The 3 Knives Everyone Needs In Their Kitchen, According To The CEO Of Wüsthof

Unless you're a bonafide connoisseur in the kitchen, it's fairly common to have a hodgepodge of cooking knives at your disposal. You might have one or two "good" knives that you pull out for special occasions — Thanksgiving turkey, a slow-roasted filet, an attempt to julienne vegetables — but, more often than not, any old knife will do. Or so we thought.

It turns out that, in order to have a complete kitchen, there are just a few knives all at-home chefs need. To find out more, we tapped Viola Wüsthof, the seventh generation head — and first female CEO — of the German knife brand, Wüsthof, to share her expertise on the knives you actually should have on hand.

Scroll down to see the only three knives every kitchen should have.

"The very first knife you should purchase is a cook's knife. This knife is the workhorse of the kitchen. It is an indispensable, all-purpose tool that is essential for almost every task. Cook's knives are available in a wide range of sizes, the most popular sizes being six and eight inches long, and they have a wider blade making it the ideal knife for everything from chopping to slicing, to mincing and dicing."

Try it out: Wüsthof Classic 8" Chef's Knife, $165

"The paring knife is the second most important knife to have in the kitchen. Paring knives look like miniature cook's knives with smaller, narrower blades. This makes them ideal tools for more precise and delicate tasks that require attention to detail, such as slicing and peeling small produce like garlic cloves and herbs. You can also use a paring knife for precision work such as deveining shrimp or cutting the seeds out of a bell pepper."

Try it out: Wüsthof Classic 4" Paring Knife, $84

"The third essential knife that every home chef should have in his or her kitchen is a serrated knife, which can be used when you need to cut through something gently without damaging the inside. These knives are perfect to use on a variety of breads, meats, and even more delicate produce such as tomatoes or pineapples."

Try it out: Wüsthof Classic 9" Double Serrated Bread Knife, $152