Prepare to sharpen your knife skills with our pro tips

A solid grip is key to safe knife work, and the pinch grip is the professional’s choice. Grip the blade above the bolster with your thumb and forefinger and wrap the rest around the handle. It gives you control, balance, and precision for confident chopping and mincing. 

This simple but essential skill takes a bit of practice. Tuck your fingertips in and guide the knife with your knuckles facing the blade. Use your thumb and pinky to steady the food from the sides. It keeps your fingers safe and gives you more control as you cut. 

Use a smooth, rocking motion with a chef’s or a tomato knife from tip to heel, guided by your claw grip. Pros use their knuckle to keep slices even. For bias slicing, cut on a diagonal to get wider pieces.

Use a claw grip, slice into thin strips, and then cut the food into matchsticks. Keep the tip down, pull the knife toward you, and lift the handle slightly. A chef’s knife is great for smooth and controlled cutting, while a Santoku knife is also a great choice for precise, straight cuts.  The julienne technique works best for carrots, peppers, and potatoes.

Start with even slices, stack them, cut them into sticks, and then crosswise into cubes. For a fine dice, aim for ¼-inch pieces that help your ingredients cook evenly and look professional. The broad blade of a chef’s knife makes dicing easy and efficient. A Santoku knife can also be a great alternative, especially for those with smaller hands.

Chiffonade creates thin, airy ribbons from herbs or leafy greens. Stack, roll, and slice into fine strips. Dry the leaves first for clean cuts. A chef’s knife or a Santoku knife are the best knives to use for the chiffonade technique, depending on the size of the leaves. 

Use a claw grip to chop garlic, herbs, onions, or aromatics. Gather into a pile, then rock the knife back and forth, finely mincing to 1/8 or 1/16 inch. Remember to remove tough stems before mincing. A chef’s knife works best for these tasks, because its blade is perfectly shaped to execute the rocking motion.