I would highly recommend an inexpensive, but excellent Chef's knife. I have high quality Japanese carbon steel knives, but still reach for this one every other time I need a Chef's knife. I've bought them for other people to prove a point that good knives don't have to cost a lot and costing a lot does not make a good knife.

Having a proper sharp knife makes cooking a lot more fun.

Both excellent:

Inexpensive

Expensive

Buy this. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better one without spending >$100.

Victorinox Chef's Knife is the best bang-for-buck chef's knife you can buy.