As a mom, speed is just as important to me as taste when it comes to dinner. And as much as I love going hard on things like whole roasted chicken and braised short ribs for my family, these days, it’s more about what I can get on the table in under 20 minutes. 

Efficiency is now the single most important thing to me in the kitchen — the quicker the prep and the less cumbersome the cleanup, the better. I’ve got a beloved tool in my arsenal to help me pull off being my most efficient, whether chopping veggies for pasta salads or making cutting fruit for my toddler a breeze: the Opinel Les Essentials Small Kitchen 4 Piece Knife Set.

Opinel Les Essentials Small Kitchen 4 Piece Knife Set

The Opinel Les Essentials Small Kitchen 4 Piece Knife Set has handles forged from sustainably collected French wood and comes in a variety of fun colors. The knives are made from stainless steel and come in four styles: a micro-serrated paring knife, paring knife, stationary peeler, and curved 3-inch veggie knife. The blades are anti-corrosive and durable, and the set is made in France. 

The micro-serrated knife is good for difficult fruits and veggies such as tomatoes and kiwis, while the regular paring knife can be used to do anything from mincing herbs to trimming fat. The stationary peeler makes removing vegetable peels and potato skins easy, while the curved veggie knife can do just about anything. They travel well for activities like hiking, camping, and more.

This handy knife set was given to us as a wedding gift, something I added to our registry as an afterthought, mainly because I liked how tiny and adorable they were. But surprisingly, I reach for my Opinel Les Essentials Small Kitchen 4 Piece Knife Set more often than my chef’s knives. They are light, sharp, compact, and easy to handle. I can peel a peach just as easily as I can chop an onion. They live in our silverware drawer and are easy to take out and use. I don’t have to worry about having to alert everyone in the vicinity that there’s a huge knife waiting to be cleaned in the sink.  

I’m not the only one enamored with the knives. One reviewer says they “love this set” because the “quality is fantastic” and that they were originally bought to “take camping but now use them at home.” Another reviewer called them “beautiful and functional” and said they work in their small kitchen where they “lack for storage space.” 

Fancy chef’s knives are wonderful and have a time and place, but if you’re looking for a down-and-dirty way to quickly and easily chop fruits and veggies with minimal fuss and clean up, it’s hard to beat Opinel Les Essentials Small Kitchen 4 Piece Knife Set. 

Shop Other Knife Sets We Love

Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife Set

MATTSTONE Hill Kitchen Prep Knife Set 

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Grip Colored Paring Knives

Zyliss Serrated Utility Knife Set 

VITUER 3-Piece Kitchen Knife Set 

At the time of publishing, the price was $41.