Knives – every chef’s biggest treasure! Any self-respecting chef takes a great care of his knives, keeps them clean, sharp and protected. But there’s so much more than just knives in that case! We have pretty much every tool we would need, if the kitchen we work in didn’t have any utensils. And I am not going too deep into the pastry side (those guys have a lot of weird stuff). I will talk about the most common tool kit. The one, that every chef should have! So, let me tell you what is in it! 

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Ok, let’s start with knives. 

In my opinion, every chef should have at least 3 knives. 

8” Chef’s knife

The most universal of all the knives. You will use it around 95% of the time, if not more. Make sure it feels comfortable in your hand and is not too heavy. You will be working with it all day, every day after all. I love Japanese knives more than anything. They are very sharp, well balanced and very comfortable. They might be a little more expensive, but the quality is stunning, and it will last you a life time. Unless you break it of course… 

Beginner’s Chef’s Knife

German Chef’s Knife

Japanese Chef’s Knife

• Paring knife

Tool for the precision work. From cleaning vegetables to decorations and carvings, it is the tool when you feel that chef’s knife is too big. Imagine cleaning chanterelles with it.

Beginner’s Paring Knife

German Paring Knife

Japanese Paring Knife

• Serrated Edge Knife a.k.a. Bread Knife

Not only for the bread, but for most of the jobs where push cutting is a no no. One of the chefs’ I worked with was obsessed of cutting the fruit with this knife. No joke. 

Beginner’s Serrated Edge Knife 

German Serrated Edge Knife

Japanese Serrated Edge Knife

These are 3 main knives every chef should have, but there are 2 more I would recommend. 

5.5” Petty Knife a.k.a. Utility Knife

Somewhere in-between the paring and chef’s knife. I love this knife when it comes to working with onions or poultry carving. 

Beginner’s Petty Knife

German Petty Knife

Japanese Petty Knife

9” Slicer Knife

For all the slicing, except for bread of course. Usually, one of the most expensive knives. Slicing meat and fish with this knife is an absolute delight.

I am a strong believer that every knife has its purpose and you can get the best results by using the right tool for the job. 

Ok, now we’ve finished with the knives. The next thing on the list is… 

Palette knife!(not actually a knife though)

Palette knife is also a very universal tool. We use it for cooking fish and making cakes. A very useful and inexpensive tool! 

Sharpening Steel

A must have tool for anyone who uses knives frequently. Sharpening steel does not actually sharpen the blade, but rather realigns the edges of a blade. There are many different kinds of steels, but I choose the diamond every time! 

Here is the first half of the professional chef’s knife case inventory. Knives are the most important tools for any chef, but there is a good handful of other tools we couldn’t live without. 

Continue reading: What Is In The Professional Chef’s Knife Case 2/2