A friend of mine suggested that I post an entry about what I thought a single guy would need to start cooking; You know, the basics. This is not that entry. Well, not the complete entry. It’s the start.

So, if I had to choose one item, one item that I just couldn’t live without, it would have to be my chef’s knife. Back in the day, my friends thought I was nuts to spend over $100 on one knife, while they were getting whole knife sets and pots and pans for that and with some leftover money for Ramen. It was the Wusthof, Grand Prix 10″ chef’s knife and man…when I started to cut with that, it was an epiphany. *cue angel chorus and lights*

Through the years, I’ve gone through Wusthofs and Henckels and have enjoyed them all. The Global chef’s knife is my current weapon of choice. Compared to German knives, the Japanese knives use a harder steel and have a smaller angle to their edge. What does that mean? You have a sharper edge that lasts longer.

So why a chef’s knife? A common misconception that people have is that a sharp knife is more dangerous. Let’s clear the air now, a sharp knife is a safe knife. Why? A sharp edge allows for more control and precision and doesn’t require so much effort. It’s when one starts forcing the cut that slips and loss of control happens. That’s sort of the “practical” reason. The true reason? One can’t appreciate it with words, only in action. You must experience the act to truly understand.

So, what’s your weapon of choice? I am curious what the readers are using.

Please post a comment and let me know.

Myself, I have my eyes on the Shun 3 piece knife set.

Here’s an Alton Brown video on why he loves the Shun knives.

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