Believe it or not, top chefs predominantly rely on only three knives for the bulk of their kitchen work. However, they do have at their ready disposal an arsenal of individual, superior steel blades that can do everything from slice and dice to pare and bone.

A good set of knives should last you a decade. Here’s a basic guide to help you purchase your next set.

Paring knife: for detailed jobs such as elaborate garnishes or segmenting fruit.

Boning knife: As the name would imply, these are used to remove meat from the bone.

Chef’s knife: This general-purpose knife should be around 18-21cm for best results.

Santoku: With a shorter blade generally around 18cm, this knife has a slightly broader blade for slicing and dicing.

Bread: Invest in a bread knife to avoid blunting your other knives when cutting crusty loaves. They’re also great for slicing tomatoes.

Nakiri: This double bevel knife is used for faster more efficient vegetable preparation.

Top tips

· Always look for forged steel which means the blade was forged from a single piece of steel and pounded into shape using heavy weight and high heat.

· The best cutting edges are made with carbon steel, but be aware this type of blade may rust and discolour.

· Do a balance test: hold the knife horizontally with two fingers by the strip of metal between the blade and the handle. Does it feel nicely balanced in your hand?