The Five-Blade Kitchen

Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian on the knives every man should own. From top to bottom:

1. All-Purpose Chopping
Save wear and tear on your chef’s knife by using this 10-to-12-inch knife on larger vegetables, and ­anything with a bone.

2. & 3. Curved and Straight Pairing
You can do with just these two for prep and detail work, such as peeling tomatoes or dicing small ­vegetables.

4. Chef’s
This is your workhorse — I like the solid feel of forged 12-inch blades from Wüsthof or J.A. Henckels. Spend the most on this knife.

5. Serrated
Use this to make quick work of frozen foods and fresh bread. Most brands will do, but make it easy on yourself by getting a wide-handled one.