Sharpening Your Knife Skills - A Definitive Guide for Beginners

Want to cook like a master chef? Improving your knife skills is a great place to start.

Preparing a delicious dish requires more than just great ingredients - you also need to know your way around your tools, including your knife and cutting board.You don’t need to work in a restaurant kitchen to wield your cooking knives like a pro. In fact, knife skills are something anyone can learn, whether you’ve been cooking for years or are a complete novice.

In this guide, we’ll delve into crucial knife handling, safety, and maintenance tips for beginners, as well as some of the best knife types to invest in. Grab your knife and let’s get slicing!

(1) Find Your Perfect Grip

The first step towards cutting with confidence is finding the right knife grip. There are two grip techniques favored by culinary experts: the handshake grip and the pinch grip.

The Handshake Grip

To use the handshake grip, wrap your fingers around the handle of the knife and let your thumb rest against the side. Imagine that you’re shaking hands with your knife. This grip provides a very balanced hold that is ideal for heavy-duty chopping.

The Pinch Grip

To use this grip, pinch the blade’s spine between your thumb and forefinger. Let the handle rest against your palm and curl your remaining three fingers around it. This grip offers greater control for delicate cutting tasks like mincing or julienning.

To determine which grip suits you best, practice both methods and observe which one feels more comfortable and natural. A comfortable grip means better control and safer slicing. When practicing your grip or any other knife skills, always use a stable surface and invest in a high-quality cutting board.

(2) Learn to Protect Your Fingers

Although mastering your knife grip is essential, safeguarding the fingers on your non-dominant hand is equally important. The best way to do this is by using the “claw” technique, which is one of the first things many chefs learn in culinary school.

To form the claw, bend your fingers inward, tucking your fingertips under while keeping your knuckles facing outward. This keeps your fingertips out of harm’s way. Your knuckles will serve as a visual guide, and your knife may gently brush up against them while cutting.

Never underestimate the importance of the claw technique, even for very simple cutting tasks. Even a momentary lapse in attention can lead to serious kitchen injuries. Of all knife-related injuries in the US, fingers and thumbs are injured most often. Ensuring the claw grip is second nature is one of the best ways to prevent these injuries while cooking.

(3) Master the Basic Cutting Techniques

Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your grip and mastered the claw technique, the next step is to learn basic cutting techniques. While we recommend using high-quality carbon steel knives, there are many different knife types that will work with these techniques.

Here are six popular cutting techniques to start with.

Slice

Slicing is the most straightforward technique and is often the starting point for other cuts. To slice, keep your knife blade flat against the cutting board and make downward and forward movements. Maintain the claw grip with your non-dominant hand for safety.

Bias Slice

The bias slice is similar to traditional slicing but is done at a 45-degree angle. Keep your fingers tucked in and always slice away from yourself. Practice this cut on long, cylindrical vegetables like carrots, celery, or cucumbers to get the hang of it.

Mince

Mincing involves cutting food items into tiny pieces. This technique is often used for herbs and garlic. To mince, keep your knife’s tip anchored into the cutting board and pivot the knife up and down quickly. As always, focus on keeping your non-dominant hand in the claw position.

Dice

Dicing creates small, uniform cubes of food. It’s used in a wide variety of recipes and is particularly effective for cutting vegetables in soups and stews. Start by slicing your ingredients into thick planks. Then, stack the planks, cut them into sticks, and finally cut the sticks into cubes.

Wedge

The wedge technique is usually used to cut fruits or root vegetables. This technique involves cutting the ingredient into halves, quarters, or eights while keeping one end of the item intact. To do this, hold the item securely with one hand and gently make angular cuts toward the center of the ingredient, taking care not to cut all the way through.

Chiffonade

This elegant cutting technique is often used for leafy greens and herbs. To use this cutting technique, stack your leaves and roll them tightly. Then, make thin horizontal slices across the roll. You’ll end up with fine, ribbon-like strands that add visual appeal to any dish.

(4) Expand Your Knife Collection

Once you get comfortable with these basic cutting techniques, it’s time to consider expanding your knife collection. There are four knife types we recommend investing in to level up your cooking skills.

Kitchen Utility Knife

This versatile knife is a jack-of-all-trades that is perfect for slicing fruits and vegetables as well as small meats. Its medium size gives you both control and adaptability in the kitchen.

Serrated (Bread) Knife

Not just for bread, serrated blades easily cut through tomatoes, citrus fruits, and even cakes without crushing them.

Paring Knife

Paring knives are ideal for intricate tasks like peeling, deseeding, or hulling small fruits. They offer precision for tasks where a larger knife might be cumbersome.

Chef’s Knife

These knives are the workhorse of any professional kitchen. A high-quality chef’s knife can handle almost any task, from dicing vegetables to breaking down a whole chicken. Look for one with a comfortable grip and balanced weight.

(5) Practice Proper Knife Maintenance

Proper maintenance helps your knives last for years to come and ensures optimal performance in the kitchen. Here are some of our top knife maintenance tips to keep in mind.

• Always hand-wash your knives with warm, soapy water immediately after use, and dry them thoroughly with a towel to prevent rust.
• Avoid putting knives in the dishwasher, as this can dull the blade and potentially cause it to chip.
• Store your knives safely with a knife block, magnetic strip, or blade guards. Don’t store them in a drawer with other utensils, as this causes safety issues and can cause your knives to dull.
• Dull knives are very dangerous and increase the risk of slippage while cutting. Chef’s knives and utility knives should be sharpened every few months or whenever you notice a decrease in performance. You can use a honing rod for touch-ups or bring your knives in for a thorough professional sharpening at a local cutlery shop.

Are You Ready to Sharpen Your Skills?

Mastering these basic knife skills will help you tackle more complex recipes and stay safe in the kitchen. Don’t worry: If you’re just dipping your toe into the world of cooking and high-end knives, District Cutlery has everything you need to expand your collection.

We’re true cutlery experts specializing in high-performance knives. Our incredible selection has everything from beginner-friendly options to top brands loved by the pros. We also offer professional knife sharpening services to keep your tools in top condition.

Shop our selection now to find your new favorite knife. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!