A good knife
A Colorful Paring Knife Set
An item to always have within reach: a small paring knife. The serrated variety is the best tool for thinly slicing rounds of citrus and cutting tomatoes of any size. The non-serrated variety (though serrated will still do) is ideal for trimming cake edges and evenly slicing chilled dough for any kind of slice-and-bake cookies
BUY IT: Kuhn Rikon Color Plus Prep Set, $18 on Amazon
BUY IT: Wüsthof ZEST 4″ Serrated Paring Knife, $10 on Amazon
A Wood-Handled Paring Knife
This lightweight and narrow Opinel knife is excellent for hulling strawberries and carving soft fruits. With a super-sharp point and stylish look, it’s a great knife to put out with your cheeseboard while entertaining.
BUY IT: Opinel No 112 Paring Knife, $15 on Amazon
An Essential Serrated Knife
A classic bread knife from direct-to-consumer
BUY IT: Serrated Knife, $55 from Misen.co
A Santoku Knife
The Mac is one of the original versions of the santoku knife on the market and at 5.5 ounces, it’s manageable and lightweight with a thin, sharp blade. Tough to beat, this knife is just as good at slicing through dense potatoes as it is at delicately mincing herbs.
BUY IT: Mac Knife 6-1/2-Inch Superior Santoku Knife, $75 on Amazon
An Inexpensive Santoku Knife
Sharp out of the box and easy to maintain, this plastic-handled santoku knife is light, easy to grip, and great to have around when you need to be a little more freewheeling in the kitchenâit’s dishwasher-safe.
BUY IT: Victorinox Swiss Classic 7-Inch Santoku Knife with Fluted Edge, $45 on Amazon
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A Heavy Chef’s Knife
Also made by Misen, this chef’s knife feels nice to hold and slices through hefty vegetables with ease. A great option for beginner cooks or people who are looking for a more standard, Western-style chef’s knife. Also available in a range of colors.
BUY IT: Misen Chef’s Knife, $65 at Misen.co
An Inexpensive Chef’s Knife
Not a luxe option, but a well-priced knife that doesn’t need to be treated with extra care. It’s a trusty standard that is well loved by the food editors
BUY IT: Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $36 on Amazon
A Chic Chef’s Knife
Created by another direct-to-consumer brand
BUY IT: Material 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, $75 at MaterialKitchen.com
Want more gift ideas? Check out our entire 2018 gift guide
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