Buying guide: what do you want to cut? For every ingredient the right knife

Most people only own one small knife to cut and peel vegetables. We cut and peel carrots and all other vegetables with the same knife. And yet that is not something we recommend, and it isn't always easy to get through all ingredients with just one knife. That is why we recommend using a nakiri for lettuce, cabbage and hard fruits and vegetables. And the smaller, colourful peeling knife for only the smaller peeling tasks.

You might think you only need one knife to cut meat. Nothing could be further from the truth, there are various carving knives for different purposes. It is, for instance, not a good idea to use a carving knife to cut meat with bones and a cleaver won't help you end up with thin slices. We made an overview of all carving knives and their purpose.

Cutting and preparing fish might take some getting used to, but owning the right knife is the first step! And we all know: well begun is half done. When filleting raw fish we recommend a filleting knife or deba and when cutting cooked fish use a yanagiba or salmon knife. And even when opening oysters a standard table knife will not be the wisest choice.

Each kitchen should contain a good all-round kitchen knife. Think of a chef's knife or santoku. Use this knife to cut vegetables, meat, fish and herbs. Please note: these knives cannot cut through meat or fish with bones or vegetables or fruit with hard cores.