With such a wide variety of knives on the market, you may feel overwhelmed when selecting a set. Some knife styles are a cut above the rest, and it’s helpful to hone in on the correct kind to suit your cooking style. Below, learn more about the best blades to keep in your kitchen.

Chef’s Knife

This larger knife has a blade about 1 1/2 inches wide and can span from 6 to 14 inches long. This type is the chief component of a cook’s tool kit. Professional chefs use this versatile knife for everything from cutting dense vegetables and breaking down bulky cuts of meat, to more delicate tasks such as finely chopping chives. Rather than buying a complete knife collection right off the bat, invest in a high-quality chef’s knife first. Chef’s knives are durable and resilient and come in an assortment of blade styles and widths.

Serrated Knife

A serrated knife is another handy addition to your arsenal. These toothed knives have also been coined as bread knives because of their long, scalloped blades that swiftly slide through thick bread crusts. Bakers and pastry chefs also champion these knives for creating perfectly level cake layers.

Paring Knife

The 3 to 4-inch paring knife comes into play for precise tasks like hulling strawberries, deveining shrimp, segmenting citrus fruit, or thinly slicing garlic. Paring knives are also perfect for peeling skinned fruits and veggies, like apples, peaches, pears, tomatoes, and potatoes. Armed with this knife, you’ll complete your culinary set and have it looking sharp.