3 knives every cook needs. And some they might just want.

There is likely no kitchen tool purchase as important as your cooking knives. And it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the variety of styles, prices, sizes and materials.

But while the category of knives is one you may want to explore for the rest of your cooking days, picking a couple of all-purpose kitchen knives can be simple.

Many professionals will tell you that you can perform virtually any kitchen task skillfully with either a chef’s knife or a paring knife, and that while adding other knives to your arsenal is appealing and can be useful, it’s not strictly necessary.

Unless, maybe, it’s a serrated knife, something every cook really should have too.

Serrated knives are primarily used for slicing bread; the serrated edge allows you to saw back and forth without compressing the loaf. It can also be used for other foods, like tomatoes.

When buying knives, go for