You’d probably expect chef Amanda Cohen to flourish an impressive array of knives as she prepares the dishes at Dirt Candy, her award-winning, vegetable-forward restaurant in New York City. But working in a busy restaurant kitchen has actually had the opposite effect.
“I don’t own that many knives anymore. Most of mine have ended up in the restaurant kitchen, so I’ve kind of Marie Kondo-ed my knife collection,” she admits. “The two knives I use most are a tiny little serrated knife and a WÜSTHOF 5-inch Santoku hollow edge knife that works with any vegetable.” (Cohen is a WÜSTHOF ambassador.)






Three other cutlery essentials round out her selections for getting it all done in a plant-based kitchen. Below, she shares her choices and what they do best so you can benefit from her expertise when choosing the right knives for your kitchen.
5-inch Santoku Hollow-Edge Knife
Best for: onions, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, mincing herbs, cucumber, tofu
3.5-inch Paring Knife
Best for: precise control over smaller produce, such as shallots, garlic, avocados, herbs (chiffonading); making intricate or decorative fruit and vegetable slices
Serrated Paring Knife
“Serrated knives are every chef’s secret best friends: We all use them, even though we pretend we don’t,” Cohen says with a laugh. “For the home cook, they’re not intimidating and they’re especially good for produce that’s tough to cut, like tomatoes and citrus.”
Best for: tomatoes, corn on the cob, and delicate fruits and vegetables that are otherwise easily crushed when cutting.
5-inch Nakiri Hollow-Edge Knife
Best for: eggplant; lettuce and leafy greens; pumpkin and winter squash; zucchini and yellow squash; beets; bell peppers; root vegetables and potatoes
8-inch Chef’s Knife
Best for: cabbage, pumpkin, winter squash, melon, watermelon, eggplant, and herbs (chopping)
Learn knife techniques and other kitchen skills in the Forks Over Knives Cooking Course.