utility knife.

[@dragonlord2451]

i use the MAC MTH-80 daily in my kitchen, it is probably the most forgiving Japanese knife and i cant recommend it enough for people entering the japanese knife segment. Its very durable being slightly thicker than a standard japanese knife, but far easier to get clean cuts with than a western knife having better geometry than a western knife. Its a great middle ground. Mine is hair whittling sharp, i hone it frequently and have not chipped it.

[@krs48]

When you see Jacque Pepin operate a paring knife you realize it’s pretty handy. I have a set of knives and I use all of them. So in reality it’s a personnel preference. Chef knife, paring, boning, bread, cleaver,Those will do most if not everything.

[@donaldkovacs]

My 6" chef's knife is my every day driver. I use it for almost everything.

[@awakenspirit3277]

Thank you for this video

[@stefansk8]

I really can't understand why the serrated knives are so widely recommended. I have a few and almost never feel the need to use them. Maybe they're 10% better at cutting crunchy bread compared to a sharp chef's knife, but for everything else a sharp chef's knife does everything better. If I were forced to narrow down to a few knives I'd choose a higher quality 8" chef's knife with full tang X50CrMoV15 steel and wooden or metalic handle, a decent #300/#1000 dual grit wheatstone, and some cheap but decent such as the plastic handle victorinox: 1 short length paring knife and one short to medium flexible filleting knive.

[@danhall3450]

The "Little Vickies" are famous among commercial fishermen in Alaska for their utility & durability both at a very reasonable cost. If one is lost or damaged, not a big deal!

[@2adamast]

When I have bread warm out the oven a serrated knife is champion, but the rest of the time a sharp slicer will do.

[@Thomas-p1f1u]

Only bread bakers will find a Bread Knife really useful.

[@arturhakobyan6850]

Our choice is chef's knife, pairing knife, or stake knife and serrated stake knife wich we use for cutting bread. Since all my knives are made of kind a "soft" steel. They need to be sharpen pretty often. Once or twice a week. Ok maybe it is not a full sharpening ceremony but at least 3-4 minutes of sharpening on 2 stones and stroping. I cant do anything on kitchen without my chef knife.

[@peterl.104]

Maybe it’s because I use a slicing, as opposed to chopping, technique for cutting up veggies but I find no problem slicing through French bread with my chef’s knife so I never understood the need for a bread knife. I’ve been tempted to get a paring knife but maybe I will get a utility knife instead. Thanks, even though I don’t agree with parts of this video.

[@Differentchef]

Are those hexclad knives any good?

[@jeromejarboe6944]

Not a knife but very useful is a good pair of shears. For those things you need to do that you don’t want to ruin your good knives doing.

[@morehn]

I have a chef's knife and bread knife. Paring knife feels good for small things but definitely not necessary.

[@cliffhaczynski6121]

You had me until you mentioned using separate knives and cutting boards for stir fry, which will all end up being in the same pan upon completion of the cutting. Some people are a little paranoid about chicken.

[@johndavis5654]

I think every home chef needs a chef knife, a large serrated knife, a pairing knife and a boning knife. After that a serrated utility knife and a beak knife

[@DrJuan-ev8lu]

I get by completely without a chefs knife. There are 2 or 3 kicking around but they never get use by anyone. All slicing and dicing and meat prep gets done with a 5 inch paring knife (Sabatier) and a 7 inch Santoku (Victorinox). An inexpensive 10 inch bread knife from a kitchen supply store cuts all the bread ... I can't stand the shorter ones. Total cost is comfortably under 100 bucks. A good sharpening steel for burnishing up the knife edges is essential, possibly as important as the knives. There are 10 or 12 inch good ones on Amazon for 20 give or take and that brings the tab to about 100. Some sage advice is chose knives that you can comfortably pinch grip and control in your hand, offer corrosion resistance and do not flex much. And never cut on a glass cutting board, use wood or plastic instead.

[@ElTejocotetl]

I would had suggested a Chinese cleaver (cai dao or vegetable knife) over the santoku and it does way more than the nakiri, but you still need a pointy knife like a pairing or utility knife but with my cleaver, utility and serrated I’m more than ok

[@madthumbs1564]

Japanese knives do not require less frequent sharpening. -This is a common misconception and fed by observer bias. The harder steel allows for a more acute edge angle that results in less bruising (which makes veg prep look better longer), and easier cutting. If you want edge retention simply; go for a wider edge angle. -It also helps to have a decent end grain board -not too hard / soft (bamboo is full of silica and may as well be glass). Also not abusing the knife with lateral stress (scraping the board with the blade edge) and a lesser extent walk chopping.

[@tek_soup]

Thanks! this some good info!

