Go to any beginner cooking class and one of the first things they will teach you is knife skills. The secret to all good cooks and chefs is to have good knife skills complemented by a set of quality knives. You don’t need to go and buy out something that is $100, a basic one will do, but make sure you have a variety for the type of cooking you will do. This article from Gizmodo goes over basic skills that anyone can learn and goes over the basic knife types.

I think that many beginners can get away with forgoing the chef knife and instead picking up a Japan-inspired Santoku (pictured below). The flat-edged blade is easier for everyday use and that style has been picked up by most knife manufacturers.

Alton Brown has teamed up with Shun knives to create a special line of knives with an angled handle. They are made with a Damascus steel look that is made of layered steel, similar to a japanese sword. The angled handle makes chopping a bit easier for beginners as it makes sure the knuckes on the handle-hand don’t hit the cutting board.