After college, I inhered my mom’s million-year-old Farberware and a toaster oven the same age as me. Since then, I’ve accumulated enough kitchenware that my kid’s bedroom closet acts as a storage space. Some of the items I’ve bought, clearly, are not the most necessary. Below, though, are the ones I can’t live without.
Equipment
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In-Drawer Knife Block
Buy ItI have a drawer that I keep this knife block and a stack of cutting boards in, and it works well for me. It also helps keep the knives from dulling, which can sometimes happen when you pull them from a traditional counter block.
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Wusthof Bread Knife
Buy itIf you get the three knives posted here, you’re set as far as I’m concerned. I’ve had my bread knife for over a decade now and it’s held up well. If I’m honest, you’d probably be find getting by with the less expensive but still highly reviewed version. Just remember serrated knives can’t be sharpened so you definitely want to get a good one from the start.
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Wusthof Paring Knife
Buy itI use this for…paring, of course. But also for things like cutting pockets into chicken, cutting fruit or cheese, and the occasional small chop job.
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Wusthof Chef’s Knife
Buy itIf I can giv eyou one piece of advice it’;s to not buy a knife block. They can be both lower quality knives and knives you never use (like…a boning knife). I recommend buying open stock. I use my chef’s knife or a santoku for practically all my chopping. I actually have 3 because I am too lazy to wash them if I prep meat before vegetables or what have you. Personally, I use a 6″ chef’s knife because it fits best in my hands. If you aren’t sure what size to get, I highly recommend going to a store to test a few knives out (both for length and weight).