Knife Kit Essentials
Got your first trial shift? Or want to feel more prepared in general? Here are the things you actually need in your knife kit when working as a chef.
Most important for your knife kit…
Chef’s knife - this is single-handedly the most important piece of equipment in your kit. Get one that will last. It is worth spending a bit of money. There are so many different kinds of chef’s knives out there, and one of the main decisions you’'ll have to make is whether to go carbon or stainless steel. For an everyday knife, go for stainless steel, they require much less maintenance as carbon will rust almost immediately when it comes into contact with acidic foods. Onions are acidic, and trust me you’ll be chopping a lot of these!
Another decision will be whether to go for Japanese or French handle/shape. Honestly, this is totally up to preference and the way you want to train your cutting skills. Most good knife shops will allow you to cut something with the knife to try it out, such as a tomato or an onion.
Pairing knife - these will be one of your best friends in the kitchen. I like to have a regular pairing knife, and a serrated one to hand (these are great for peeling onions). There is an extreme price range for pairing knives, I like to have a very inexpensive one for work, like the Victorinox classic pairing knife. Your pairing knife will get passed around more than anything else in a kitchen, so best not to have one that you are too worried about. For home, I keep a more expensive knife where I know I am the only one who will use and abuse it - Zwilling are a great choice for a long-lasting good quality pairing knife.
Peeler - a must have in any kitchen, they are a very inexpensive piece of equipment, but you want one that lasts. I go for a Japanese shape like this one: stainless steel peeler
Pastry scraper - used for cleaning down, picking stuff up off your board, scraping down vac pac bags and countless other things, always keep one of these in your back pocket. These Lasenersm scarpers are a good thickness and avoid bending/cracking.
Plating tweezers - you will learn over time which shape and feel you like most, and that actually you probably need a couple of different options for different reasons, so a small kit of tweesers can be a great option here.
Knife steel - these are NOT for sharpening your knives, they are only for honing them. I cannot stress enough how many people think that this is a way to sharpen your knife. Sharpening should be done with a wet stone, which takes practice and skill, if you can’t do this yourself then take your knife to a knife shop. It normally costs around £1 per inch of knife, I personally go to the Japanese Knife company on Baker street. This diamond carbon steel one is great for honing your knife, mine has lasted me ages.
Good scissors - you can’t just be using any old pair of scissors. Get some that have thick blade and strong hinge. I personally prefer ones which you can take apart as it enables you to wash them better (important when you are using them to cut fish bones etc!). Some chefs also like to have a more delicate pair of scissors for cutting herbs and more delicate jobs. If you are limiting yourslef to one pair though, go for the bigger pair, as you can still do delicate jobs with these but can’t do the hard-handed jobs with a delicate pair.
Small offset spatula - some restaurants (the good ones) will not allow you to ever pick anything up with just your hands. For example if you want to plate a piece of meat, you would need to use a small offset spatula in one of your hands. It just looks a bit more hygenic than grabbing food with only your fingers. I prefer to have a nice looking one of these with a wood handle as it’s something you will use all the time and potentially on the pass. Ateco are my favourite brand for this kind of equipment.
Optional extras for your knife kit:
Maryse (rubber spatula) - Essential for scraping mixing bowls and the sides of pans. You will need one of these for sure, but it is an optional extra because all professional kitchens will provide these for you.
Oyster knife - there are loads of different types of oyster knife, some are made for much more experienced shuckers and others have guards for those with less experience. To be honest, I would go for a safer option either way, because trust me you want to avoid hurting yourself when it comes to oysters.
Microplane - you won’t ever regret having your own one of these. They are priceless pieces of equipment and having one in your kit is very useful, especially since the ones in kitchens are often overused and therefore blunt.
Turning knife - Called “Cutout d’Oiseau” - literally “bird beak knife” in French, it is similar to a pairing knife, but with a curved blade, traditionally used for turning vegetables. In some kitchens, especially French kitchens, this would be on the essentials list. I like to have one to hand, but a normal pairing knife will often be sufficient for most jobs. This Zwilling one is a good medium price point, for a really good quality knife that will last you for years.
Filleting knife
Boning knife
Large offset spatula
Serrated pastry knife - these are not just used for pastry. They have many different uses including
Carving fork
Melon baller
If you went to culinary school/are going, you will get a knife kit that has all of these things and more. Take really good care of this stuff, and if you have the option to get it engraved before starting school, or even during your first week, do it! You would be amazed how often people accidentally swapped chef’s knives or lost their pairing knife.