Like a Hammer to a Carpenter

It's so important to use sharp knives while in the kitchen.  I cannot stress this enough and believe me, I have learned the hard way... several times.  That being said, last year I invested in some very good quality knives.  I love my knives, I miss them when I am away.

Now I'm not trying to say you need to run out and buy a full set of WÜSTHOF knives (don't get me wrong, I use these knives, they are fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone), but I do have a few suggestions for keeping your kichen safe and efficient.  Why?

Most important, safety.  You have much more control over a sharp knife.  A dull edge can slip when slicing and requires much more force.  I could attach a few pictures that would support these statements but I'll spare you my past injuries.  Yeah, it might be a bit strange that I have taken pictures. 

With a sharp knife, you can also cut much more efficiently.  You will be able to work faster and cut much cleaner.  Cleaner slicing allows you to cut without crushing and damaging the food as well as create very thin slices when needed.  Your food will actually come out better looking using a sharp knife. 

That being said, I suggest anyone who is regularly in the kitchen have a good quality chef's knife for your all-purpose cutting, a paring knife for more intricate work, and a knife sharpener.  While a lot of knife sets come with a steel, I suggest that you avoid using the steel a buy a sharpener, which are actually very inexpensive. Unless you maintain the correct angle of the knife in 2 directions throughout your swipe against the steel, you can actually ruin your knives by either creating edges so fine they will break or eating away at the edge and dulling the knife.  Why not just let a sharpener do the job? There's my two cents.

Overall, have fun with your cooking but be safe!