Reddit mentions of Victorinox Swiss Army Cutlery Fibrox Pro Santoku Knife, Granton Edge, FFP, 7-Inch

Milk, bread, juice, cereal, cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, bagels, cream cheese, pasta, sauce, rice, ground beef, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, BBQ sauce, soup, crackers, for a quick dinner get one of those roasted chickens at the store, eat then you can make some sandwiches and some chicken salad too, onions, tomato, celery, fresh fruit

Someone else mentioned a slow cooker - that's a great idea.

some helpful books:


http://www.amazon.com/Life-Skills-101-Practical-Leaving/dp/0970133499


http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooking-Just-For-Yourself/dp/0572031505/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375037184&sr=8-2&keywords=slow+cooking+for+one

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-One-Seasonal-Preparing-Delicious/dp/0867308222/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375037272&sr=8-2&keywords=cooking+for+one

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Survival-Guide-Living-Your/dp/1416549692/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375037329&sr=1-3&keywords=living+alone+guide

http://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Mom-Now-That-Need/dp/0961539011/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z

Get one good knife - chef's knife is handy for most things.

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-7-Inch-Fibrox-Granton-Santoku/dp/B008M5U1WM/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1375037511&sr=8-11&keywords=chef%27s+knife

And a sharpener for it:

http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-008-Texas-Black-Sharpener/dp/B0014VRLVA/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1375037575&sr=1-10&keywords=knife+sharpener

I've been using a 7" Victorinox Santoku for the last two years with no complaints. It's very light and thin, and I like it more than my chef's knife because I'm far less likely to stab my fingers. I haven't touched any of my other knifes (apart from a boning knife used to clean steaks) since Easter.

At the same time, I also ordered an AccuSharp Knife Sharpener to go into my kit and my Santoku is just as sharp now as it was brand new even after two years of almost constant use.

Some gifts that may be appropriate for your mail person during Christmas and such: (Not too expensive so you don't run the risk of being accused of attempting to bribe a federal employee and non-food because one does not know their dietary requirements):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044CUB22/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006E0QAFY/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00352O79U/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1WM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G8XOS0/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here are some more:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GXSUHW/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001EFSTI/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AY2WLU/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

really good and big, more butcher sized for around $90

good big chef knife $34

good smaller chef knife for chopping $44

whole set $199-$399 depending on if you want steak knives,pearing

whole chickens are cheaper and have more fat on them, learning to quarter them isn't super hard(some butchers will do this for free). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1WM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&keywords=forschner%20fibrox&qid=1346100842&s=home-garden&sr=1-5 This knife is one I can recommend for a budget but very well performing tool. Plus you can make your own stock with the bones. Buying whole un prepared food is generally cheaper. I think having cut alcohol and snacks I am actually saving money despite spending more on meat. Also, you can get fat from butchers very inexpensively or free, which you can render(cook at low heat).

Thanks again for all your help, everyone. I talked with her some more and she mentioned that she's actually much more comfortable with santoku knives than chef's knives (and neither of us are professional cooks so the possible slight loss of versatility shouldn't be too much a problem), so I ended up going with this Victorinox santoku, blade guard, and a Wusthof paring knife. Aaaaand looking at the order I realized I forgot to get a sharpener god damn it. Although some people have been saying sharpener bad, honer good. So, for someone who enjoys cooking but is an absurdly busy grad student, who likes caring for materials to be simple as possible, is there any consensus on what the best intersection is between quality, cost, and simplicity?

Meh, I have never actually seen a difference with the little air pockets vs not.

They don't even start to work on most things, and the few things that are big and flat enough that they could work... potatoes, cucumbers... they don't really work that well at all.

On the other hand, if you really just want a santoku, here is the victorinox one.

Same lifetime warranty, similar price.

I just prefer the point on an traditional chef's knife.

Cutco isn't exactly a premier knife, they do a lot of door to door and catalog sales and are generally considered overpriced. I own 3 Shun knives (example: 7 in. Santoku with asymmetrical bevel grind).. they are ambidextrous and have double beveled edges. In fact most knives are asymmetrical double beveled edges do to their ease of use, maintenance and ability to retain an edge. The type of knife you are talking about is a chisel grind and when held in the right hand has the flat side perpendicular to the cutting board on the right side (they generally are sharper than double beveled edges and used to make things like sushi). This still is not a problem as one simply cuts from the left to the right. I honestly can't recall any knife that was made for a righty and all of my knives are ambidextrous.
I have a set from Wustof (cheaper set) and some working knives that I do a lot of cutting with like this Victorinox Santoku are an excellent value for all around slicing, mincing and chopping.

With respect, I think you should try to actually hold the actual knife before deciding. Each of those has a different feel due to the handle shape, material, front to back balance, and honed edge. If you don't have that option then don't be afraid to return a knife if it doesn't feel totally natural when you cut with it.

I gift the Victorinox Santoku regularly. It's a great blade, well-balanced, and keeps an edge well, especially for the price. I personally use a MAC santoku or my chef's for veggie prep but they're more expensive.

If you have the disposable income, getting a single really nice knife is worth it. However, I have this knife:

http://shun.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/classic-western-cooks-knife

And this Knife:

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Granton-Santoku-41529-6-78523-17/dp/B008M5U1WM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1419567019&sr=1-1&keywords=victorinox+santoku

And I'd argue that the Victorinox cuts just as well if not better. The feel of the Shun is nicer, and it has a pleasing weight but after a fresh sharpen, I don't feel like I can get the Shun noticeably sharper and it doesn't hold an edge noticably better.

If sticking to the knife is a big issue, check out knifes with a granton edge. A cheaper one I've used is the Victorinox Santoku