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Essential Cooking Knives and Cutting Boards
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items In any kitchen, a few good knives are worth their weight in gold. Sharp, well-chosen knives can make every task easier and safer. Whether you’re a home or restaurant chef, this list covers the most important knives to handle any kitchen task, along w...
Sections
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Knives
Cutting Boards
Knives
These knives will handle any cooking task and last a lifetime. I've been using my Wusthof Classic knives for decades.
This chef’s knife will be your best partner—it can handle almost every task. It’s curved, which helps you rock the blade back and forth for chopping. Most people need one bigger than they think they need. This 8″ knife is perfect for most people.
WÜSTHOF Gourmet 8" Chef's Knife
This carving/slicing knife is long and flexible, making slicing meats or fish easier. Its thin blade lets you cut in one smooth stroke without sawing. This 9" slicer is the perfect length.
WÜSTHOF Slicing/Carving Knife
This boning knife has a narrow, sharp tip for cutting around bones or removing them from meat, chicken, or fish. It's perfect for deboning or filleting. Hold the protein steady and use gentle, controlled strokes.
Classic Boning Knife 14 cm | 5 inch – WÜSTHOF UK
This tiny knife is your go-to for peeling fruits and vegetables, trimming, and detailed work. Its small size allows you to do fine cuts that bigger knives can’t handle well. It’s perfect for tasks like de-seeding peppers or removing the eyes from pot...
All-Purpose Kitchen Knives: Chef's, Paring, Asian Style & Utility
Used with the slicing knife, this fork makes carving a breeze.
WÜSTHOF Classic 6" Curved Meat Fork
Keeping your knives sharp is important for both safety and performance. Dull blades slip and cause accidents more often than sharp ones. Honing steels are for daily maintenance—just slide both edges of the knife along the steel a few times immediatel...
Sharpening Steel
If you're equipping your kitchen from scratch, buying a set is the way to go.
WÜSTHOF Classic Knife Set
A meat cleaver is used for chopping through bones and thick cuts of meat. Its weight and wide blade pack power—useful for heavy-duty tasks. These knives are also the favored weapons of cartoon chef’s whose food a guest has insulted.
WÜSTHOF 6" Cleaver
Kitchen shears complete your arsenal of cooking weapons.
Kitchen Shears
For periodic sharpening, I’ve been using this simple, effective sharpener for years.
KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener
Knife blocks come in a variety of materials but I like the beauty and warmth of wood. They also come with different numbers of slots. Pick one that will hold your knife collection.
Universal Knife Block
Cutting Boards
The cutting board is an unsung hero in any kitchen, used for nearly every meal. Which cutting board is best? The answer isn’t simple. Here are four great options.
I discovered the best cutting board ever, TrueBoard, which is heavy wood, with adjustable feet and a drain tray to catch juices. Use my CHEFSAPPRENTICE code for a 20% DISCOUNT. It's the Rolls Royce of cutting boards, but my discount should help with ...
The True Board | Raise it Up
If you can’t afford the Rolls Royce of cutting boards but want a wood cutting board, there’s no need to buy a board so pretty that you’re afraid to touch it with a knife. I recommend a simple maple board like this one.
Sonder LA Winsome Maple Wood Cutting Board
Most plastic cutting boards are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP), which are tough but flexible. You can find them in different colors, which helps prevent cross-contamination. Many cooks use color-coded boards for raw ...
SMIRLY 3-Piece Plastic Cutting Board Set
Bamboo isn’t actually wood; it’s a type of grass. It’s an amazing material. It grows incredibly fast, making it a green, renewable choice. It’s naturally very hard and has antibacterial properties. Here’s a good set of bamboo boards.
Cutting Boards - Totally Bamboo