Last summer I received a phone call from a young man who said my neighbor gave him my number. A red warning light started flashing in my brain—the last time I received a call like this I ended up enduring a 2-hour vacuum cleaner demonstration. It was not a pleasant experience.
This time the caller said he was heading off to college soon and needed to complete a few more demonstrations of Cutco knives so he could gain credit toward earning a scholarship. Between the “Can you help me out?” plea and the fact that he was demonstrating knives, I couldn’t turn him down.
Unlike the vacuum cleaner sales call, I was really excited at the prospect of this visit. I had a handful of Cutco steak knives that I had received as a gift many years ago, and although they were used quite infrequently, I always liked them. And chopping things is, in my mind, one of the most relaxing and therapeutic parts of cooking. Seriously.
I welcomed the young man into my home a few days later. I listened patiently as he went through his education process on how knives are made, what to look for, what are some of the drawbacks of cheap knives—things I had learned through previous cooking classes, a knife skills class, and trial & error, but that perhaps many people didn’t know. But despite the sales pitch and the interesting demonstrations, these knives with their ridged blades and angular, ergonomically correct handles didn’t take my breath away like my sleek, scary-sharp Wusthof knives.
This was not purely a style-over-substance debate. My Wusthof knives fared quite well in the comparative Cutco tests the salesman performed in my kitchen. The salesman seemed surprised that my knives were sharp and well honed, something I think many people neglect to do just because they don’t know how to do it.
The most significant issues I had against these knives were that 1) I can’t get my head around using a serrated knife for most of my cutting, and 2) there were just so many different knives for specialized purposes that seemed unnecessary. Which leads to this question:
What knives does one really need?
There is an important distinction between “need” and “want.” I recognize that. I have many knives in my drawer, and I love them all (or at least most of them). But when push comes to shove, just three knives can get you through most all of your kitchen adventures: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. Some people will tell you that you should also have a flexible boning knife, but I have found that I can do pretty much any task with these three.
The chef’s knife serves most chopping purposes. It has the broadest range of uses and is my go-to knife for nearly everything. The traditional chef’s knife has a smooth, curved blade that is well suited to the rocking motion used when you slice and dice. The trendy new variation on this, the Santoku knife, has a flat blade with dimples on the side designed to reduce friction as you slice through food. Either the traditional chef’s knife or the Santoku function quite well as your all-purpose knife. Whether you choose a 6- or 8-inch blade is purely a matter of preference based on what feels right in your hand.
The paring knife, the short stubby knife in your drawer, handles the finer knife work thanks to its shorter blade and easy fit in your palm. It can be used in place of a vegetable peeler when needed and is also good at trimming mushrooms or cutting other small items.
The serrated blade is best for tearing through tougher surfaces—bread crust, cooked meats, or a tomato skin. I have a bread knife that I often use for slicing pork tenderloin or other meats just because it does the job so well. I’m sure that’s not what they teach at the Culinary Institute, but maybe I’d get points for resourcefulness.
Beyond these three knives, you can expand your collection in many different directions. I have multiples of some types of knives that I use a lot so that I can have one of my marathon weekend cooking sessions and always have a clean knife available to me. So I have both a chef’s knife and a Santoku knife, as well as two paring knives. You can also get more specialized knives, which is where the expansive selections of Cutco knives (or, for that matter, any large knife set) come into play. Some of these special players include a boning knife if you debone a lot of chickens or filet a lot of fish; a grapefruit knife if that’s your thing; a carving knife; or kitchen shears (another favorite of mine).
So even if you have decided what knives you need, do you need to pitch the knives in your drawer & start over?
Not necessarily.
I firmly believe that an investment in a few quality tools in the kitchen makes cooking a more enjoyable experience and results in fewer mistakes in the end. My own set of knives is much like the entirety of my house: a combination of things that were given to me, handed down, and items we bought ourselves. My beautiful family of knives represents a blend of Wusthof (my favorites), Chicago Cutlery (from my wedding registry) and a lone CIA knife (that’s Culinary Institute of America, not the other CIA) that I received as part of a cooking boot camp class.
So, take a look at what you have today, what you need, and replace or fill any gaps as needed. Here are my suggestions:
1. If you’re buying a new knife, invest in quality. Look for knives where the metal extends from the tip of the knife all the way through the handle. Avoid wooden handles which can warp and collect germs. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a knife, but if you’re eyeing a new chef’s knife and it only costs $20, you might want to set your sights a little higher.
2. Hone your knives regularly with a sharpening steel. That’s the tool that looks like a metal dowel with a handle. It serves to align the teeth of the blade so that it remains sharp. A sharp knife is actually a lot safer than a dull knife because it’s less likely to slip off of whatever you’re cutting and into your finger.
3. Sharpen your knives every few years. Honing keeps the knife in good shape, but every few years you need to take a more dramatic step and actually get them sharpened, which actually removes some of the metal in order to create a new edge. This can be done by a professional (our grocery store actually offers this service every year around Thanksgiving), or you can try a sharpening device.
4. Wash your knives by hand to avoid damaging the blade. If the knife blade bangs against other silverware in the dishwasher it can put dings in the blade, or the tip can snap off. In all honesty, I put mine in the dishwasher but I make sure the knife is the only thing in that particular slot in order to reduce the risk of damage.
Happy slicing!
