The Knife Block Industrial Complex
The house knives are trash. In any restaurant kitchen, there’s a magnet on the wall holding 8-10 knives. Naturally, you might think people use these. They do not. They’re like the broken toys of Toy Story, abandoned and forgotten, called upon only for destructive tasks like breaking down boxes, opening cans, or cutting twine.
The same is true for home kitchens, except it’s a knife block instead of a magnet. Mac and I claim no immunity here. I discovered this last week at Mac’s house during a miserable attempt to demo shallot-dicing for our first cooking video. To be fair, I too have a block full of dull knives.
I’m happy to report that this phenomenon is not your fault. It’s the knife block industrial complex. The more knives you have, the less you care for each one. That’s just math. I’m tempted to get out the whiteboard and draw a line graph.
Unless you are consistently butchering whole animals, portioning primal cuts, or making sushi on a commercial scale, you need, at the absolute most, four knives. As with most kitchen tools, it’s best to choose just a few quality items and maintain them well.
One 6-10 inch chef’s knife. Professionals use this for 98% of their knifework. It’s the only one you truly need. Invest in a serviceable chef’s knife, and take care of it. Find a good knife shop and ask questions. Carbon steel versus stainless is an important consideration (sharpness versus durability). Beyond that, it’s mostly about feel, so do a test drive. Don’t be afraid to ask if they have a cutting board and veggies to try out different styles.
One serrated bread knife. After the chef’s knife, the rest are specialty applications. You can cut bread with a sharp chef’s knife, but the sawing motion helps avoid squishing the soft interior. Plus, a freshly sharpened chef’s knife on a crusty baguette is like nails on a chalkboard (and can actually dull your knife).
One paring knife. You can get by without it, but it’s nice to have a paring knife for tight jobs like cutting and coring fruit, peeling garlic, and topping and tailing green beans.
One 6-8 inch boning knife. Omnivores only. The curvature and flexibility of the blade is helpful for navigating joint corners and separating sinew from muscle. You can do this with a chef’s knife, so don’t bother unless you’re consistently breaking down whole chickens and fish.
That’s it. Stay tuned for more on selecting a knife and caring for it.
We’re glad you’re cooking with us.
Cheers,
Sten and Mac
Chef Snacks
Cooking Tip
Use your honing rod every 3 times you use your knife. You probably already have a honing rod in your knife block. It’s one of the only useful items in there. A few passes on each side of the blade, and you’re done. Note that this is not sharpening (creating a new edge). Honing is realigning the molecules on the existing edge. This helps keep your knife sharp for much longer.
Purveyor Spotlight
Bozeman Knife Sharpening & Supply. The artist formerly known as Seattle Knife Sharpening. They relocated to Bozeman during the pandemic. Sad for us, good for Montana. It’s still my favorite knife shop. I do a passable job sharpening my own knives, but I stop by for a tuneup whenever I drive back to Minnesota. I’m not saying everyone should send their knives to Montana for sharpening (though you CAN ship them). But check out their website as you begin your research. Bob Tate is an artist, and his shop is a great example of a tight product line with a range of price points.
Restaurant Lore
It’s bad luck to give a knife as a gift. It portends the severing of the relationship between giver and receiver. Fortunately there’s a remedy: include a dollar (or a quarter) with the knife so they have money to buy it from you. No joke. Don’t mess with the kitchen gods.
