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There are a handful of essentials when it comes to cooking at home, like salt, pepper, and a good pan—though few are as crucial as a sharp knife. While I have always known the importance of having good sharp knives (mostly from watching my grandma sharpen hers before butchering a chicken or carving a slab of ribs), I falter in the kitchen when it comes to my knife selection. 

My IKEA knives lasted me far longer than they should have—especially since I never sharpened them in my college kitchen—and when it finally came time to toss them, I knew I needed to step it up. Working in kitchens and bakeries across California, I had come into contact with a variety of sharps and I knew that I needed a chef’s knife that could live by my side and cut through just about everything, as well as a few secondary knives. 

When baking, a bread knife or bench scraper would at times be needed. When doing prep work as a line cook, a paring knife was essential alongside a chef’s knife. Now as a home cook, I know my knives need me just as much as I need them: need me to sharpen them, to save them from accidentally being put in the dishwasher, and to use them for the appropriate tasks. 

To help us all find our perfect knives, so we can really call ourselves cooks (whether we just practice at home or otherwise), I chatted with Josh Donald, co-owner of Bernal Cutlery in San Francisco. Donald shared his picks for chef’s knives and how to choose one, and suggested a handful of secondary knives for different types of cooks. Whether you’ve gotten deep into baking your own bread or butchering your own meat, we’ve rounded up all of the knives you need in your arsenal below. 

—Magdalena O'Neal, assistant editor 

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