The WannaBChef’s Setup for Success: Knives

WannaBChef.com’s ultimate goal is for you to be able to throw amazing dinner parties – for 20 or more, or just 2 – that will “wow” your guests, make you look like a superstar , and still let you actually ENJOY your party, rather than slaving away in the kitchen while your guests are host-less.

So, let’s get you starting off on the right foot, with The WannaBChef’s Set Up For Success Plan!  This is the best way I have found for you to get your kitchen set up to begin cooking and getting ready for your first big event.  Feel free to try it all out and see what works for you, and what doesn’t.  Make this Plan work for you so that you are comfortable, rather than try to mold yourself around a list that you’re not comfortable with.  This Plan will be broken down into several pieces, each focusing on one area/piece of equipment you need to get ready to cook.

Tools of the Trade – Knives

Every job has certain tools or equipment you’ll need.  In the kitchen, these tools vary by the cook’s experience and personal tastes.  Here’s the WannaBChef’s basics of what you’ll need to get cooking, starting with Knives.  I can’t stress the importance of good, quality, knives that you are comfortable using.  The knives you choose need to fit your hand well, and not be too heavy (or too light) for your own taste.  This is definitely one area of equipment that you don’t want to cut corners or go cheap on.  Investing in a good set of knives is just that – an investment.  As long as you take care of your knives, they will last you a good long time.  However, even the best knives can be destroyed if they aren’t cared for properly, but that’s another blog.

The core knives that you need to have are:

• Chef’s Knife (usually 7″ is sufficient for home use, thought some people like an 8″ or even 10″ knife)
• Paring Knife (usually 3-4″)
• Utility Knife (this is usually a 6-7″ knife, but with a smaller blade than a Chef’s Knife…it kinda looks like a larger paring knife)
• Serrated Bread Knife (this one looks like it has “teeth” to cut through crusty loaves of bread, and can be used for other cutting as well)
• Flexible Boning Knife (again, about 7″, with a strong but flexible blade to use when breaking down chicken, fish, etc.).

Along with these core knives, you may find sets that offer more knives giving you a full range of cutlery for more uses than you will know.  If you find a brand that you like, and can afford the cost, full sets of knives can be an amazing deal, rather than just buying each individual piece separately.  You also may find that you like different brands for different knives.  Don’t be afraid to go to your local houseware store or kitchen supply / knife store to “test drive” a few knives.  Most stores will let you hold the different knives you are interested in, and some even have testing areas where you can try them out on cutting boards.  Ask questions while you are in the store, and don’t be afraid to shop around.  You may try out several brands at a local boutiques housewares store, and then research on-line stores to find the same knives at a great discount.  I personally like to shop at www.KnifeMerchant.com.  There, you can find a huge array of brands and knives to satisfy all of your cutlery needs.

Knives are a (surprisingly) personal choice.  I prefer a lighter knife, so I usually lean towards the Asian manufacturers like Global & Mac.  If you like heavier knives, you may want to explore the European styles of Wustof or Henckel.  Again, the best advice is to go and feel the knives for yourself to see what YOU like best.  There are pros and cons for every knife brand, so ultimately it comes down to your personal choice.

While shopping for knives, make sure you also have a Honing Steel to use to help keepthe edges of your knives sharp and ready to go.  These are available in metal, ceramic, and even diamond edges, each offering a different type of honing for your blade, so ask which type of Honing Steel is best for the knives that you choose.  Some knives may eveb require use of a certain type for the knives to perform at their best (like Global & Mac knives using a ceramic steel to keep a sharp edge).

When you get home, where are you going to keep those shiny and sharp new knives?  Most sets will come with some type of Knife block, or you may want to look at a Magnetic Knife Strip to store your knives on (you mount it to the wall, so make sure you have a convenient place in your kitchen for it).  Most blocks will have a place to store all of your knives (usually with slots to spare), and even have a space for your Honing Steel, and usually a slot for kitchen Shears.  Bottom line is to make sure that you have a safe place to store your knives, that will protect both you - from the sharp blades; and your knives – from you!  But, I’ll go into that more in a separate blog about knife maintenance and storage.

Now you should be ready to go out and pick up some new knives for yourself.  If you have a set of knives that you enjoy using, you don’t need to go out and buy a whole new set.  You may, however, want to explore the option of having your knives professionally sharpened if you have had them for some time.  This is usually inexpensive, and you can ask about services that may be offered at your local housewares store.