Although everyone agrees with the statement, knife skills are essential for chefs at any level, there’s no consensus on what the two-word phrase really means. While it is essential to know how to slice fruits, vegetables, meats, and other foods, does this also mean that you must be proficient in using the various metal blades around the globe? How about dicing and mincing — are those fundamental to knife skills or is that level of knowledge for obsessives only?
We watched dozens of videos on food sites and across all social media — and identified the ones that are worth watching. So now, in addition to not slicing off your thumb, you’ll learn how to sharpen a knife, stabilize a cutting board, and even contribute to a conversation about the cult of Japanese knives.
Which Knives are You Most Needed?
If you can only have one nice knife, it should be a “chef’s knife” — the silhouette is iconic and it can do more than any other type of blade: It can “slice and dice most vegetables, chop a mound of herbs, and handle simple meat cuts like cubing beef or slicing chicken into strips,” according to Wirecutter, which recommends a few knives that cost between $48 and $200.
Kitchen Ambition has compiled a comprehensive list of knives.
