Success in the Kitchen Starts with Good Knives

Success in the Kitchen Starts with Good Knives

Reading Time: 5 minutes

 

By Dana Brenner Food and food preparation is the center of our histories and cultures, and there is a reason why our kitchens are the focal point and gathering areas of many homes. No matter what your background is, what cultural dish you are preparing, or where you live, the key to success in the kitchen all starts with good knives.

Don’t Cheap Out:

When I was growing up, my family didn’t have much money. When they did spend money, my parents believed it was most cost-effective to purchase quality one time than to purchase cheap multiple times. In the kitchen, my mother had the best, because she was the one that kept us going.

My mother taught me how to cook and that good knives were essential in the kitchen. Slicing meat and preparing vegetables require sharp knives. Most knives are sharp right out of the box, but what makes a good, quality knife is its ability to stay sharp.

Quality doesn’t translate into expensive. What it does translate into is having the best possible tools that you can afford and what works the best for you. I’ve had some costly knives that weren’t worth all their hype. On the other hand, I have had some inexpensive knives that were some of the best I have ever owned. The bottom line is that quality has nothing to do with brand names because, often, you are paying for the name. When choosing kitchen knives, the price should never be your only guide.

What Knives Should You Have in Your Kitchen?

There is no shortage of knives in my kitchen. Like the tools in my shed, every one of the knives in my kitchen has a purpose; have the right knife for the job. While some kitchen knives can serve multiple functions, there is no such thing as “one size fits all.” What follows are the kitchen knives that I can’t do without.

ULU (OR ULU STYLE):

The ulu is one of the oldest style knives in use today. It is very popular among the Native Alaskans, and I was first introduced to it while in Alaska. There is no better knife for processing everything from meat, poultry, and large fish to chopping vegetables. My ulu and my ulu-style Downwind, made by Gerber, are the most used knives in my kitchen. What makes the ulu unique is its design. The blade is semi-circular, and the handle is located right above the blade. This design makes whatever you are doing as simple as moving your wrist. When shopping for an ulu, try to avoid cheap imitations. Stick to custom-crafted blades. My ulu was made by Mike Moore, “The Ulu Maker,” and it is top of the line.

PREP KNIFE:

It wasn’t until I started seriously cooking that I discovered just how valuable a good prep knife was to my kitchen tools. I can’t count the number of times the knife I used was either too small or too large for the job. While working with a chef in Key West, Florida, I was introduced to the prep knife and have used one ever since.

Larger than a paring knife and smaller than a carving knife, the prep knife is perfect for deboning chicken, butterflying fish, or trimming excess fat from red meat and poultry. A good quality prep knife should have a sharpened blade length of about five inches, and like all your knives, it should have a stout blade and be able to keep a sharp edge, even when scraping against bones. Though there are many good (and not so good) prep knives, my prep knife is the Large Pouter made by LT Wright Knives. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what brand of knife you have, just make sure you have a good prep knife in your kitchen.

PARING KNIFE:

What would any of us do without a good paring knife? I use my paring knife for peeling potatoes and fruit, coring apples, and making precise cuts in meat. You ask a great deal from your paring knife, so you should ensure you have a good one. The blade should measure around three inches, and it needs to be extremely sharp. Only a sharp blade will allow you to peel fruit.

CARVING KNIFE:

Whether slicing a ham or carving a turkey, a good carving knife is essential. While there are many good carving knives, I prefer a Santoku knife for my carving needs. The Santoku is of Japanese design, and besides being a great carving knife; it also functions as a light to medium chopper. My Santoku has a five-inch blade and works like a charm.

LARGE KITCHEN KNIFE:

Last on my must-have list is a large kitchen knife. I like a kitchen knife with a heavy blade, though this is my personal preference. I use my kitchen knife to finely chop onions, press garlic cloves, and cube potatoes. I also use it to chop through the tough shells of winter squash and rutabaga. My kitchen knife needs to be sharp, keep a good edge, and be heavy enough to withstand what I put it through.

Over the years, I have gone through many kitchen knives, with most failing because of the heavy use I put them through. With all fairness, most kitchen knives are not meant to do the job of a cleaver. The kitchen knife I now use combines the best of a traditional kitchen knife and cleaver. That knife is the Camp Kitchen made by LT Wright Knives. This knife gives me the fine edge of a kitchen knife with the thick blade of a cleaver, and it will slice cheese and top tough winter squash with equal ease.

Keep Them Sharp

I don’t care if you have a high-dollar, custom knife or one you bought at a discount store; the key in the kitchen is to keep them sharp. Dull knives are dangerous knives, and I sharpen my knives all the time. A good sharpening requires time on the whetstone, while touchups are done with ceramics. Make sure you make sure your knives are sharp before every job.

Conclusion

Food preparation is a true art form. Whether you raise and grow your own food or harvest it from the wild, you owe it to your family, guests, and yourself, to prepare it well. Good knives will go a long way toward making that happen.


DANA BENNER has been writing about all aspects of the outdoors, homesteading, gardening, and history for over 35 years with his work appearing in regional, national, and international publications, both in print and online.


Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

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