How to Hold a Chef Knife and How Not to
It’s very important for any cook to know how to properly hold and use a chef knife. Improper grip, hand position or technique can result in injury. So, just pay attention and we’ll guide you through the safest and most efficient ways you can use your best chef knife.
When holding a chef’s knife it should feel like an extension of your arm. Also, a loose and comfortable grip is required in order to avoid fatigue. From here on we’ll show you the two basic holding techniques, the right, hand position and the correct way to cut.
1 The Blade Pinching Technique
In order to have maximum control over your chef knife, the blade pinching technique is the most proper way in which you can hold your knife. It’s easy. First, pinch the blade with your thumb and index finger on top of the blade right next to the bolster.
Second, just loosely wrap your other three fingers around the handle and you’re good to go. Because you are pinching the blade you have most control and balance making it easy to perform exact cuts.
2 The Handle Grip
Another common way to hold your chef’s knife is the handle gripping technique. it is similar to the pinching technique but here you do not touch the blade. First, you pinch the handle on the bolster.
Second, you wrap your fingers around the handle.
Third, you crawl your thumb and index finger next to the other three. This is a very efficient grip that will get you through tonnes of work.
So this is how to hold a knife like a chef.
These two ways in which you grip your knife are the safest, most efficient and most common around. There are some variations in which you pinch the blade with your thumb on one side and the index plus middle finger on the other. Or, when you use the handle grip but you continue to pinch the bolster with your thumb. But these ways are not that efficient or safe for a beginner. We recommend on using one of the basic hand positions shown before and give them a lot of practice.
How Not to Hold your chef knife
There are two often made mistakes when holding a chef’s knife. These mistakes can cause injury and create fatigue when using them for a longer period of time. So be careful and take note. Hold your chef knife the right way and you will be free of dangerous cuts. Don’t be a hero, be a pro!
1. Holding the Knife Like a Surgeon Error
One of them and probably the most common is when people tend to hold their index finger on the spine of the knife. Like a surgeon is holding a scalpel. Remember! this is not surgery it’s cooking! While a scalpel is small and easily controlled with this hand position, a chef’s knife is considerably bigger. Thus, making it unstable and extremely hard to balance. Another issue is that the force you apply with your arm ends in your finger which in turn stresses the tendon in your hand which gives way to fatigue. So try to avoid it, don’t be a surgeon in the kitchen, be a cook.
2. Holding the Knife Like a Hammer Error
A second common issue is when people hold the knife like a hammer. Try holding it in this position while mincing or performing a rolling technique. First, you’ll realize that you have no flexibility in your wrist. Second, you may even punch the cutting board while mincing. You have no control what so ever. So, use this grabbing position if your in battle but if you’re in the kitchen try to stay safe.
How to position your guide hand when cutting
When chopping, slicing or dicing, you have to keep in mind two aspects. The way in which you hold your knife and the way you position your guide hand on different ingredients using different techniques.
The way in which you hold your knife helps with control over your blade. While the way you position your guide hand offers safety and accuracy when cutting by guiding the blade or anchoring ingredients into place.
There are three basic positions that you will use when performing correct cuts. The “claw hand”, “the pivot chopping” and “the anchoring position” are the basic ways you hold your guide hand for either slicing small or large ingredients, for chopping ingredients that are loose on the cutting board or for longitudinal slicing.
How to Hold a Chef Knife and Guide Hand – Techniques
1. The Claw – Hand Position
The “claw hand” will be the position you’ll use most in the kitchen. For either small or large ingredients this hand position will offer safety and accuracy when either performing the rolling technique or a up and down cutting motion. Thus being most versatile.
Position you hand like a backward crawling claw. With your palm raised a few inches from the table lower your three middle fingers (index, middle and third finger) and crawl them together. Then lower your thumb and little finger behind them. All you have to do now is tuck the three fingers inside in order for the middle fingers knuckle to be perpendicular to the table. When performing a cut, your knife’s blade will be positioned against you middle finger’s knuckle which in turn will guide your blade for the cut. Now, the role of the thumb and little finger is basically to hold the ingredients in place.
Rolling Technique – Thin Cuts
For performing thin cuts, on small ingredients with the rolling technique use the claw hand position as explained. Set your knife’s blade against your middle finger and guide your blade with every cut to the desired thickness. Just keep in mind to hold those three finger tips tucked in to avoid injury.
Rolling Technique – Medium Cuts
For larger cuts, using the same technique, hold your ingredients in place with the claw hand position. The only difference is that you don’t have to set your blade against the middle finger as before. Because you are making large cuts, it is not that hard to accurately adjust the blade for the required size.
Up and Down Motion – Large Cuts
For large cuts, as for example when slicing a pineapple or a cabbage your blade will have to leave the table. Thus a up and down cutting motion is required. In this case you will use the same claw hand position as before.The blade is still guided by your knuckle just your three fingers don’t have to be crawled together. In order to firmly hold the ingredient in place you need to equally spread your finger on its surface until you feel you have enough control. Again, just remember to keep those finger tips crawled inside.
2. Pivot Chopping Position
When chopping loose ingredients like parsley, fresh coriander or any other herbs you should employ the pivot chopping technique. It is a very effective, safe and fast way to chop these types of ingredients that run all over the place.
The tip of the knife should be fixed on the board and kept in place with your guide hand. To hold it in place, just keep your fingers straight and position them together on top of the spine of the knife close to the tip. Then slowly start to chop in a rocking motion increasing the speed as you go. You will realize that this is a very safe technique as nothing is in the way of the blade.
3. Anchoring position
When trying to slice an ingredient longitudinally with the tip of your knife, the guide hand becomes an anchor. Because this technique is employed for long ingredients you’ll not be able to use the claw hand position as you’ll have to constantly move your hand alongside while cutting. Thus you have to keep it in place by pinching it on one end with your thumb and index finger and run your blade tip, starting in between your fingers through to the other end.
Summary
Now you know everything from how to hold your chef knife to the right position of your guide hand when cutting small, medium, large, loose or long ingredients. Keep in mind that holding your chef knife the right way will protect you from injury and save you from fatigue. Positioning your guide hand the right way will also help with safety against injury and will help you make perfect cuts every time. Just do it right and don’t rush. You will become faster with time. Even the most experienced chef’s started slow. It is just a matter of doing it over and over again until you master the cuts without even thinking of the technique. It’s just like riding a bike.
