Cutlery... recommend me some.

[DisgruntledVirus]

At work I use Wusthof Grand Prix. I have the entire line of them, but only use 3-4 in everyday use- 10" chef, 9" bread, 3" parer, & 10" slicer.
At home I use Shun Classic & they are the best knives I have ever used. (btw, I am a Chef at a private club, so I use knives every day.)
Good cheap knives-
Cuisinart, Kitchenaid, or Calphalon.
Stay away from Chicago Cutlery, Anything with a celebrity chef name on them, or anything you buy at Walmart.

As far as Ceramic knives, unless you use the utmost care, you will regret the purchase. You cannot sharpen them yourself(have to be sent off), & they break easily when dropped, rendering them useless.

Also this.

The key knives to have:
Chef type (Santoku/traditional)
Pearing (3-4 inches)
Bread/large serrated knife
Slicing type knife (carving/cutting meat for example)

Either build a set yourself, or buy a nice small block of knives (like http://www.cutleryandmore.com/global-knives/starter-knife-block-set-p116338).

 

[Howard]

http://japanesechefsknife.com/KAGAYAKIVG-10.html

Get either the gyuto (japanese name for western style chefs knife) or santoku for a general purpose knife. Get the petty (paring knife) for smaller jobs. Then buy any steak knives you like. You will RARELY if ever use anything other than the general purpose knife and paring knife. The knife sets that people buy have way more than you'll ever need. Get good knives of the type that you will need, and you won't be wasting money on knives you don't need

A petty is not a paring knife.

EDIT: Also, look at my damn sig.

 

[alkemyst]

A santoku is more of a cleaver/chef knife and more suited to 'mashing' things as you cut.

Those ordering Japanese knifes keep in mind the edges are usually a lot different than American/European. Many knife sharpener places don't do them right.

 

[silverpig]

Also high carbon steel will corrode more quickly than stainless will and this is especially pronounced at the edge. So you can get high carbon sharper, but they are harder to sharpen and the acids in fruits and vegetables will eat away at the blade.

I ended up going with a shun knife because it is stainless vg10 and is tempered harder than most German stainless while being almost as hard as classic high carbon. Best of both worlds.

 

[maziwanka]

instead of getting a knife set, i bought two kyocera revolution ceramic knives. 7" and 9". use em all the time and they're great.

 

[BladeVenom]

Also high carbon steel will corrode more quickly than stainless will and this is especially pronounced at the edge. So you can get high carbon sharper, but they are harder to sharpen and the acids in fruits and vegetables will eat away at the blade.

Carbon steel is easy to sharpen. Sure it can stain and develop a patina, but as long as you don't leave it soaking in juices, it's not a problem.