one piece of equipment you're most likely to be using every time you step into the kitchen, so it makes sense to invest in the best you can afford. 3. forget about quantity Those fancy knife blocks may seem like a great idea when they're heavily discounted in your favourite kitchenware store, but they're just going to take up valuable space. All you need is one decent cooks knife and possibly a bread knife, if you happen to develop an addiction to homemade sourdough. That's it. 4. get a good storage place After following tip 1, it can be very dangerous to have your super-sharp knife knocking about in your cutlery drawer. Not to mention, not the greatest for your knives. If possible, it's worthwhile setting up a knife magnet so your knives are always safe and only a short reach away. Next best thing is to invest in cheap plastic blade covers that will protect both you and your sharp blade. 5. use an appropriate cutting surface A decent chopping board is just as important as a good quality knife. And even though I'm a minimalist, I'd recommend investing in more than one board. I have a wooden all purpose board I use for most general jobs, and then plastic colour coded ones for raw meat, fish, poultry and veg. There's a lot of controversy around the food safety and hygiene aspects of using plastic v's wooden boards. I'm happy with my system of relying on the hottest cycle