# What kitchen knife should you buy first? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/first-kitchen-knife/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Food · Updated: 2026-10-14 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Buy one good chef's knife of medium length, or a santoku if you prefer a shorter, flatter blade, and make it one that feels balanced and comfortable in your own hand. Add a small paring knife and a serrated bread knife later. Skip the big block set: most of it ends up unused while one knife does all the work. Most kitchens have a drawer of knives and one that actually gets used. It is usually not the most expensive one; it is the one that feels right. If you are starting out, or replacing a sad, blunt collection, put your money into a single good everyday knife and let the rest come later, if ever. ## Chef's knife or santoku? Both are excellent all-rounders. The choice is about how you like to cut. **Chef's knife (Western style)** - A longer blade with a curved edge that rises towards the tip. - Suits a rocking motion: the tip stays on the board while you rock the blade through herbs or onions. - Good for big jobs: squash, cabbage, a pile of vegetables for soup. **Santoku (Japanese style)** - Usually shorter, with a flatter edge and a rounded tip. - Suits an up-and-down or forward slicing motion. - Often lighter and thinner, which many people find nimble for vegetables, fine slicing and smaller hands. Neither is better. If you can, hold both before buying. Pick the one you reach for without thinking. ## What size? A medium-length chef's knife is the most versatile size for most home cooks: long enough to cut through a large onion or a melon, short enough to feel controllable. Santokus tend to be a little shorter. If you have a small board or a small kitchen, or the knife feels unwieldy, go shorter. If you cook in quantity, a slightly longer blade saves strokes. ## How it should feel Specifications matter less than your hand. When you hold it: - **Balance:** it should feel steady, neither pulling down at the tip nor dragging back at the handle. Many people find a balance point near where the blade meets the handle comfortable. - **Grip:** your hand should close comfortably around the handle, with your knuckles clear of the board when the blade is flat on it. - **Weight:** heavier knives push through hard vegetables with less effort; lighter ones feel quicker and more precise. Both are fine; choose what you like. - **Comfort:** no sharp edges at the spine or bolster digging into your fingers when you pinch-grip the blade. ## Steel, briefly Knife steels range from softer, tougher Western steels, which are forgiving and easy to sharpen, to harder Japanese steels, which can take a very fine edge but may chip if twisted through hard squash or dropped. For a first knife, a forgiving steel is a sensible choice. Stainless or stain-resistant blades are easiest to live with. ## What not to bother with (yet) - **Big knife block sets.** Most include knives you will never use. One good knife beats eight mediocre ones. - **Specialist knives** such as cleavers, fillet knives, tomato knives and herb choppers. Buy them when you notice you really need them. - **Fancy patterns and decorations.** Pretty, but they don't cut better. - **Glass or stone chopping boards.** They blunt knives fast. Use wood or plastic. ## What to add later - **A paring knife**, small and cheap, for peeling, trimming and small jobs in the hand. - **A serrated bread knife**, for crusty loaves and ripe tomatoes. With those three, you can cook almost anything. ## Keeping it sharp and safe A sharp knife is safer than a blunt one, because it goes where you guide it instead of skidding. - **Hone regularly** with a steel or ceramic rod, or use a simple pull-through sharpener for a quick refresh. - **Sharpen properly** now and then, with a whetstone if you enjoy it, or ask a knife shop or market sharpener. - **Wash by hand and dry straight away.** Dishwashers dull edges and can damage handles. - **Store it safely**, on a magnetic strip, in a block or with a blade guard, not loose in a drawer. ## FAQ ### How much should we spend? Enough for a knife that feels good and holds an edge, which doesn't have to be expensive. A mid-priced knife looked after well will outperform an expensive one that lives in a drawer with the spoons. ### Do we need a honing steel? It helps keep the edge aligned between sharpenings. A quick few strokes before cooking is plenty. ### Is a heavy knife better? Not necessarily. Weight helps with hard vegetables, but a lighter knife can be easier to control for long chopping sessions. Your hand decides. ## Related - [Which frying pan should you buy first?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/first-frying-pan/) - [What does mise en place mean, and is it worth doing at home?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/mise-en-place/) - [Is a cast iron pan worth it for a home cook?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/is-cast-iron-worth-it/) - [How do you cook for one without eating the same thing all week?](https://zestasy.com/food/cooking-for-one/) - [How do you cook without a recipe?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/cooking-without-a-recipe/) - [All Food answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#food)