Cool Cuts

Victorinox 3.25-inch paring knife (about $5). Thin, flexible, cheap, and because it is so easily replaced, OK to put in the dishwasher—though other knives are not, because abrasive detergents and rapid cycles of hot and cold water dull the blade. (Also, it’s best to store knives on a magnetic rack, where the blades don’t bump into anything else and are in rust-resisting open air.)

Wüsthof Gourmet 7-inch offset serrated knife ($60 but easy to find on the Web for about $45). Designed for slicing meats and bread, though I use it ...