4 knives every home cook must own and how to use them

(Epicurious)

If you're serious about your kitchen game, having the right knives and knowing how to use them is a must.

Fortunately, even the most ambitious cooks really only need four knives, a chef's knife, a paring knife, a serrated knife, and a boning knife, plus a honing steel for keeping those blades at their peak sharpness.

To help you find the right knives, we created a quick overview of everything you need to know about knives, including what to look for when shopping, how much to spend, and most important, how to use your knives, as well as, how not use them.

Speaking of using your knives, another part of being a skilled cook, is mastering the classic cuts, such as mincing, chopping, dicing, chiffonade, and julienne.

For a complete how-to demonstration, tune in to the newest edition of our Epicurious Essentials video series, six how-to videos dedicated to knife skills. In addition to the major cuts, our videos also cover the basics of using a chef's knife, which you'll soon discover is your best friend in the kitchen.