The six best knives for your kitchen

Knives

For a while now, we've been using the same gleaming set of knives from Chef Knives to You, and we have a few favourites to share.

Click ahead to find out what knives you need, and how to pick the right knife for the job.

Chef's knife

The kitchen’s most versatile knife, the chef’s knife can be used for anything from dicing and chopping vegetables to slicing through the thick rinds of squash and melons. The slight curve to the blade makes the chef’s knife ideal for the rocking motion used when chopping quickly. When choosing a chef’s knife, purchase the largest size that you feel comfortable using.

Try our recipes: Macaroni and cheese with roasted butternut squash, Roasted squash salad with cranberries.

Carving knife

These knives are used for slicing in one long continuous motion, which is why they are generally quite long. They are primarily used to slice cooked meat. They may have hollowed recesses along the blade that allow for thinner slices, preventing the meat from sticking to the blade.

Try our recipes: Slow-cooked brisket with caramelized onions, cracklin' pork roast with marsala-chestnut gravy.

Bread knife

The serrated blade is perfect for cutting through food with a hard exterior and delicate interior, such as bread. It is also useful for fruit and vegetables of that nature, such as tomatoes.

Try our recipes: No-knead bread with bran, classic sandwich bread, heirloom caprese salad.

Boning knife

Designed for working with meat and poultry, the boning knife is known for its long, thin and flexible blade. This blade allows you to delicately work between joints with precision and control.

Fillet knife

Similar in design to the boning knife, the fillet knife is longer and thinner, allowing for the delicate handling needed when removing bones and skin from fish.

Try our recipes: Porcini-crusted black cod with garlic spinach, rolled trout with asparagus and tarragon cream.

Paring knife

The paring knife is essentially the mini chef’s knife and is used for smaller jobs when its larger counterpart might be too heavy. Akin to choosing a chef’s knife, the larger the paring knife the more versatile it is. It’s best suited to such tasks as dicing smaller vegetables, removing the skin from fruit and vegetables, and digging out imperfections and blemishes.

Try our recipes: Salmon with avocado-ginger salsa, roasted tomato-pepper salsa.

Have you ever purchased a new block of knives, brought them home, only to realize that you only use a couple from the set? There are only a handful that you need and each one does a specific job.

Go through the gallery above (use the pink "up" arrow to reveal information) to get the details on each of these knives:

Chef's knife

Carving knife

Bread knife

Boning knife

Fillet knife

Paring knife