Knife Skills 101: Tips From Our Chefs’ Table

Ask any of our chefs what separates a comfortable home cook from a nervous one, and most will say the same thing: confidence with a knife. It’s the single skill that makes every other recipe easier, so we asked our kitchen to share a few fundamentals.

Keep it sharp. A dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one, because it requires more force and is more likely to slip. A few strokes on a honing steel before you start cooking makes a real difference.

Curl your fingertips. Tucking your fingertips under and guiding the blade against your knuckles keeps your hand safe and your cuts consistent, even when you’re moving quickly.

Let the knife do the work. Rather than pressing down hard, use a gentle rocking or sliding motion. Good technique is about control, not force.

Practice one cut at a time. Rather than trying to master everything at once, spend a week just on dicing onions, then move to slicing herbs, then to breaking down a chicken. Small, repeated practice builds real muscle memory.

It’s a skill our own chefs are still refining, honestly. Even after years at the pass, there’s always a cleaner cut to strive for. Start slow, stay patient with yourself, and the rest will follow.