Utensils are what we use every single day. Whether it is to eat food, stir ingredients, or the backbone of all cooking and eating, to cut food.  

People will argue that you need a spoon or fork to eat, and that’s what makes them the best utensils. However, when a big steak sits in front of me, I cannot just pick it up and eat it. I need to cut it. 

The best utensil of all time lets me do that. The knife. 

Now the knife is not flashy. It does not wow you with its game. Instead, it does its job really well, and let’s fork and spoon get all of the credit.

Without the knife, there would be no fork or spoon. Without cutting the food, people would resort to just using their hands. There would be no need for other utensils. 

The knife is the backbone and cornerstone of eating. It is also the backbone of cooking. 

Without the knife, how is one supposed to cut the ingredients needed for making complex meals? When a recipe calls for chopped vegetables, you need the knife in order to get that.  

Without the knife, recipes lose a lot. Instead of chopping up any ingredients, the food will have to be put in whole or blended. The knife lets chefs have control of the food. When chefs are portrayed in tv and in other media, they always have knives. It’s because it is the best utensil. 

The fork and spoon are both good utensils. Arguably, they are star players. However, to win games, you need the support of the knife. 

It is comparable to a football team. You might have a star quarterback, but without a good offensive line, the quarterback is worth nothing.  

It is the same as utensils. Without the knife, the fork is nothing. The fork needs its support. Yes, the knife itself may lack. It cannot really be used for eating most things. It is not the most versatile. 

However, it does one job really well, and that is all that matters. The knife just needs to cut food. No other utensil does that well. A fork cannot cut a steak. A spoon cannot cut anything.  

That is why the knife exists. To do what needs to be done, that no other utensil can do. 

The knife is the cornerstone of the kitchen, and without it, we would all be lost. The knife is the best utensil. 

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].