Chef's knife
A 20-ish centimetre workhorse. Not a block of twelve knives you never sharpen. If you cook, you cut, and one sharp blade beats a drawer of dull ones. Som tam, carbonara and bibimbap all start with the same boring competence: onion, garlic, herbs, meat.
When you need it
Always. There is no recipe on this site that is improved by tearing packaging with a steak knife. A paring knife helps with small fruit; it does not replace this one.
What to look for
Balance in your hand, steel you will actually sharpen, and a bolster that does not fight the stone. Western chef's knives and santoku shapes both work; buy the one your wrist likes. A cheap sharp knife is better than an expensive dull one. Stainless is easier. Carbon steel takes a finer edge and stains.
Alternatives
A santoku. A nakiri if you live on vegetables. Kitchen shears for herbs and poultry joints. None of those excuse a blunt main blade.
Care
Hone often, sharpen sometimes, wash by hand, dry immediately. Dishwashers ruin handles and edges. Store on a magnet or in a sheath, not loose in a drawer where it chips on a tin opener.
Recommended products
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