Knife Skills for Beginners: How to Hold, Chop and Dice Like a Chef
Every great cook starts in the same place: a chopping board, a knife and a pile of onions. Good knife skills are not about speed, whatever the television tells you. They are about control. Once you have control, chopping stops being a chore and cooking starts to feel easy.
Choose Your Knife
You need two knives, not twenty. An 8-inch (20 cm) chef's knife does nearly everything, and a small paring knife handles the fiddly jobs. Buy the best chef's knife you can afford and keep it sharp. A sharp knife is a safe knife: it goes where you send it, while a blunt one skids off an onion and heads for your thumb.
Set Up Your Board
Lay a damp tea towel or paper towel flat under your chopping board so it cannot slide. Use the biggest board you have, and keep a bowl beside it for peelings. A tidy board is a calm board.
How to Hold a Chef's Knife
Most beginners hold a knife like a hammer, with all four fingers on the handle. Chefs use the pinch grip: pinch the blade between your thumb and the side of your index finger, just in front of the handle, then wrap your other three fingers around the handle. It feels odd for a day and natural for the rest of your life, and it gives you far more control.
The Claw: Protect Your Fingers
Your other hand holds the food, and it should look like a claw. Curl your fingertips under so your knuckles face the blade, and tuck your thumb behind them. The flat of the knife rests gently against your knuckles, which guide each cut. Move the claw back a little after every slice. Your fingertips never sit in front of the blade, so they never meet it.
Three Cuts Every Cook Needs
How to dice an onion
Cut the onion in half from root to tip, then peel it. Leave the root on: it holds the layers together.
Lay one half flat. Make thin cuts from tip towards the root, stopping just short of it.
Turn the onion and slice across those cuts. Neat little dice fall away. Discard the root.
How to mince garlic
Press the clove with the flat of your knife to crack the skin, then peel it.
Slice it thinly, then rock the knife back and forth over the slices, gathering them into a pile as you go, until they are fine.
How to slice herbs into ribbons (chiffonade)
Stack basil or mint leaves, roll them up tightly like a cigar, then slice across the roll into fine ribbons.
A Simple Size Guide
Pieces of the same size cook in the same time, so nothing burns while its neighbour is still raw.
Fine dice, 1/8 inch (3 mm): sauces, dressings and fresh salsas
Small dice, 1/4 inch (6 mm): pico de gallo, soups and fillings
Medium dice, 1/2 inch (12 mm): stews and roast vegetables
Large dice, 3/4 inch (2 cm): slow braises that cook for hours
What Can Go Wrong
The board slides: put a damp towel underneath.
The knife slips off the onion: it is blunt. Hone it or have it sharpened.
Some pieces burn, others are raw: your pieces are different sizes. Slow down and aim for even.
Your eyes are streaming: a sharp knife crushes fewer cells and releases less of the stinging gas. Chilling the onion for 10 minutes helps too.
Look After Your Knife
Wash it by hand and dry it straight away. Never put a good knife in the dishwasher.
Hone it on a steel every few uses to keep the edge straight.
Have it properly sharpened once or twice a year.
Scrape food across the board with the back of the blade, not the edge.
Practise With These Recipes
Put your new skills to work with my Pico de Gallo, Greek Salad, Gazpacho, and Shakshuka.
The tools I use: Chef's Knife, Wooden Cutting Board, and Paring Knife.
This lesson is part of my Anyone Can Cook Kitchen School. Next lesson: How to Sear Meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What knife should a beginner buy?
An 8-inch (20 cm) chef's knife. It handles almost every job in the kitchen. Add a small paring knife for peeling and trimming.
What is the claw grip?
Curl the fingertips of the hand holding the food under, so your knuckles face the blade and guide each cut. Your fingertips stay safely behind the knife.
How do I stop onions making me cry?
Use a sharp knife, which crushes fewer cells, and chill the onion for 10 minutes before cutting.
How often should I sharpen my knife?
Hone it every few uses and have it sharpened once or twice a year, or whenever it starts to slip on a tomato skin.
Is a wooden or plastic chopping board better?
Both work. Wood is kinder to your knife. Plastic can go in the dishwasher, so many cooks keep a separate plastic board for raw meat.
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