Originally Posted by P_Diddy

I didn't buy a set of knives, I picked them up along the way. I have several Wusthof Grand Prix knives: 8" chefs, 6 or 7" santoku, two pairing, and a serrated 'tomato' knife. It is the first version, the Grand Prix II have a wavy handle that does not feel as good. I don't know why they ruined it! I have a $12 chinese cleaver when I need to hack away at hard foods. I have a boning knife from Smart n Final because I read they were pretty good. I also have an old knife from the 70's that is almost like a small 4" santoku. It is great for chopping up smaller things and since it has an offset handle, it is easier to use on a cutting board as opposed to pairing knife.

I just got them professionally sharpened and they are super sharp. I HATE dull knives!

As for kitchen tools/gadgets, here are some of my favorites:
-Kapoosh universal knife block. This does not have pre-sized slots, it is almost like a sandbox where you just stick your knife in it and it stays. It fits lots of different size knives.

-Electronic scale - great for measuring weights, especially if a recipe calls for metric.
-Cast Iron frying pan - I've been using this more often recently because it is very flexible. It can get hot and stay hot to sear steaks, it's great for making cornbread, sauteing, etc. Best of all, you just rinse and wipe it out to clean it! I bought a long cast iron griddle/grill too.
-Microplane grater/zester. Awesome for cheeses, garlic, ginger, whole nutmeg, and more.
-Ikea Lamplig wooden cutting board, (I call it the Big a$$ cutting board). It is 18x21" and only like $10 at Ikea. I love the amount of space it gives me when I'm prepping a big meal.

-Zyliss XL Garlic Press - you don't even need to take off the garlic skin. In fact, leaving it on makes cleaning up the press easier since the holes don't get clogged.
-Cuisinart Waffle Maker - Mmmm, waffles. Waffles freeze well too, and I just re-heat them in the toaster oven.
-Cuisinart 11c Food Processor. This was a huge help for me when I did a fondue night. With the shredding attachment, it turned a 20-30 manual job into a 5 minute job.