Gordon Ramsay's 3 Must-Have Knives For Home Chefs

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There are a lot of different knives on the market, and it's tempting to feel like you need to invest in a big collection to be a serious chef. Your kitchen truly does not need 16 different knives, though. You'd likely never touch most of them. With that in mind, you may be surprised by how many big-name chefs only have a small handful of knives they keep coming back to. Common wisdom is that (if you're serious about cooking) there are only five crucial knives you need in your kitchen.

For example, take Gordon Ramsay, the "MasterChef" and iconic TV personality (he's much nicer in person). According to MasterClass, Ramsay only includes three different knives on his list of essential kitchen supplies: a boning knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife. (A sharpening steel is also on that list to keep the knives from turning blunt, but the lifespan of a knife depends on its model alongside its upkeep.) You stick to those three, plus a general chef's knife and you should be in good shape.

Of course, it's worth breaking down what exactly makes these three knives so essential. A boning knife is slender and rather small, with a shape that broadens around the handle. As the name suggests, it's used for deboning meat and breaking down tough, hardy chunks of beef or chicken. It's also great for filleting fish because of how easy it is to maneuver it.

Paring knives are even smaller, and are recognizable for being just a few inches long. They may not be good with tough meats, but they're extremely precise when slicing through soft foods. They're great for slicing up fruits, peeling veggies, cubing cheeses, or mincing garlic. You can even use it for Ramsay's mess-free tip for cutting bell peppers. Just try not to lose them.

Lastly, a bread knife is also aptly named. You can recognize it for its serrated edge which makes it resemble a little hand saw. This shape makes a bread knife perfect for cutting into foods with a tough outside but a soft inside, letting you break through a bread or pie crust with a sawing motion and then easily cut through the rest. Ramsay uses Henckels brand knives, but you have options. Lots of chefs prefer German knives for their affordability and thickness, or they opt for Japanese knives which are light, sharp, and pricey.