Guide: How to Use Kitchen Knives Properly

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15–20 minutes to learn basics, mastery over weeks

Proper knife skills make cooking faster, safer, and more enjoyable. Many beginners fear knives or use them incorrectly, which actually increases injury risk. A sharp knife with proper technique is safer than a dull knife with poor technique. This guide teaches you fundamental knife skills: how to hold a knife, basic cuts, and safety principles that professional cooks use every day.

What You'll Need

Materials

• 8-inch chef's knife (the most versatile knife)
• Cutting board (wood or plastic)
• Vegetables for practice (onions, carrots, peppers)
• Damp towel (to stabilize cutting board)

Prerequisites

• No prior knife experience needed
• 15–20 minutes for initial practice
• Willingness to practice slowly before attempting speed
• Understanding that dull knives are more dangerous than sharp knives

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Hold the knife with proper grip (pinch grip)

Pinch the blade where it meets the handle between your thumb and forefinger, with remaining three fingers wrapped around the handle. Your index finger should NOT be extended along the top of the blade—this is the "beginner grip" that provides poor control. The pinch grip feels awkward at first but gives you precision and control. This is the grip professional cooks use exclusively.

Step 2: Position your other hand correctly (claw grip)

Your non-knife hand guides food and protects your fingers. Curl your fingertips inward so your knuckles are the closest part to the knife blade. Rest the flat of the knife blade against your knuckles as a guide. Keep fingertips curled back away from the blade. This "claw grip" makes it physically impossible to cut your fingertips—you'd hit your knuckles first, which are much safer to tap.

Step 3: Stabilize your cutting board before starting

Place a damp towel or non-slip mat under your cutting board so it doesn't slide during cutting. A sliding cutting board causes most kitchen knife accidents. Press down on the board—it shouldn't move at all. Re-wet the towel if the board starts sliding. This simple step prevents injuries and makes cutting much easier.

Step 4: Use rocking motion for most cutting tasks

Keep the knife tip on the cutting board and rock the blade down through food, using a forward-and-down motion. The blade never fully leaves the cutting board—the tip stays down while the handle goes up and down. Don't saw back and forth. Don't lift the knife completely up and chop down. The rocking motion is efficient, controlled, and safe.

Step 5: Move food toward blade, not blade toward food

After each cut, use your guiding hand to move the food forward into the blade's path. The knife stays relatively still while food comes to it. Beginners often move the knife wildly while food stays still—this reduces control and increases injury risk. Keep knife movement minimal and controlled.

Step 6: Match knife speed to your comfort level

Start slowly—there's no rush. Speed comes naturally with practice over weeks. Trying to cut quickly as a beginner causes accidents. Professional cooks are fast because they've made thousands of cuts, not because they're trying to be fast. Focus on proper technique at a comfortable pace. Speed will develop automatically.

Step 7: Learn the three basic cuts for vegetables

• Dice: Cut food into even cubes (small, medium, or large). First cut into strips, line up strips, then cut crosswise into cubes. Even sizes cook evenly.
• Slice: Cut food into thin, flat pieces. Great for cucumbers, tomatoes, onions.
• Mince: Very fine cuts for garlic, ginger, herbs. Dice first, then rock blade over food repeatedly until finely chopped.

Step 8: Keep your knife sharp with regular honing

A sharp knife cuts through food with minimal pressure, reducing slip risk. Use a honing steel (the metal rod) before each use: hold steel vertically, swipe blade down and across steel at 20-degree angle, 5 strokes per side. Honing realigns the blade edge. Professional sharpening needed 1–2 times yearly. Never let knives become dull.

Step 9: Clean and store knives properly after use

Wash knives immediately after use with soap and warm water, then dry completely. Never leave knives in sink or soapy water where you can't see them—this causes accidental cuts. Store in knife block, on magnetic strip, or in drawer with blade guards. Never toss knives loose in drawer where they dull and create grab-and-cut hazards.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Extending index finger along top of blade: This "pointing" grip gives you no control and increases cut risk if knife slips. Your finger is too far forward and vulnerable. The pinch grip with thumb and forefinger on the blade gives much better control and keeps fingers safer.
• Using fingertips to hold food instead of knuckles: Beginners instinctively use flat-fingered grip where fingertips point toward blade. This guarantees eventual cuts. Curl fingers into claw position so only knuckles approach the blade. This single adjustment prevents most kitchen cuts.
• Applying excessive downward pressure: If you're pressing hard, your knife is dull. Sharp knives cut with blade weight and minimal pressure. Pushing hard causes knife to slip off food and potentially into your hand. If cutting requires significant pressure, stop and sharpen the knife.
• Using the wrong knife for the task: Don't use an 8-inch chef's knife for peeling—use a paring knife. Don't use a serrated bread knife for chopping vegetables—use a chef's knife. Each knife has specific purposes. The chef's knife handles 80% of cutting tasks; learn to use it well before buying specialty knives.
• Cutting toward yourself or with blade exposed toward your body: Always cut away from yourself. When carrying a knife, hold it pointing down at your side with blade facing backward, never forward. When handing someone a knife, offer the handle with blade pointing away from both of you.

Pro Tips

• Practice on soft vegetables before hard ones: Start with zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers (soft, forgiving). Once comfortable, progress to carrots, potatoes, and onions (harder, require more control). Save butternut squash and whole chickens for after you've mastered basics. Build skill progressively, not by jumping to difficult tasks.
• Invest in one excellent chef's knife instead of a set: One sharp 8-inch chef's knife ($30–50) is better than a 15-piece set of mediocre knives. Victorinox and Wüsthof make excellent starter knives. A chef's knife plus a paring knife handles 95% of home cooking. Skip knife sets—they're usually low-quality blades you'll never use.
• Create a flat surface before cutting round vegetables: Before slicing a round potato or onion, cut a thin slice off one side to create a flat base. Place flat side down so vegetable can't roll. This prevents the vegetable rolling under your knife, which causes cuts and uneven slices.
• Use your knuckles as a guide for even slices: Position your claw-grip knuckles where you want the next cut, let the blade rest against your knuckles, then make the cut. Move knuckles back a blade-width and repeat. This creates even slices without measuring. Your knuckles are a built-in measuring guide.
• If you're fighting with food, your knife is dull: Tomato skin won't slice cleanly? Knife is dull. Onion crushes instead of cutting? Knife is dull. Chicken breast requires sawing? Knife is dull. A truly sharp knife cuts tomato skin with zero pressure. Get knives professionally sharpened twice yearly, hone before each use.

Related Skills

• How to Cook Basic Proteins
• How to Season Food Without Recipes
• How to Stock a Beginner Kitchen
• How to Meal Prep for the Week