So you’ve cooked that steak you have been saving for a special occasion (hopefully with a cast iron pan that we recommended) and everything is going swimmingly until you see you're equipped with dull knives not fit for a prison fight. Stop! Put the knife down, or risk mangling your savory steak.

Not only are regular knives ill-equipped to handle the job due to their limited serration, but they risk ruining your dinner experience, not to mention that of your guests. By keeping a set of steak knives on hand, you will have a basic level of culinary preparation that will help to make your meal more enjoyable. It sounds ridiculous, but like having the right place settings, the steak knife helps to elevate a meal. When you don’t have to cut your meat like a caveman you can focus on more important things, like conversation.

While steak knives are  meant primarily for aiding the consumption of a meal, they can also prove to be a valuable tool in its preparation. Now, no one expects a young professional to have a complete kitchen knife collection, but it’s important to have a few of the essentials such as a proper large knife and an all-around utility knife. Luckily, a steak knife can be a viable utility knife, giving it another use in your kitchen.  A steak knifes small serrated edges make it perfect for chopping, mincing, and dicing smaller ingredients, such as herbs, chives, and green onions. On an unrelated note, look to incorporated chives or green onions for elevating your basic scrambled egg.

When buying steak knives, it's easy to fall in line with the most convenient option available. For me, that was a deal on Groupon right after college. It seemed like steal at the time but it turned out to be one of my many early post-graduation mistakes - the knives weren’t durable and the "stainless steel" stained within three weeks. Since buying steak knives shouldn’t be a yearly event consider spending a little extra on a set that is made to last. Look for knives made in the USA, Europe, or Japan, as they are built to a higher standard than their Chinese counterparts. Those knives often indicate the lowest quality offered by producers, so to dodge  accidental stabbings down the road avoid them. You’ll want to avoid anything that feels flimsy in your hand so to ensure you’re spending your hard earned money well, handle them in person.

On the lower end of the price spectrum, the Spanish-made Zwilling J.A. Henckels steak knives are a perfect cost-effective knife that can become a work horse in any young gentleman’s kitchen drawer. If you’re looking for a way to spend those holiday gift cards, we endorse the Wüsthof Gourment Steak Knives as a long-lasting steak knife set because its a no-frills steak knife made by no-frills Germans. So go ahead and pick up some steak knives, before your next big date or steak dinner.