Great cooking starts with great knife skills. Not only do proper techniques make you faster in the kitchen, they also make cooking safer and more enjoyable.

Choosing Your Knives

You don't need a massive knife block. Start with these three essentials:

  1. 8-inch Chef's Knife - Your workhorse for most tasks
  2. Paring Knife - For small, detailed work
  3. Serrated Bread Knife - For bread and tomatoes

The Proper Grip

Pinch Grip (Professional Method)

Hold the knife by pinching the blade between your thumb and index finger, just in front of the handle. Wrap your remaining fingers around the handle. This gives you maximum control.

Guide Hand

Curl your fingers into a claw shape, using your knuckles as a guide against the blade. Never let your fingertips extend past your knuckles.

Essential Cuts

The Slice

The most basic cut – straight down through your ingredient. Perfect for onions, garlic, and most vegetables.

The Dice

  1. Slice your ingredient into planks
  2. Stack planks and cut into sticks
  3. Cut across the sticks to create cubes

Sizes:

  • Small dice: ¼ inch
  • Medium dice: ½ inch
  • Large dice: ¾ inch

The Julienne

Also known as matchsticks:

  1. Cut vegetable into 2-inch segments
  2. Slice into thin planks (1/8 inch)
  3. Stack and cut into thin strips

The Chiffonade

Perfect for herbs and leafy greens:

  1. Stack leaves on top of each other
  2. Roll tightly like a cigar
  3. Slice thinly across the roll

Knife Care

Honing vs. Sharpening

  • Hone regularly (weekly) with a honing steel to realign the edge
  • Sharpen occasionally (every 6 months) to restore the edge

Washing Always hand wash and dry immediately. Never put good knives in the dishwasher!

Storage Use a magnetic strip, knife block, or blade guards. Never store loose in a drawer.

Practice Exercises

Start with these to build confidence:

  1. Onion dice: The classic test of knife skills
  2. Carrot julienne: Great for practicing uniform cuts
  3. Herb chiffonade: Perfect for fine motor control

Safety First

  • Always cut on a stable cutting board (place a damp towel underneath if it slides)
  • Cut away from your body
  • Keep your knives sharp (dull knives are dangerous knives)
  • Focus on the task – no distractions
  • Clean knives should be visible, never hidden under other items

With practice, these techniques will become second nature. Start slow, focus on consistency, and speed will come naturally.

Now get chopping! 🔪