As a Finite Foodie with limited resources (aka money), we suggest you purchase an 8-inch (or 7-inch) chef’s knife. Although you will find 6-inch (too small for many jobs) and 10-inch (too large for many jobs) chef’s knives, we don’t recommend those to begin with. The 8-inch blade is just right!
We use this standard size for almost every cutting job in our kitchen, although a small paring knife and a serrated one are useful to add as soon as you can. Paring knives are used to peel vegetables and cut small items. A serrated knife will make the job of slicing tomatoes, bread or fragile items much easier. Also, there are many sets available that contain these 3 knives and sometimes the honing steel as well, all for a substantially discounted price.
The main thing to remember is to buy the best knife you can afford. There is nothing else in the kitchen you will use as often as your knives. Rebecca loves her Global knives, Greg uses the Wusthof Classic, and Bobbi prefers her old Zwilling J.A. Henckels.
Once you have an excellent knife, you’ll want to keep it sharp. The best way to do this is to not let it get dull in the first place. A honing steel as shown in our photo, straightens out (realigns) the edge of your knife. As you cut, the sharp edge starts to roll to one side. It’s not visible to the naked eye, but it happens every time you use your knife. The longer you use it without honing, the more pronounced the roll becomes. Finally, the only way to correct it is to sharpen it, which shaves off the rounded edge.
Protect your knife by honing every time you use it or every few times you do. Some cooks recommend honing every 1-7 days, but it really depends on how often you use them and the type of foods you chop. Even with regular honing, knives will eventually become dull. We recommend taking your knives into a shop for sharpening every few years or when you notice they are becoming too dull to correct with your honing steel. Good knives are important investments, so take care of them!
If you search online for “how to use a honing steel,” you’ll find good videos demonstrating various chefs’ techniques for using one.
