How to Learn to Effectively Use a Kitchen
Knife.
By properly wielding a kitchen knife, you'll
be able to chop, dice, and mince foods with
ease without cutting any fingers.
Quickly serve up nutritious snacks and entrees
with minimal effort.
You will need Kitchen knife Cutting board
Items to practice chopping Knife sharpener
(optional) and knife block (optional).
Step 1.
Select a kitchen knife you feel comfortable
working with.
One option is a chef's knife or French knife,
which has a broad, tapered shape and a fine,
sharp edge.
Regularly sharpen your knives with a knife
sharpener, available in retail and specialty
stores.
A sharp knife is actually safer than a dull
one.
With a dull knife, it's easier to lose control
and cut yourself.
Step 2.
Put the knife in your cutting hand.
Grip the handle at the base of the blade,
a grip that allows for better control.
Store your knives in a knife block that separates
the blades.
Avoid throwing them into a drawer as the blades
will get scratched, dulled, and damaged.
Step 3.
Curl the fingers of your non-knife hand, placing
the thumb and little finger behind the other
fingers.
This position keeps the side of the knife
against the non-knife hand and avoids cutting
any fingers.
Step 4.
Use a secure cutting board as a base and cut
a cucumber in half.
To chop, drag the knife toward you with the
blade tip sliding across the cutting board
or cut downward with a rocking motion, using
the heel of the blade to do the work.
Move your non-knife hand away from the knife
as you chop, to help measure cuts.
Step 5.
Practice your cutting technique with different
foods and different knives.
Other kitchen knives include a paring knife
and serrated knife.
No matter which knife you're using, always
remain aware of how you're holding the knife
and the position of each hand to help avoid
accidents.
Did you know Another name for the bowie knife,
popularized by American frontiersman James
Bowie, is "Arkansas Toothpick."
