Cut evenly, safely and fast.

How to hold the knife — and the food

Two hands, two jobs: the knife hand controls the blade, the guiding hand controls the food.

Pinch grip (knife hand)

Pinch the blade just in front of the handle between the thumb and the side of the bent index finger; wrap the other three fingers around the handle. It gives far more control than holding the handle alone.

Handle grip

All fingers on the handle. Fine for heavy chopping or for beginners getting used to the knife, but the blade wobbles more.

Claw grip (guiding hand)

Curl your fingertips under, so your knuckles face the blade and your thumb is tucked behind the fingers. The flat of the blade rests lightly against the knuckles, which guide it and set the thickness.

Bridge grip

For halving round things: make an arch with thumb on one side and fingers on the other, holding the food, and cut under the bridge so the blade never passes your fingers.

Motions

Rock chop (tip stays on the board) for herbs and garlic; push cut (forward and down) for vegetables; pull cut (back and down) for delicate things like spring onions and raw fish.

Knife safety

A sharp knife, a stable board and good habits prevent almost every cut.

Stabilise the board

Put a damp cloth or non-slip mat under the board so it cannot slide.

Make food flat

Cut a thin slice off round vegetables to give them a flat base before cutting further.

Keep it sharp

A dull knife needs more force and slips off skins; a sharp one goes where you aim it.

Never catch a falling knife

Step back and let it fall.

Scrape with the spine

Move food across the board with the back of the blade or a bench scraper, not the edge.

Carry and wash safely

Carry a knife point down by your side; never leave one in a sink of soapy water; wash and dry it by hand.

Separate boards

Use separate boards (or wash thoroughly between uses) for raw meat or fish and for ready-to-eat food.

Sharpening vs honing

Honing straightens the edge you have; sharpening makes a new one.

Honing

A honing rod (often called a steel) pushes a rolled or bent edge back into line. It removes little or no metal. Do it often — every few uses — with light strokes at the same angle as the edge.

Sharpening

A whetstone, sharpening system or pull-through sharpener grinds metal away to form a fresh edge. Needed only when honing no longer brings the knife back — every few months for most home cooks.

Angle

Western knives are commonly sharpened at about 15–20° per side; many Japanese knives at a finer angle. Keep the same angle for every stroke — consistency matters more than the exact number.

How to tell

A sharp knife slices a ripe tomato skin with almost no pressure. If it skids, hone; if honing doesn't help, sharpen.

Serrated knives

Bread knives stay useful for years; they need a tapered rod to sharpen each scallop, or a professional service.

Which knife for what

Each links to its full guide — materials, types and what to look for when buying.

• Chef's knifeThe main knife: almost every cut on this page. Includes the gyuto, santoku, nakiri and Chinese cleaver styles described in its guide.A broad, all-purpose kitchen knife, usually 18–25 cm, for chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing.
• Paring knifeSmall in-hand work: peeling, coring, segmenting citrus, tourné (with a bird's-beak blade).A small, short-bladed knife for peeling, trimming and detailed cutting in the hand.
• Bread knifeBread, and soft-skinned fruit such as tomatoes and peaches when your chef's knife is dull.A long knife with a serrated edge that saws through crusty bread, cakes and tomatoes without crushing them.
• Kitchen scissorsSnipping herbs, spring onions and trimming poultry.Sturdy scissors for snipping herbs, trimming meat and fish, cutting poultry and opening packets.
• Vegetable peelerPeeling and making wide vegetable ribbons.A handheld tool with a slotted blade that removes thin strips of skin from fruit and vegetables.
• Chopping boardA wooden or plastic board kind to the edge; avoid glass and stone.A flat board of wood or plastic that gives a safe, knife-friendly surface for cutting food.
• Bench scraperScooping and moving cut food without dulling the blade.A rigid rectangular metal blade with a handle for cutting dough, scooping chopped food and cleaning the counter.

The classic cuts

Classical dimensions as taught in Western culinary schools; books differ by a millimetre or two. Each drawing is to scale, with its own 1 cm bar.

• JulienneIntermediate3 × 3 × 50 mm (fine julienne: 1.5 × 1.5 × 50 mm)Thin, even matchsticks that cook in seconds and look neat raw.

• BatonnetBeginner6 × 6 × 50–60 mmChunky sticks, the step before medium-small dice and the shape of thin chips.

• BrunoiseAdvanced3 × 3 × 3 mm (fine brunoise: 1.5 mm)The smallest even dice — tiny cubes cut from julienne.

• Small diceBeginner6 × 6 × 6 mmEven 6 mm cubes — the everyday dice for salads, salsas and quick sauces.

• Medium diceBeginner12 × 12 × 12 mm12 mm cubes for stews, curries and soups that simmer 20–40 minutes.

• Large diceBeginner20 × 20 × 20 mm20 mm chunks for long braises, tagines and roasting trays.

• Rough chopBeginnerabout 15–25 mm, irregularIrregular pieces of roughly similar size, for things that will be strained or blended.

• MinceBeginnerunder 2 mmVery fine, uneven pieces — for garlic, ginger, chillies and herbs.

• ChiffonadeBeginner1–2 mm ribbonsFine ribbons of leafy herbs or greens, made by rolling and slicing.

• RondelleBeginner3–6 mm thick discsDiscs cut straight across a cylindrical vegetable.

• Bias cutBeginner3–6 mm thick, 30–60° angleOval slices cut at an angle for more surface area and a longer, elegant shape.

• Oblique (roll) cutIntermediateabout 25–30 mm chunks with two angled facesAngled chunks made by turning the vegetable a quarter turn between cuts.

• PaysanneIntermediate12 × 12 × 3 mmThin, flat squares (or triangles and rounds) for rustic soups.

• TournéAdvancedabout 50 mm long, 7 equal faces, flat endsA classical seven-sided barrel shape, carved with a curved paring knife.