Knives and cutting: how to chop fast, evenly and safely
Which three knives you really need at home, how to hold a knife and protect your fingers with the claw grip, the difference between honing and sharpening and at what angle to sharpen. How to dice an onion in a minute, what julienne and brunoise are, and why a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.
Three knives are enough
Big 12-knife block sets are mostly marketing. Professional cooks do 90% of their work with one knife. At home three is plenty.
- A chef's knife 18–21 cm — for everything: vegetables, meat, herbs, chopping. The Japanese equivalent is a santoku of 16–18 cm with a straighter blade.
- A paring knife 8–10 cm — for work in the hand: peeling, removing eyes, cutting small things.
- A serrated (bread) knife 20–25 cm — for bread, sponge cakes, tomatoes and thick-skinned citrus.
How to hold a knife
Most people grip the whole handle with the index finger stretched along the spine. That gives poor control and a tired hand.
The professional grip is the pinch grip. Your thumb and bent index finger pinch the blade right at its base from both sides, and the other three fingers wrap the handle. The knife becomes an extension of your hand: it doesn't wobble, you steer it more precisely and your hand tires far less.
The claw: protecting your fingers
Your other hand doesn't just hold the food — it guides the knife and protects itself. Curl your fingers so the tips are tucked in and the first knuckles form a vertical wall. Tuck your thumb behind the other fingers.
The flat of the blade slides against your knuckles — they act as a guide. The fingertips are tucked away and the knife physically can't reach them. After each cut, move the claw back slightly — that sets the thickness of the slice.
The right movements
A knife doesn't press, it slices — with a gliding motion. A sharp knife goes through food under its own weight if you move it forward and down.
- Rocking: the tip stays on the board while you raise and lower the handle, feeding the food under the blade. For herbs, garlic, fine chopping.
- Forward and down: the heel enters first and the knife glides forward to the tip. For vegetables — carrots, cucumbers, potatoes.
- Pull cut: the blade draws backwards through the food. For delicate things — fish, meat, tomatoes.
Types of cut
Even pieces aren't just for looks. Pieces of the same size cook in the same time: no mushy and raw carrot in the same soup.
- Brunoise — 2–3 mm dice: for sauces, dressings, salsa, onion for mince.
- Small dice — 5 mm: for sautés, salads, rice.
- Medium dice — 1–1.5 cm: for soups, stews, vinegret.
- Large dice — 2–2.5 cm: for roasting and braising.
- Julienne — matchsticks 2–3 mm thick and 5–6 cm long: for salads and stir-fries.
- Chiffonade — thin ribbons of leaves: stack the leaves, roll them up and slice across. For basil, spinach, mint.
How to dice an onion
The key is not to cut off the root: it holds the layers together while you cut.
- Cut off the top, keeping the root. Halve the onion lengthways through the root and peel it.
- Lay a half cut-side down with the root away from you.
- Make lengthways cuts spaced to the size of dice you want, stopping 5–7 mm short of the root.
- Make 1–2 horizontal cuts parallel to the board, again stopping short of the root.
- Slice across — the onion falls into dice by itself. Chop the root end separately or save it for stock.
Garlic, herbs and ginger
Garlic: put a clove on the board, lay the flat of the blade on top and press with your palm. The skin comes off by itself. For a paste, sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of salt and scrape it with the flat of the knife — the salt acts as an abrasive, and in a minute you have a smooth purée.
Herbs must be dry: wet leaves clump and turn to mush. Use a sharp knife and as few passes as possible: each pass over the same spot squeezes out juice and the herbs darken.
Ginger is easiest to peel with the edge of a teaspoon: the skin scrapes off and the flesh stays. Grate it finely across the fibres.
Honing and sharpening: the difference
A knife's edge is very thin. In use it doesn't so much dull as bend — it rolls to one side on a microscopic level. A honing steel straightens it back. That's honing — do it every 1–2 uses: 5–6 strokes per side at the same angle as the sharpening.
Sharpening removes metal and forms a new edge. You do it when honing stops helping: every 2–6 months with home use. The best tool is whetstones: a coarse one (400–1000) to form the edge and a fine one (3000–6000) to polish it.
- European knives — 20° per side.
- Japanese knives — 15° per side: sharper, but the edge is more delicate.
- Sharpness test — a sheet of paper: a sharp knife slices it held in the air without crumpling it.
Boards, storage and safety
Use a wooden or food-grade plastic board. Glass, stone, marble and ceramic dull a knife fast. Keep a separate board for raw meat and fish; if you only have one, wash it with hot soapy water straight after the meat.
Don't put good knives in the dishwasher: heat, harsh detergent and knocking against other items dull the edge and ruin the handle. Wash by hand right after use and dry at once. Store on a magnetic strip or in a block, never loose in a drawer.
A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one: you have to press to cut and it slips. A sharp knife goes where you point it. And never try to catch a falling knife — just step back.
Questions and answers
Which steel should I choose?＋
For home use, stainless steel of 56–60 HRC: it holds an edge and hones easily. Carbon steel gets sharper but rusts and discolours with acid. Ceramic is very sharp but brittle and can't be honed on a steel.
Can I use an electric sharpener?＋
You can, but it removes a lot of metal and wears the knife down faster. Fine for cheap knives; for good ones use stones or a professional service.
How often should I sharpen?＋
Hone every 1–2 uses, sharpen on stones every 2–6 months. If the knife still squashes a tomato after honing, it's time to sharpen.
Why does my knife leave a dark mark on an apple?＋
That's carbon or low-quality steel reacting with acid. Use a stainless knife for fruit and wash it right after.
How do I look after a wooden board?＋
Wash by hand, dry at once and stand it upright to dry. Rub with mineral oil once a month so the wood doesn't crack. Lemon and salt remove smells.
Try it in practice
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