[@tubenhans6190]

REAL bread crusts feature a combination of hardness and small coefficient of friction that makes the cut with a chef knife hard to accomplish without pressure, which you need to keep the crumb's structure intact. That's why a sawing rather than slicing motion with little pressure and a bread knife's edge design is beneficial. Cutting up fresh watermelons is much SAFER this way as well, b/c a slightly dulled chef knife will slide off rather than cut through and may hurt the hand holding the melon. Just try it out and decide what feels safer and easier...

[@67daltonknox]

I do 90% of my work with a 6inch chef's knife, but I have a dozen others that fill a particular need. Ever tried prepping a grapefruit with chef's knife?

[@lucianovelarde9655]

What do you think of these? Dexter Russell 12603 Sani-Safe Cooks Knife, 6" Blade. I've been using them since I was cooking back in 1972. My son owns a lot expensive knives but most people ask me where I got my Dexter knives?!! have you ever tested them??

[@danielcluley870]

I would add a flexible boning/fillet/utility knife

[@antlerman7644]

3:21 tomato gets cut from a "toothy" edge sharpened between 400-2000 grit whetstones. You really don't need a bread knife for that.

[@HumpaLumpaBiriBam]

agreed 100%, Since you were taking about nicer knifes, you jcould show better, i.e: french peeler rather then cheapest, plastic one from dollar store ;). to recap, get good quality peeler. They cost 7 bucks top and bob's your uncle ;)

[@rg-web-design]

A Japanese vegetable cleaver, a meat cleaver and a long serated bread knife is all I use.

[@CoreyFreeman-vl8yh]

What color are the Oishya japanese knives you keep showing? The handle looks like a really pretty teal, but online I’m only seeing an olive green and a Mediterranean blue. Neither quite look like yours but maybe it’s just lighting?

[@CoreyFreeman-vl8yh]

Great video by the way! Very helpful!

[@peetsnort]

If I coul only have 2 they'll both be the big chefs knife. That way I'll be guaranteed ones razor sharp when I'm busy

[@Keiuran]

Could you review the Anolon Copper pans? They're nonstick and I've had one for a couple years and it's been doing pretty good so curious how it would stack up against Hexclad, All-Clad, and Anolon's other offerings.

[@sergn717]

As you approach the end of the loaf of bread, if you cut it with a chef's knife it may slip on the crust towards your hand and cut it. Ask me how I know.

[@marty5627]

Agree with the general philosophy. I do vote for the 3 knife option, in my case gyuto, petty and bread rather than chef, paring and bread. But seriously, recommending Shun for Japanese knives??? So many brands that good for less money or better quality for the same price.

[@stevethea5250]

i would say 1 chinese cleaver + 1 paring knife

[@Baltihunter]

You could replace chef knife with a utility knife?

[@PrudentReviews]

There’s a lot of overlap, but utility knives usually have narrower blades so they’re not great for rocking (your knuckles will hit the cutting board)

[@bdeitur]

IMHO You need a good chefs knife and a (cheap) pairing knife. A paring knife is essential for me. But after that, a slicing knife and a serrated bread knife are also useful. And, although not essential, I have been reaching for an inexpensive small Santoku a lot...mostly for vegetables the way you use your Nakiri knife I do agree that knife sets are not worth it.

[@erichoehn8262]

I have found a boning knife to be very helpful

[@colinburgess9455]

I have many knives.. in the kitchen I only use one knife and it’s not even marketed as a kitchen knife. Perhaps you should widen your horizons.

[@d-meth]

I think that a bread knife is useless. I don't eat much bread and when I occasionally do I buy it cut. I use a small paring knife way more often.

[@Samuelrathjedrumz]

What brand is that first Japanese knife

[@Samuelrathjedrumz]

Those handles are sweet

[@PrudentReviews]

The green handles? That's Oishya

[@bohemiansusan2897]

Almost hit unlike because you along with others consistently fail to mention Chinese chef's knives. No excuse for that. I mostly use a Chinese chef's knife. Its great for thin slicing boning, fileting and chopping. Always used the corner of the blade the same as the western knife tip. Plenty of Chinese chefs on YT that can demonstrate the skills. Just avoid the ones from the UK. Best thing about a Chinese chef's knife is it eliminates the need for a scraper or dough slicer. BEST Chinese chef's knives come from China and $30-40 will get you a better knife than from Japanese or Western knife companies. Next for me is smaller utility knife. I peel, core and carve with one. Mine are cheap 70s grocery store knives. They are carbon steel and stay sharp for ages. No chips ever in them as my parents or kids never were gentle with knives. Used them in my knife kit at work for years. Bread knife and my preference is an off set. The wider the saw teeth are, the less that bread shreds or creates crumbs. Only serrated knife I will use. I do have a simitar because I do some butchering. A western 12 inch chef's knife is handy for big and hard things as well. The extra length helps out a lot. There are a lot of knives that are fun to use at work but they suddenly disappear, despite having my name engraved on them. For that reason my work knives are usually under $10 each and I add insane sharpness to them before use. Most folks I see with high end knives don't really need them. Analogous to my sister have $8,000+ in copper cookware and only heats canned food with it or tries to microwave food with them. Ramen is too difficult for my birth family.

