Ina Garten's Go-To Knife Brand Is Pretty Fancy

If you ever ask a professional chef what kind of knife they favor, they will likely be happy to tell you which one and why. Knives are a chef's most essential tool, after all, and seemingly everyone has an opinion on what types are key to culiunary success. Ina Garten is no exception. The Barefoot Contessa has a go-to knife that is considered one of the top such knives in the culinary world.

As she's repeatedly noted over the course of her career, Garten prefers a German-made Wüstof knife. Wüstof is a family-run business that has been making quality knives since 1814. Their reputation for top-grade blades spans over a century. The best knives generally come from one of two countries: Japan or Germany. Ina Garten loves her German Wüstof knives; however, another celebrity chef, Martha Stewart, prefers Japanese knives for all manner of tasks (including her eye-catching double knife chopping trick).

Wüstof knives are widely considered to be among the best on the market, but that reputation comes with a price. Currently, a standard chef's knife will set you back around $170, and the company's classic small paring knife runs around $95. However, knives of this caliber will last for many years if taken care of properly and sharpened on a regular basis, so consider them an investment. Once you start using a good knife, you'll never go back.

After you've spent money on a quality knife, you'll naturally want to take good care of it. That starts with washing it the right way. Knives should always be hand washed and, while you're learning all about how to load a dishwasher correctly, you should know to never put a knife in the dishwasher. That's because washing knives in the dishwasher is one of the quickest ways to dull a blade.

Likewise, keeping the edge sharp is very important. A dull knife that struggles to cut through food is actually more dangerous than a sharp one. A properly sharpened knife glides through whatever you put in front of it on the cutting board, while a dull one might snag or skip and strike you. Garten goes one step further and stores her knives upside down in a knife block to avoid putting too much pressure on the blade's cutting surface.

According to Garten on her Instagram, there are only four knives you need in your kitchen: a chef's knife, a slicing knife, a serrated bread knife, and a paring knife. Many of these are multi-purpose, saving you from having to invest in more than you need. Buying these four knives, "you can do almost anything," Garten says.