If you love the style of Isabella Rossellini's knives, but aren't ready to invest in a full set, you can build up your collection of individual chef's knives from Wüsthof, one at a time.

The best chef knives give you a leg up on most of what it takes to prepare a great meal, but it's worth having a full knife set if you want to slice bread, peel veggies, and get everything just right.