Why a Great Knife Is the Only Kitchen Tool You Really Need

Folks, this is the miracle kitchen tool you’ve been waiting for. It slices, it dices, it cores. It smashes garlic to smithereens and deftly scrapes vanilla seeds from the pod. You can butcher a crown roast or skin a single salmon fillet. It takes seconds to clean and moments to hone and sharpen. And a great one will last you a lifetime.

What is this miracle kitchen tool you ask? Yep, it’s your standard kitchen knife.

In a world of tomato hullers, avocado pitters, and vanilla bean splitters, a great knife is truly all you need. All those gadgets save a minute or two at most, clutter your drawers, and are so oddly shaped or multi-pieced that cleaning them is a puzzle. Brush up on your knife skills and the “problems” those fussy contraptions seem to “solve” become rather silly.

Watch any cooking show and you’ll notice that chefs rarely use anything other than a knife—maybe a spatula or a whisk. You don’t need to be lightening fast with a blade as they are, just aware of how to position your hands and the best motion for the job. A little practice and patience, and you’ll never need most kitchen tools again.

Keep Reading:

• How to Chop an Onion
• The Only 3 Knives You Really Need
• How to Sharpen Your Knives