After watching the Food Network, you may walk away inspired to create restaurant quality dishes in your own home. Without a formal culinary education, it can be intimidating to know where to start, but having the right tools will help you stay on track. Invest in a good set of knives, including a long serrated knife, a short serrated knife, a bird’s-beak knife, and a chef knife. These knives will cover the basics of anything you need to cut.