A good knife may be the most important and frequently used equipment in any kitchen. It can decide whether cooking is fun or tedious. "A knife is a tool that has to perform well in your hands every day," says Jay Patel, the boss of Japanese knife The company serves some of the world's most respected chefs and restaurants“ Like a pen, iron or vacuum cleaner, if it doesn't work properly, it can immediately cause frustration. " However, buying the right knife not only makes food preparation easier and faster, but also safer and more enjoyable. If properly taken care of, a good knife will be used for life.

Buy a knife

Despite the rush to equip yourself, most of the work you do in the kitchen will be with a knife or two. Professional chefs may buy blades for specific purposes, but you may not need many when you choose a knife for your kitchen. As Marcia Barrington, the instructor of the most popular course at diversitinti culinary school, suggests: "buy one or two basic knives first, and then build the ideal set over time, as you find that you need other blades for more specific tasks."

When choosing a knife, please remember the following points:

O buy the best knife you can afford. You can buy it for the money you pay, and high quality knives will last for years. It's better to spend money on a good knife and sharpener than not have to buy a whole piece.

O Jay Patel of Japanese knife company said: "knife is a tool, not an art, so choose function instead of form, and buy blade instead of brand."

O hold a knife before you buy to make sure the handle is comfortable in your palm and you are comfortable with the weight. You don't have to buy the same brand for every knife - many chefs use a variety of different manufacturers.

O balanced knife means that the weight of handle and blade is almost the same, so the knife is easy to shake. To test, hold it as if it were on a board, then swing it back and forth to see if it is comfortable. Ideally, you have to reduce the rolling motion of your wrist when cutting. However, unless you are a professional chef, you are unlikely to get RSI, so although it is good to have a balanced knife, it is not absolutely necessary.

Choose your knife

For the blade shape, the straight and narrow blade is most suitable for cutting raw or cooked meat, not suitable for chopping, fast cutting or traditional rolling action. Wide blades with curved edges are ideal for preparing vegetables (you can lean on your knuckles when cutting into small pieces), but not for peeling or peeling.

A basic tool set may include two or more of the following:

1. A 15-17cm chef's knife is essential and the first one to invest. At first, it may look big, but as practice develops, it will become your first choice. "If you're stuck on a desert island, it's a knife," says Camilla schneideman, director of diversitinti's culinary school“ Learn to use it correctly and it will become an extension of your own arm. This is an excellent all-round knife with a long and wide universal blade for slicing, chopping, crushing, chopping and chopping. In addition, you may need a larger 25cm chef's knife, which will add weight when you cut pumpkin or Swedish food.

2. Peeler is the most commonly used blade in household kitchen. It's 7.5-10 cm long and is a mini version of the chef's knife. It's used to cut vegetables, slices and delicate cakes. The model with hook curve is very suitable for peeling citrus fruits.

3. Serrated tomato knife is a cheap and disposable item (less than 10 pounds). It cuts the hard, shiny skin of a tomato without squeezing the flesh, and it's great for separating oranges.

4. The fillet knife is thin, flexible and sharp. The blade is close to the bone to avoid waste. Remove the fish head with a heavy knife.

5. Osteotome with narrow blade and sharp tip is only used to remove bone. Some have flexible blades for poultry, while others have rigid blades for handling larger joints.

6. The carving knife is long and elastic enough to slice the meat. Some, a little bit, release meat from the joints of the bones. Those with a circular tip are used in boneless joints, called slicers.

7. The serrated bread knife should be long and strong so that it can cut the crust without crushing the slices. Serrated knives cannot be sharpened in the usual way, so they can only be used on wood or polypropylene surfaces. Do not use them to chop.

8. The tray knife is long and flexible, with a round tip, which can take the cake out of the can, slide under the cake or sprinkle with cream or icing.