I'm a Little Intimidated by My New Set of Kitchen Knives!

[bolt.]

My DH recently got as a reward/gift from his workplace a very fancy set of kitchen knives.

https://www.zwilling.com/ca/henckels-modernist-20-piece-self-sharpening-block-set-17503-020/17503-020-0.html?bvstate=pg:84/ct:r

Up to now I've been using basically cheap walmart knives (mostly with micro-serrations) from 25 years ago for all my cutting needs. I used the steak knife size for almost everything, because I had like, 20 of them. I like micro-serrated knives because they are technically blunt on the edge, and only cut when you move them back and forth. This made them feel very safe when I had little kids at home.

Now I've got $400 chef's knives in a self-sharpening knife block.

1) How do I know what knife is supposed to do what job? What is 'boning'? What is 'utility' vs 'prep' vs 'paring'? What does anyone really need those big choppers for? They look like movie props!

2) How do I get over the fear of using razor sharp knives in my life? How do I teach my teenagers that not all knives are as easy to use as the 'safety' knives I used to focus on?

I really want to enjoy this gift and get into the feel of luxury and pleasure that good knives are supposed to bring to your life. Help!

[Kassia]

Wow, this sounds like "be careful what you wish for!"  I have old old knives that I got from my high school bff as a wedding gift.  They had to be so cheap and we've been using them for 37+ years now.  I always wish for good knives but I think I'd be feeling the same way you are now if I actually got a nice set!  

[HomeAgain]

How nice!

I will say that dh and I have a nice set of knives, and we use exactly 4:

The paring knife

The 8in chef's knife for most prep.  It's the right size and weight for doing the bulk of the work.

The santuku knife for more finesse

The bread knife

 

That's it.  We cut down to a drawer organizer for them rather than a knife block because they were the only ones getting use, and then we upgraded from our original to nicer ones.  If you start looking up the knives in your set, you will probably get ideas on how to best use each one, but you may find yourself reaching for the same ones over and over.

[vonfirmath]

What HomeAgaiin says. I use the knives that I find easiest for certain tasks. The BIG knives are good for chopping up meat (like cutting aparts pieces in Chicken etc)  But we tend to use the same knives over and over. Bread Knife is great for bread, yes. A serrated tomato knife good for cutting tomatoes. And then I use a longer blade knife and my kids use the shorter blade knife for all th incidental vegetable cuttings.

 

Note: do not put your new knives in the dishwasher. Wash them by hand and put them away dry. The dishwasher is hard on good knives

 

My dad likes to say that sharp knives are safer than blunt ones -- because they will cut easily and you don't have to put so much force behind them. But it does taking learning how to use them. There are videos out there to look and see how to use them.

 

[Grace Hopper]

Oh, lucky you! I need new knives so bad, mine are old. Mostly I use the chef’s knife, paring knife, and a bread knife. It’s also nice to have the steak knives for table setting when needed.

I have a filet knife that I rarely use these days, but if you’ve got a fisherman in the family that comes in handy. 
 

Our local culinary center teaches a class on knife skills. Maybe check a local cooking school or county extension office to see if you can find one. 
 

#knifeenvy

[prairiewindmomma]

YouTube has a ton of videos on knife skills. You might find them really helpful.

Aside from learning which knife to use when, also learn the sharpening skills.  I sharpen before each use.  It is *SO* much easier to cut with a sharp knife....there's a thread on here about decent sharpeners from the last year or so if you need recommendations.

[Pawz4me]

Other than the bread knife and the serrated knife I use for tomatoes I use whichever knife fits my hand/feels the best and gets the job done. I don't worry about which one I'm "supposed" to use.

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, bolt. said:

1) How do I know what knife is supposed to do what job? What is 'boning'? What is 'utility' vs 'prep' vs 'paring'? What does anyone really need those big choppers for? They look like movie props!

Are the choppers you are talking about the chinese chef knives or cleavers? I dice onions, crush garlic and mince meat with them. 
This page has a good description of the knives and usage.
https://www.zwilling.com/ca/content/knives-content/knife-types.html

[cintinative]

4 hours ago, bolt. said:

 

2) How do I get over the fear of using razor sharp knives in my life? How do I teach my teenagers that not all knives are as easy to use as the 'safety' knives I used to focus on?

 

honestly, you are better off with a sharp knife than a dull one. I have many finger scars to prove that fact.   Never, ever cut toward your hands.  😃

Knives have a certain heft and weight because it allows the control needed for the task they are designed for. So a chef's knife has more heft than a bread knife, etc.  Also there will be variations among brands for the same type of knife.

A knife skills class is always a good idea if there is one near you.  

I feel like @Spy Car will have good information for you.

[Clarita]

There are a bunch of knives that are wonderful for some specific tasks.

There is the knife that you used 90%+ of the time. 

Some general guidance beyond that is pointy serrated good for meat. Ceramic knife good for squishy soft things like tomato. Small knife for detail things. (As an aside I think boning knife is good for deboning fish because it's flexible, but I don't think I own one.) Cleaver is for hard things that your usual knife can't cut.

[Resilient]

Which knife does what: https://www.epicedge.com/shopcontent.asp?type=KnifeStyles_ee

How to sharpen and take care of the knives: https://www.epicedge.com/shopcontent.asp?type=knifecare_kitchen

Now I am going beyond what you asked. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have 4 knives I use all the time (and yes, I got the first two at this store, but maybe not these exact ones, and they are not a "set"): 

• A 3" paring knife - my favorite for ease of care https://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=86751
• A 6" chopping knife - my favorite for 90% of the kitchen work I do; the wide blade isn't good for fine work, but the height between the handle and the blade makes for really efficient work, for me. https://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=86902 
• An 8" chef's knife - meats, melons, pizza 
• A cheese knife (from Cutco) - this one is magic - so much easier to cut blocks of cheese than regular knives, and we cut a LOT of blocks in our neck of the woods.  

This selection is not very chef-ish of me but it works. The knives are very sharp, and the handles suit my grip.

I have a cleaver, and a bread knife, which I take out about 2x a year, and I am thankful I have them. But I could get along with my foursome. For the most part, I never use my food processor anymore, because good knife work is both fast and easy to clean up.  

[KungFuPanda]

6 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

Note: do not put your new knives in the dishwasher. Wash them by hand and put them away dry. The dishwasher is hard on good knives.

 

I need someone to explain WHY a dishwasher is rough on a knife. I have a third rack to lay utensils flat. They get hit with hot water. Where does the harm come in???

I LOVE sharp knives. I use all of them, but my favorite is the 6” prep knife. I should probably own two of those. Maybe if you made a big pot of veggies soup it would give you lots of practice to get comfortable with your new knives. You don’t be able to go back to steak knives. 

[prairiewindmomma]

The temperature and pressure of the water dull the blade because dishwashers clean through abrasion. In addition, most dishwasher detergent is acidic enough to damage metal objects as well. Finally, it can damage the seal between the tang and the handle, or the handle itself.