There are many inexpensive cooking knives out there. Go in any big box retail store and you can find an assortment of chefs knives, paring knives and kitchen cutlery for fairly low prices. That’s OK, if you do not plan to use them. They look pretty in the wooden knife block and that is where they should stay because you will wear yourself out trying to use them much.

You Get What You Pay For

If cooking is your thing you should avoid buying a drawer full of inexpensive knives. Invest in just a few good quality kitchen knives. To start, you only need three good knives; you can add to your kitchen arsenal over time.

You will use a chefs knife or paring knife for about 80% of the cutting and chopping work. Delicate work will most often be done with your paring knife and it is important that it be kept sharp.

Three Must Have Cooking Knives

• Short Chefs knife 6-8 inches long

• Long Chefs knife 8-12 inches long

• Sharp paring knife

Ease of Use

One of the best reasons to buy a better quality cooking knife sits at the end of your arm-your hand. A cheap knife is just that, cheap. The handles are made of plastic or wood that is often uncomfortable to grip. This puts extra stress on your hand and arm, making the work harder to perform. Over time, working with poorly made knives can cause pain, and even Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

A quality cooking knife is easier to hold and feels better in your hand. The grip is ergonomically crafted to fit comfortably in your hand and the knife is balanced to make the work easier to do. You can do much neater, more professional looking knife work with a well balanced, quality constructed cooking knife. High quality carbon steel or polished stainless steel blades stay sharp longer and the grip is much more comfortable.

Invest wisely and cooking can be the enjoyable experience it should be and not an onerous chore.

What to Look for:

• High quality forged carbon steel blades

• High quality polished stainless steel blades

• Ergonomic hand grips for easy use

• Balanced for ease of use

• A knife that feels good in your hand