The Best Knives for a Home Chef (You Need 5)

You're not in college anymore. Here are the only five kitchen knives a home cook really needs, and why one sharp chef's knife beats a whole drawer of dull ones.

Rolling Sharpening Stone · May 28, 2019 · 7 min read

You're not in college anymore. Get some real knives.

The short version

If you only read the table, that's fine. We'd do the same.

Knife	Size	What it's for	Spend about
Chef's knife	8–10 in	80% of everything: chopping, dicing, slicing	$40–$150
Paring knife	3–4 in	Peeling, trimming, small fiddly work	$8–$25
Bread knife	9–10 in	Bread, cake, anything crusty outside and soft inside	$15–$50
Boning knife	5–6 in	Meat, poultry, fish, trimming silverskin	$25–$60
Utility knife	5–6 in	Everything in between: sandwiches, fruit, cheese	$20–$50

That's a whole kitchen for the price of one fancy knife, and it will out-cook a fifteen-piece block set every single night.

The knife drawer problem

Every college house has one. The "I just gained independence and now I have to cook" knife drawer.

It comes complete with:

Four rusty IKEA steak knives
Two dull Amazon Basics chef's knives
One WWII bayonet tip passed down from your red-blooded, steak-and-eggs-loving grandfather (Thanks for the USAA membership, Papa.)

This is Gary's drawer. Nothing in it has been sharpened since the Bush administration. Either one.

Gary has a lot of knives. Gary does not have a single knife that cuts.

Don't be Gary.

Sharpness beats quantity, every time

Yes, the five knives below will change your kitchen game. But if they're all dull, they're just expensive kitchen props.

One sharp chef's knife beats a whole drawer of neglected blades.

I've seen $300 knives that couldn't slice through memory foam. If you want a paperweight, go to the train tracks and grab a rock. If you want a knife, keep it sharp.

This is not how physics works. It is exactly how cooking works.

People often ask me: "Is a cheap knife worth sharpening?"

Well, a dull knife isn't worth having. Either get it sharpened or toss it.

The core five: the only knives you really need

Let's be real. Cooking with one dull chef's knife and your grandpa's deer skinner isn't "resourceful." It's reckless.

Try slicing tomatoes, peeling garlic and carving a chicken with the same blade, and see how fast dinner turns into a crime scene.

The right knife for the job makes cooking faster, cleaner and way less frustrating. Your food (and your fingers) will thank you. There are just five. Everything else is noise.

Your starting five. The steak knife is not on the team. The steak knife has never been on the team.

1. The chef's knife: the Beyoncé of your kitchen

Who can sing, dance, act, and is trusted by all of America? Your chef's knife… and Beyoncé.

She's your all-purpose superstar. The first knife off the wall (get a magnetic knife strip, you're an adult) and the last one rinsed in the sink.

With 8–10 inches of blade and legs for days, this knife does 80% of the work.

Why you need it: Chops, dices, slices, and even kind of juliennes when you're trying to impress someone on a date.

My pick: Cangshan Kita 8", about $130.

The Cangshan Kita 8-inch chef's knife, with a hammered Damascus blade, a blue handle and a blue sheath.

2. The paring knife: the tiny ninja assassin

Now we're getting into the role players.

The paring knife is the gritty defender that takes on all the tedious jobs Beyoncé won't touch. Small, precise, perfect for peeling, trimming and delicate slicing.

Why you need it: You can't peel an apple with a machete. (Hey, stop that. You just thought about trying it. Let it go.)

My pick: Messermeister 3" Clip Point Paring Knife, about $8.

A small Messermeister clip point paring knife with an orange handle.

3. The bread knife: the state flower of Iowa (you read that right)

The bread knife is misunderstood but vital. Its serrated edge saws through bread, cake, or anything with a tough outside and a soft inside.

Why you need it: Saves your sourdough (and your dignity).

But here's the catch. If you're using your bread knife on tomatoes because your chef's knife squishes them, that's not a bread knife problem.

