Tools for the work · not for the shelf

Journal · 01

The Five Knives Most Home Cooks Actually Need

Most home cooks don't need a block of fifteen knives. They need five that fit the jobs they actually cook. The job comes first — the knife role — not a supplier category.

The one knife is the all-purpose 8in/210mm chef or gyuto — onions, herbs, tomatoes, vegetables, boneless proteins, daily mise en place. Then the fast-prep santoku or bunka for compact board work. Then a small paring knife. Then a bread knife. Then a meat-prep knife for normal culinary meat preparation.

Choose by the job, not by the catalog. Most of the rest is marketing.