If you’ve been feeding yourself for any real length of time, you have probably realized there’s a difference between “preparing food” and actual cooking. Mixing up some boxed mac & cheese and calling it dinner isn’t exactly the same thing as whipping up artichoke-stuffed beef tenderloin with a side of fingerling potatoes. At this point, you have to decide who you are: Are you a person who uses one or two knives for everything, or are you a person who likes to use specific tools for specific tasks as you make your savory masterpieces?
There are a surprisingly large variety of types of kitchen knives, and each one has a fairly specific use. While you can (and many do) use the chef’s knife to do everything, if you’re curious about the many (many) other knives that exist in the world of cookery, here’s what to use them for.