Do you only need three knives?

[odioanonimo]

I could go without the bread knife for a boning knife for sure, personally and professionally

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Three knifes:
1. Butter knife
2. Pocket knife
3. Chef's knife

honorable mention:
1. Bowie knife

 

[brucered]

Three knifes:
1. Butter knife
2. Pocket knife
3. Chef's knife

honorable mention:
1. Bowie knife

Don't forget a multi-purpose, dot it all, BBQ knife.

I use a Peasant Chef Knife from LeeValley that cost me $30 and I forced the Patina on it using Mustard, Paper Towel and the sun. The only reason I did that was, I made the mistake of throwing it in the dishwasher after the first use and it got a few rust marks and drove me crazy. Looking at the handle in the link and mine, I think I need to treat mine to bring back some luster.

I'm pretty sure I could do all my BBQing, removing rib membrane, spatchcocking, pork pulling and slicing with it.

 

[ouch]

My definition of reducing my number of knives means putting the old Henckels in a drawer out of sight.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Three knifes:
1. Butter knife
2. Pocket knife
3. Chef's knife

honorable mention:
1. Bowie knife

What about:

1. Swiss Army

 

[Jim]

I have cooked some pretty tool intensive meals with a pocketknife..so need? you need a knife. IF we start to look at efficiency and end result? For example I defy anyone to carve a steamboat roast with a paring knife and have a perfect presentation and do it in a way that is efficient. ...

My basic kit:
270 chefs knife
300 slicer
300 bread knife
heavy paring knife
light paring knife
a few specilty knives for breaking down primals and add an Oyster and Clam knife for the win.

 

[ouch]

I have cooked some pretty tool intensive meals with a pocketknife..so need? you need a knife. IF we start to look at efficiency and end result? For example I defy anyone to carve a steamboat roast with a paring knife and have a perfect presentation and do it in a way that is efficient. ...

My basic kit:
270 chefs knife
300 slicer
300 bread knife
heavy paring knife
light paring knife
a few specilty knives for breaking down primals and add an Oyster and Clam knife for the win.

That's the basic kit. He also has an extended kit.

Great points, though. A lot has to do with the type of cooking you do. If you filet a lot of fish you may need a different setup than someone who almost exclusively prepares vegetables.

 

[dws]

The most practical and often used of knives I own are; a fluted nakiri veg knife, a bird's beak peeling knife, 6" utility knife, a santoku, a Japanese western-profile chef's knife (similar shape with a steeper blade angle) and a bread knife. The most necessary of all of them, for my style, is the chef's knife and bird's beak. I can do most everything in our kitchen with those two, but it takes longer and is more of a nuisance. So convenience won me over, yet again.

I suppose this is no different than an adjustable wrench being a necessity, over having a set of fixed measurement wrenches in your home toolbox.

 

[Prophoss]

I am a utilitarian and like to keep things as simple as possible, so I like the premise of 3 knives. Though I would change out the bread knife for a boning knife. But then when I bake bread how do I slice it? ok maybe 4.

 

[Deltaboy]

In theory yes but in Life I have 6 of them .

 

[Tea-bott5000]

I cook for a living, and I do 95% of my work with a 270 mm 'chef's knife.' But I also have a smaller one in stainless, for during service. And a 300mm slicer, multiple pettys, a poultry boning knife, and a bread knife, not to mention all sorts of other tools.

Knives are just like razors here. You can cook dinner with one knife. You can shave with one razor/blade/brush/soap combo for the rest of your life and be fine. But then this forum wouldn't exist.

So no, you don't need more. But wanting them is where all the fun is.

 

[Shutterbug57]

My 3 knife choice would be:

10" Chef's knife - I use this for almost everything
10" bread knife - for cutting bread only
8" fillet knife - for when you need the flexible blade- not often

 

[JaredB]

I have literally done everything with this knife from butcher large farm animals to split kindling. So if I had to only have one.....

 

[brucered]

A nice all around knife, but not one I'd want in my kitchen.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I have literally done everything with this knife from butcher large farm animals to split kindling. So if I had to only have one.....

Thats a Buck knife...I could trade that out for my Bowie. Although, it would be somewhat of a closer combat.

 

[alpster]

I think the real question is the definition of need. LOL I could get by with just a chef's knife or a 8" carver, but I have somehow wound up with two giant blocks filled with quality knives. I also have a lot of duplicates as I don't care to stop and sharpen. Prefer to just grab another sharp knife and continue.

 

[akphotoguy]

Nooooo! Always need more knives! Bread knife, santoku, chef's knife, pairing, cheese knife, looks cool as heck knife. Why limit yourself to three? You can have adequate with three, but never perfection.

 

[chef8489]

I would say 4 knives. A flexible knife to debone carcasses, chef knife for me is 270mm, a paring or petty knife, and if needed a bread knife. If you do a lot of filleting fish and whole salmon I would buy a flexible knife for salmon.

 

[YetiDave]

You only really need one knife - a Chinese cleaver.

 

[Deltaboy]

You could but I don't .