When you think about all the kitchen gadgets and tools we have the knife is probably the tool we use the most. Veggies, meat, fruit and bread get chopped, diced and sliced on a daily basis so we should invest in the best knives we can. And they really are a sound investment that with a little care will last you a lifetime.

The world of knives is huge and everyone will have their favourites and opinions on which are the best. We have a few different brands in our line up at home but you can’t go wrong with the classic WUSTHOF. They’ve been making knives since 1814 and even after 200 years they are still family run and produce only in Solingen, the City of Blades. They have over 1,200 knives in their range at various price points. We carry a wide selection and always recommend you hold the knife in your hand before you buy to make sure it feels right for you. Something to look forward to when we can open the shop again!

With so much choice it’s sometimes confusing as to which knife you need for the job. If you have a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife you will pretty much be covered for all your kitchen prep needs. Yes, there are other types – peeling, butcher, pruning, fillet and many, many more – but for now we’ll look at the most used.

Top 3 knives for every kitchen

Chef’s Knife

This is probably the most useful and most used knife in the kitchen and the ultimate multitasker. You can chop your fruit and veg, slice your meats and fish (but don’t use for peeling, carving or butchery). Depending on what feels comfortable for you an 8 – 10 inch chef’s knife will handle most jobs with ease. This is one we recommend you invest in as much knife as you can afford.

Paring knife

The paring knife is small but mighty! It steps in when the chef’s knife is a bit too big for the job like mincing garlic, peeling fruit and veg, hulling strawberries – all the prep work that is a little more detailed. Try to resist using the paring knife to cut harder vegetables like carrots, potatoes or parsnips as the smaller blade has less weight than the chef’s knife and won’t slice through as easily. You don’t have to spend a huge amount to get a great paring knife, somewhere around the £20 mark will give you a lot to choose from.

Serrated knife

A serrated knife is underrated and often just seen as a bread slicer but they do so much more. Next time you’re slicing tomatoes use your serrated knife. Pineapples, melons, peppers, citrus fruit – get slicing with your serrated knife #lifechanging. Anything that’s a tad more slippery the jagged edge of the serrated knife will grip better, whereas the chef’s or paring knife can slide across the surface. The serrated knife is a slicing tool so use a saw action for best results.

Whichever knife you use, keeping it sharp is key. We offer a knife sharpening service in the shop and can take care of almost any knife. If you want to sharpen at home, there are now many different knife sharpeners on the market and we can help find the right one for you.

Any questions? Please feel free to give us a call on 01728 723757 or email chris@krcookshop.com- we here to help and make sure you get the product that best suits you. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Kitchen Range & Cook Shop soon!