[@johndoh5182]

The knives you need are dependent on the foods you work with and how you prepare them, and what you like to use or are comfortable using when doing so. I need one knife for most things I do, a 7" Santoku. I PERSONALLY like that more than a chef knife which I rarely use. However when I need the chef knife the santoku won't do. I need: 8" Chef 10" Chef (and if you don't need one, cool, I do) 7" Santoku 4" pairing (and if you don't need one, cool, I do), as in REALLY sharp A tiny thin blade 2.5" pairing knife with a flexible blade 8" filet, flexible 7" filet, flexible and wider serrated bread knife A CLEAVER, heavy duty I should also learn to use a boning knife, it would make my life a little easier working with different bone-in meats, but I can do the same thing with the specialty 7" flexible filet that I have. I have no use for any fine Japanese blades because I don't do anything that requires one. I've seen this kind of video before (you only need 2 knives). I find them humorous. How in the WORLD do you go through chicken bones without a heavy duty cleaver? Do you work with small soft fruits where you want the knife hand right next to the fruit, not 8" away so you have better control? As in making VERY fine cuts in a strawberry? And I could go on and on with this. Knife selection/usage is going to be dependent on what I said in the first sentence and the more things you do in a kitchen the more you will discover that you want to learn how to use a wider selection of knives. So, that's one thing, knife types that you need to do the work YOU do in the kitchen. The next is selecting the right one for what you do. And this gets into the whole thing of types of metals used to make the knife and how it works for YOU in maintaining them. Almost all my knives are Mercer Genesis. They have metal that's a little softer than Wusthof Classic knives. I have to hone and sharpen them more often. I don't care, it's easy to do with a Wusthof pull through sharpener. However this also means I'm sharpening them to 14 degrees and their stock angle is 15 degrees. Once again I don't care. The one degree difference, going from 15 to 14, with a metal that a company feels should be set at 15 degrees means you will dull the knife faster. Once again I don't care because it's easy to maintain them with a Wusthof pull through. BUT, when I need an 8" or 10" chef knife, I need them to be heavier than Mercer Genesis blades and I have the newer Wusthof Classic for that which sharpen to 14 degrees. I can go through some serious stuff with those blades. What I DON'T have is a cheap 8" chef knife because whatever I might possibly do with a CHEAP 8" chef knife, I find I can do easier or just as well with the Mercer Genesis 7" Santoku. So, when I NEED the chef knives I'm cutting though stuff that I need to put more force into, and I want a heavier, fine quality chef knife to do that. And when I need a cleaver, there is NOTHING that replaces a cleaver or you're buying a new knife to replace the one you just ruined. My brother in law needs a blade that I don't based on what HE does, and that's a 12" Victorinox Pro Straight Butcher Knife. Why one might ask? He's a butcher and cuts thin slices of pork for chops or whatever else he's cutting that people want. He's cutting fresh meat, not meat that's been frozen at one point or mostly frozen. He also needs a boning knife. He also needs a heavy duty cleaver. But yes for people that do almost nothing in a kitchen an 8" chef knife could do, but you might want to try using a good quality 7" Santoku. You may find you like that better for a lot of typical cutting. I know I do. There's also the Chinese chef knives which have a really wide blade almost like a cleaver and many people like using those. I've never bothered.

[@Visitkarte]

Darling, you never lived on Balkan. We do 90% of the kitchen work with a pairing knife.

[@frost_burn2400]

There is Always the right tool for the right Work you dont pair a Chicken or a Steak with a Chefs or a bread knife a paring knife is Essential in the kitchen.

[@KOSPokololol]

I use a chefs knife and a pairing knife

[@MsJacobowski]

Never used a chef knife in my entire life! And I am sixty now. I used to throw dinner parties for up to 12 guests, with three, sometimes four course meals. All I need are a pairing knife, a carving knife and a serrated knife. The odd watermelon or squash is just fine when cut with a serrated knife. The only other knife I love is a utility knife. And a peeler is totally unneccessary. The peels they produce are much too thick. I bought a santoku about two weeks ago, because it was beautiful, but I actually don't have much use for it.

