The Anthony Bourdain-Approved Knife Brand That's Perfect For Beginners

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Knives are a contentious subject in the cooking world, and while many chefs swear by high-end, ridiculously expensive knives, others are open to more budget-friendly options. Anthony Bourdain, for example, believed that you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for one high-quality chef's knife. This could be seen most notably in his frequent recommendation of the Global 8-inch Chef's Knife, which only costs $99.95, a small price to pay for a top-tier tool.

The Global brand of knives specializes in Japanese knives, which are incredibly popular among many chefs. For Bourdain, while the chef eventually became synonymous with his custom, Bob Kramer-crafted meteorite knife, Global's knives — and specifically the 8-inch Chef's Knife — were among his favorites. The brand came up many times throughout his life, with the most notable mention in his 2000 New York Times Bestseller, Kitchen Confidential, when he called the knife, "a very good Japanese product which has — in addition to its many other fine qualities — the added attraction of looking really cool." In the years to follow, Bourdain continued praising the Global 8-inch Chef's Knife, heralding it as a great tool for beginners and experts to keep on hand.

Now, while Anthony Bourdain suggested Global due to its versatility and affordability, the former host of the eternally underrated "A Cook's Tour" series ultimately wanted aspiring cooks to use chef's knives more rather than relying on a wide array of specialized cutlery. In fact, Bourdain's defense of chef's knives was how the topic of Global's supreme knives came up in Kitchen Confidential in the first place. "You need, for God's sake, a decent chef's knife," Bourdain expressed vehemently, "I wish sometimes I could go through the kitchens of amateur cooks everywhere just throwing knives out from their drawers [...] here's all you will ever need in the knife department: ONE good chef's knife, as large as is comfortable for your hand."

However, even Bourdain admitted that chef's knives aren't ideal for every situation you find yourself in while cooking. That's why, similarly to how we recommend you keep five kinds of knives on hand for when you need them, Bourdain added that he likes to have a flexible boning knife, a paring knife, and an offset serrated knife alongside his chef's knife to cover all his bases.