If your bread knife is doing your chef's knife's job, your chef's knife needs a sharpening. And maybe a hug.

That's a sign it's time for a professional sharpening. (Hit me up.)

My pick: Columbia Cutlery Black Offset Bread Knife, 9" "Sandwich Knife", about $15.

An offset serrated bread knife with a black handle.

4. The boning knife: Sixth Man of the Year

The team is down 10. It's late in the third. Suddenly, you need to trim a slab of meat. All hope is lost, until…

"YIPPEE-KAY-YAY, MOTHER Ffff—"

*I swear, if there's a ten-year-old reading this, I'm gonna lose it.

The boning knife checks into the game, trims all the meat and jump-starts the comeback. You won't need it for every meal. But when you do, it's the only one you can count on.

Flexible and thin, it's ideal for meat, poultry and fish.

Why you need it: Break down proteins at home like a champ. Get money. Look cool.

My pick: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Boning Knife (the go-to for butchers), about $35.

A Victorinox Fibrox Pro boning knife with a thin curved blade and a black handle.

5. The utility knife: the middle child who finally gets credit

The overlooked MVP of the drawer. It lives somewhere between the paring knife and the chef's knife, and it quietly handles every oddball task that doesn't fit anyone else's job description.

Analogy: If the chef's knife is Batman, this is Robin. (But cooler. And with better snacks.)

Why you need it: Sandwiches, fruit, avocados, rogue wedges of cheese. It's your go-to for anything that makes you say, "What knife do I use for this?"

My pick: Victorinox utility knife (trusty and underrated), about $45.

A Victorinox utility knife with a slim blade and a wood handle.

Honorable mentions (they're probably in your drawer right now)

Honing steel: keeps your edge straight between sharpenings. Here's how to use one without losing a thumb.
Santoku: a nice alternative to the chef's knife, but not mandatory.
Cleaver: awesome if you break down meat or star as the villain in a horror movie.
Steak knives: great for eating. Stop cooking with them. (Sorry, Steve.)

TL;DR

You only need five knives: chef's, paring, bread, boning and utility.

Dull knives = sadness and ER visits.

Use them. Love them. Sharpen them.

Be the knife you wish to see in the world.

(Prices for the knives above are roughly what they cost when we wrote this. Knife prices, like Gary's drawer, change over time.)

Questions people actually ask

How many knives does a home cook really need?

Five: a chef's knife, a paring knife, a bread knife, a boning knife and a utility knife. Most home cooks could get through a whole year on the first two alone.

What size chef's knife should I buy?

Eight inches if you're not sure. Ten if you have big hands or a big board. Six feels safe and then annoys you every time you chop an onion.

Is an expensive chef's knife worth it?

Up to a point. A $40 Victorinox that's sharp beats a $300 knife that isn't. Spend more if you like how a knife feels in your hand, not because the steel has a story.

Should I buy a knife block set?

Usually no. Block sets pad the count with steak knives and a pair of scissors to justify the price. Buy the five, add a magnet strip, skip the block.

How often should a home cook sharpen their knives?

Once or twice a year if you cook occasionally, every three to six months if you cook most nights. Hone in between. Here's the difference.

Can you sharpen a cheap knife?

Yes, and it's the single best $8 you can spend on a kitchen. A sharp cheap knife outperforms a dull expensive one every time.

Will sharpening ruin my Shun or Wüsthof?

No. We match the angle the knife already has. More on brand-name knives.

In DFW or Austin and need your knives sharpened? We've got you.

We do professional knife sharpening for home cooks, restaurants and businesses in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. No gimmicks. No dull blades. Just razor-sharp edges from people who give a damn.

Drop off at our Flower Mound shop for $8 a knife (ready the next business day, or same day on Fridays if you're in by noon — here's why), or book an at-home visit from $43 and we'll sharpen in your driveway. Questions? Contact us.

Restaurants: get started Home cooks: book sharpening