We have just been through the peculiar hell that is moving house. Mountains of boxes, no idea where you have put either your pants or contact lenses for weeks on end, and that weird feeling of having spent so much time and money on a what you know to be a worthwhile endeavour while, in the short term, feeling very much worse off.

In the short term, the kitchen equipment was all neatly packed away into boxes - many, many boxes - which also revealed the fact that we have no less than three tortilla presses and also four meat mincers. We were forced to be kitchen minimalists. Just the basics - the means to make coffee and a sandwich. This is where the Opinel essentials truly came into their own. A couple of very well designed and very sharp knives, perfect for essential kitchen tasks. Let's face it, when you are surrounded by cardboard boxes, have no idea where the fuse board is, and are still too scared to go into the basement, you don't need the ability to cut super-thin sashimi, or the tools to spatchcock a chicken. You just want to be able to cut a tomato for your sandwich without chasing it endlessly around the board. Or more likely, cut it in your hands without lopping off a finger, as you will likely not have a clue where the chopping board is.

In short, if space is limited, if you are a dyed in the wool minimalist, if you have moved house/moved out/are setting up home, these Opinel knives are, as the name suggests, essential. They come in three different colour-ways so can be chosen to match your new kitchen.