Kitchen knives: what is a good basic set?
There are a lot of different types of kitchen knives all with their own specialties. As a result, one of the frequently asked questions when it comes to kitchen knives is: ‘Which knives do I really need?’ For those who has lost track of all the knives out there: there is actually no one in the world who could possibly need all these types of knives. We believe that a good basic set is comprised of the four knives mentioned below. Each knife that is added to that range is an addition.
These four knives shouldn’t be missing from your kitchen:
1. Chef’s knife
The chef’s knife is absolutely indispensable. You use it the most of all. Vegetables, fish, herbs: the chef’s knife will cut through it all. The blade on a chef’s knife is on average 20 cm long and about 4 to 5 cm high. When cutting you hold your fingers of the hand you use to hold the ingredient against the blade. This way you can work safely and quickly.
2. Bread knife
Hard crust, soft crust or buns: with a great bread knife you can easily cut through all types of bread. But this knife is also perfect for cutting cakes and hard vegetables and fruit.
A bread knife has a serrated blade. With it you can easily slice pieces of bread without putting any pressure on the knife. The serrations on the blade will easily cut through hard crusts because the pressure of the blade is focused on the tips of the serrations.
3. Turning knife
Perhaps the most underestimated kitchen knife. Perfect for peeling jobs but also to cut apples, carrots or potatoes and other products. Absolutely indispensable.
The short blade has a slightly curved shape that perfectly matches the curve of, for instance, apples or potatoes. In addition to peeling and cutting jobs this knife is also perfect to remove rotten spots thanks to the sharp tip.
4. Paring knife
The paring knife is a small, light knife. Perfect for the precise jobs and light peeling work. Cut or peel vegetables and fruit in an instance.
A paring knife has a blade length of (approximately) 7 to 11 cm. The shape is narrow and pointed with a straight edge and looks like a small chef’s knife.
If you frequently use these types of knives you can always expand this set. Check out our kitchen knife overview for all the expansion options. Prefer to purchase a complete set? Check out all our knife sets.
