80% of cooking is about breaking down ingredients and much of this will be with your knife. If you know how to use a knife, you will cook—period. No cookbook, no food show, no smell, taste, or travel experience can connect you to your kitchen and dining table like a knife can.

The first and most important step for anyone who wants to become a confident cook is to have a good set of knives. Most cooks in the plant-based kitchen don’t need a full set of knives—just a few are enough to get any new cook started on a successful culinary path.

In this lesson, you will learn what is included in a basic knife set. You will also learn about four styles of chef’s knife and how to determine which chef’s knife is right for you.

Out of all of the knives in your kitchen or tool kit, you’ll use your chef’s knife the most. The market is filled with many styles, but it all comes down to finding a chef’s knife that fits your hand well because that will be the knife that helps you take your cooking to much higher levels.