>>7564222
>best possible
for what task?

>>7564232
Any and all? As I said, I really have no idea, as I'm just now getting acquainted with cooking

>>7564238
>I really have no idea
That's painfully obvious.
If you're starting out you don't need a large set of knives. Get the following:

A Chef's knife
A serrated knife for bread
Maybe a paring knife if you see yourself doing little delicate stuff
.....and a means of sharpening the above.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/gesshin-ginga/gyuto

Pick one, 210-240 is standard, some people prefer 180(if you have small hands or space) and some prefer 270-300(big hands or large spaces).

Handle is preference.

These are professional knives, lightweight, extremely sharp and easy to maintain.

Cue arguing about weeb steel vs germans

>>7564515
>muh samurai steel folded 100000 times

>>7564222

Just buy a cheap thin chef's knife and paring knife from a restaurant supply store.

Literally don't bother with expensive kitchen knives unless you know how to sharpen on benchstones, good knives will just be wasted on you.

>>7564222
>Young electrical engineer, so assume that money isn't an issue.

this is absolutely the reason i hate all engineering students. arrogant pitiful nerds.

it's like being transgender, we didn't ask but you told us anyway.

>>7565085
I don't even get how money isn't an object for a young engineer. Typically they'll make 60-90k buying a $500 knife at that income makes no sense if you don't really know anything about it.

I mean sure you could afford it but you're not making enough to be throwing money away.

>>7565085
Exactly. Could've said "Cost isn't an issue" sans the EE shit, but he couldn't resist stroking himself for passing a few programming classes.

>>7564222
The "best possible" is really a relative term. Until you've spent sufficient time with a wide range of knives, you won't really know what is the best for you. The first determination is whether you prefer European or Japanese construction. Then you'll need to decide on ideal lengths, knife shapes, and a whole host of other details.

In short, your best first step is probably to buy a set of what is commonly available: Shun, Wusthof, Henckel, etc. While I do have a soft spot for commercial cutlery (F. Dick, Forschner, etc), they're not exactly "forever" knives, since the stamped stainless blades makes them great for commercial use but difficult to keep sharp and maintain over a long period of time. The aforementioned brands will produce cutlery that will last you a long time, take sharpening well, and do what you need them to do in your home kitchen.

I have been in and out of the industry for 10 years, and I probably have 20-30 knives. Only now do I finally feel like I know enough about what I like to place an order for a couple custom knives that will cost me in excess of $1500 per knife.