Cooking is an art, and as with all art forms when cooking you need the proper tools. Most importantly you need quality, comfortable knives. A properly balanced, sharp, comfortable knife makes the whole cooking experience more enlightening, relaxing, and fun. There is no greater frustration then cutting a tomato with a dull knife; the slices turn out deformed, and uneven. On the other hand you can't describe the pleasure of effortlessly cutting a zucchini, while with the added bonus of developing your knife technique. A knife can make a big difference in the kitchen, so how do you choose one.
Not all knives are created equal. There are various styles, shapes, and specific uses for knives. The most common and most important knife is the chef knife. The chef knife needs to have heft so it can cut through chicken bones, good balance for maneuverability, and off course a sharp edge. It is also preferential that it be made out of high carbon stainless-steel, and be cut out of one piece. Another popular knife is the Santoku knife. The santoku knife is Japanese variant on the chef knife. It is used primarily to cut vegetables and fruits.
Victorinox Knives
Now you probably heard of the big knife companies, Wusthof, and Henckels. You also probably know that they cost a lot for the real deal. A knife made by either of those companies will cost at least dollars and can go up to 0. Keep in mind they have cheaper versions, but those versions are made in china and not in Germany or Spain.
So what knife you should get, the answer is simple. Victorinox. That company might be familiar to you because this is the same company that produces the Swiss army knife. Victorinox manufactures all their knives in Switzerland, no exception. Their chef knife was rated best by cooks illustrated. Best of all it costs under .
I can personally testify that these knives are great. So far I have bought four knifes. One chef knife, two santoku knives (I use one for fish), and one utility knife. All of them are great.