I’m often asked what kitchen knives I favor. Good, sharp knives are an essential in any kitchen as well as developing proper knife skills (see video at the end of this post). Because a good kitchen knife can set you back a few bucks, I would start by what I consider the two most used and most useful knives, the chef’s knife and a pairing knife. I use these two knives daily. You can accomplish almost all knife functions with these two knives. If you have the budget for more, I would invest in a good carving knife and a filet knife which can also be used as a boning knife. After that, you may want to add a bread knife. This collection should more than do the trick for the majority of home kitchens. If you shop at a reputable store that sells a variety of kitchen knives they should be able to help you find the right knives for you that fit your need and also fit your hand with relationship to the size of the blade and handle. The following information on types of kitchen knives is a good guide from Katom Restaurant Supply, Inc (katom.com):

Types of Knives

There are several types of kitchen knives available. While some can be used as multitasking tools, others are best suited to a specific task.

Type	Uses	Example
Boning Knives	These are used to separate meat from bones and come with blades that are either straight or curved and flexible or stiff. Curved blades allow cooks to carve with more precision, while straight blades are quicker at making simple cuts. Stiffer blades are better for tougher cuts of meat like pork and beef, while flexible knives may be preferred for dressing poultry and fish. The blades on these knives are usually 5 to 7 inches long.
Bread Knives	Whether you need to cut an artisan loaf or soft sandwich bread, a bread knife’s serrated edge will cut through bread without damaging it. These knives have blades ranging in size from 6 to 10 inches long and might come with an offset blade, which makes it easier to use a cutting board without worrying about hitting your knuckles.
Butcher Knives	Designed to cut and trim large portions of meat, they usually have straight blades as long as 12 inches. However, a type of butcher knife called a cimeter knife has a curved blade. Most butcher knives have rounded tips, but breaking knives, meant to break down large quarters of meat, have pointed tips for added precision.
Carving Knives	These are ideal for making precise cuts in roasts, chicken, or ham, and are often used with a carving fork for added stability. Carving knives are long and thin, meant to cut through the meat in one stroke. The blades are usually 8 to 12 inches long and might have a scalloped edge designed to make cutting easier and prevent meat from sticking.
Cheese Knives	These typically have blades that are 8 to 11 inches long, and can have one or two handles, which provides better leverage for slicing through dense blocks of cheese. Other tools, like rolling slicers that let you easily determine slice thickness and cheese knives with holes for soft cheese, can also help facilitate the cheese cutting process.
Chef Knives	Commonly referred to as a cook’s knife, a chef knife is well-suited to cutting, slicing, chopping, and mincing a variety of ingredients, from poultry to vegetables. The blades on these versatile kitchen knives can be 5 to 12 inches long, but are most commonly 6 to 10 inches long.
Cleavers	Easily identifiable by their broad, square blades, which are usually between 6 and 12 inches long and as wide as 4 inches, cleavers are well-suited to heavy-duty butchering tasks like separating primal cuts of meat. However, Chinese cleavers are smaller and more lightweight, designed to be a versatile tool that can also chop ingredients.
Fillet Knives	Most popular for preparing fish, fillet knives usually have thin, flexible blades, which makes them ideal for handling delicate meats. Their blades are commonly 6 to 9 inches long, but can be as short as 4 inches. Although they are similar to boning knives, fillet knives aren’t suited to deboning tough cuts of meat.
Mezzalunas	Because it is best suited for quickly chopping herbs and other smaller ingredients, a mezzaluna is often called a mincing knife. This knife has a curved blade with a handle on each end; some versions are double-bladed. The mezzaluna blade must stay sharp or it will not properly mince ingredients.
Oyster Knives	These are equipped with thicker, duller blades that make it easier to shuck oysters. If your seafood menu is expansive, you can also consider specialized knives designed for use with lobsters, clams, and scallops.
Paring Knives	Paring knives have blades measuring from 21⁄2 to 4 inches long and are often said to resemble a small chef’s knife. These knives are ideal for detail work that requires hand control, like slicing, peeling, and coring fruits and vegetables.
Produce Knives	Meant for chopping, slicing, and dicing fruits and vegetables, produce knives can be general purpose or specific. For example, you can invest in a versatile all-purpose vegetable knife or choose a knife designed specifically to cut tomatoes. General fruit knives, as well as those made for cutting or coring a specific fruit, are also available.
Santoku Knives	A Japanese knife, its name means ‘three virtues’ and refers to the three kitchen tasks that it best performs: slicing, dicing, and mincing. Although these knives have the versatility of a chef’s knife, their blades are generally shorter and less curved, and their tips are less pointed. The blade shape is also ideal for scooping up chopped ingredients, while the scallops on the side of a Santoku knife’s blade help prevent chopped vegetables from sticking.
Specialty	Specialty knives can be worth the investment, as they usually make a common task easier. The tourne, or bird’s beak knife, pictured here is used for peeling fruits and vegetables or making delicate cuts and designs. Other specialty knives include rabbit knives, peeling knives, and boning hooks.
Steak Knives	These can have serrated or non-serrated edges and are must-haves for cutting steak, but can also make it easier to cut poultry and pork. These are usually for customers, but can be used behind-the-scenes in place of a utility knife if necessary.
Japanese Knives	Japanese-style knives include Nakiri and Usuba vegetable knives; Deba, used for filleting fish or cutting meat; Gokujo, used for boning and filleting fish; and Yanagiba, a sashimi knife. Japanese blades are made from harder steel with sharper angles and are generally more specialized in their usage.
German Knives	German knives are typically made with a softer steel and less angled edges than their Japanese counterparts. This means they are not as sharp, but are more durable and able to withstand heavy use. German knives are also known for their weight, making them perfect for chefs who prefer heavier knives.

When you shop for your knives, the sales person should be able to tell you the main differences between the German and Japanese knives or you can read this article which I think is excellent on explaining the differences (https://gearpatrol.com/2018/08/21/german-japanese-kitchen-knife-difference/#.XtkP8OLZFNw.email)

. I have both. Once you have invested in a good knife/knives, make sure you are equipped to care for them properly.  I use a good electric sharpener that has a blade for German and Japanese knives. They are different so make sure if you buy a sharpener that you have the right one for the make of your knife. I NEVER put my knives in the dishwasher. The extended heat will affect the temper of your knife.

Kitchen shears are usually included in knife sets, but you can also buy them separately, which I would recommend. I like the J.A. Henckels International Kitchen Shears, but there are many others that may be more preferential to you. Whichever you choose, I would highly recommend having a pair in your kitchen.

Now that you have your knives, let’s make sure you develop proper knife skills. When I give a cooking lesson, I always include knife skills in the class. I found the following video from Buzz Feed that shows exactly what I do to teach knife skills. Look and learn and good luck!