[@Xiphos0311]

🙄 insufferable.

[@krijo210]

I only have one knife. A stiletto...

[@jkat3911]

i need my paring knife.....use it daily.........

[@WhatsTheT]

Team Two Chef’s Knives. 1 German Made - Wusthof 1 Japan Made - Miyabi

[@arnoldpfusterschmid1108]

I totally disagree with the need for a bread knife. If you can's slice your bread with a well sharpened chefs knife, go for more practice. The main disadvantage is not beeing able to resharpen a serated knife. And I won't use a bread knife for tomatoes, since this is like tearing it apart.

[@RC-pf2qi]

I use my paring knife more than any other knife.

[@PrudentReviews]

It’s seems like people either never use it or use it all the time. What do you use it for?

[@Thomas-wg9um]

If you're a vegetarian, then all you need is Chinese cleaver, a peeler, a box grater, and a utility knife. The Chinese cleaver is primarily for root vegetables, gourds, and melons. The utility knife is for slicing, dicing, and mincing, all the vegetables. I've found the box grater to be indispensable in the making of slaw. The peeler is always needed for apples, carrots, potatoes, yams, and all root veggies.

[@donswearingen9805]

I use a chef's knife, and butcher knife and a paring knife and a bread knife. That's all.

[@Xbox360gamer5000]

shun imho is overpriced I would opt for the tojiro eco series

[@anubizz3]

Chinese Cleaver the only knife you need.

[@theredbar-cross8515]

Western style chef knives have awful food release. The lack of a matte surface (a kasumi line in Japanese knives) and a primary bevel (also a common knife feature) makes food like cucumbers, carrots and potatoes stick to them like glue.

[@earthling_parth]

I've also observed the same thing while cutting veggies.

[@tomsisson660]

A paring knife is not necessary? WTF! Let’s say you’re preparing something small such as cutting cherry tomatoes in half for a salad; try doing that job with a chef’s knife. Peeling carrots or apples with a chef’s knife; same problem. A paring knife is definitely essential and absolutely necessary. Tom Sisson

[@Kluneberg]

Completely agree. I guess it's people who like using peelers for everything and never carve or cut anything small, that have no use. For me personally, it's irreplaceable.

[@PrudentReviews]

Totally hear your point but I have no issue cutting small items with the tip of a chef’s knife. And I use a cheap peeler for peeling - imo it is safer and more effective (less waste).

[@Ali3nh3art]

Where is the cleaver 😭

[@brokenrecord3523]

95% of my cutting is with a gyuto

[@cbbohn8107]

You don’t even mention boning knives. You must drive a clown car.

[@beastmastreakaninjadar6941]

On choosing a chef knife if you have thick fingers, make sure the knife belly is deep enough that you won't be banging your knuckles all the time. Just sayin'. 😉

[@antlerman7644]

Learn how to sharpen properly on whetstones. Then upgrade your knife.

[@DrJuan-ev8lu]

That may be very true for Japanese knives that have very hard heat treatment but for western style knives a sharpening steel is quicker and gets a lot more use than stones.

[@Fk74303]

only 2 knifes you need.....suggested you need 3 or 4 knifes

[@PrudentReviews]

The others are “nice to have” but not necessary in my opinion

[@earthling_parth]

He clearly started that according to him a Chef's knife and a bread knife is what he recommends as essential 'two-piece' knife set

[@JPK1337]

don't buy a peeler like this. buy a peeler with a y form

[@oml81mm]

Don't buy a peeler with a blade that pivots or rotates. A fixed blade is easier to control. Downside is that these things are handed, and it is b****y difficult to find a left handed one (but they do exist).

[@bloodysspammers9792]

STOP TALKING! AND TALKING! AND TALKING! AND TALKING! YOU AREN'T EVEN HOLDING KNIFE'S THE RIGHT WAY! NAKIRI VEGETABLE KNIFE IS BETTER! WEIGHT, LENGTH, SPACE, ETC.

[@antlerman7644]

And I know you're an American channel, but I do not understand the obsession with the American junk from made in, hex-clad etc. Out completed directly with European brands, and Japanese steel just out performs them. I don't know if you got them tor tree or whatnot but the quality of them is pretty shit so it looks like you're shilling.

[@PrudentReviews]

HexClad knives are not the best - but because it’s a popular cookware brand, I bought and tested their knives. I’m a fan of Made In knives, they’re made in France, use the same steel as Wusthof and Zwilling, and perform well. Which brand do you recommend and why? Have you tested many?

[@cbbohn8107]

Made In is a private equity funded middleman. I have bought and returned pans from them. I found them to be low quality. They are spending a ton of money on celebrity chef endorsements. Don’t fall for it.