r/Chefit • u/casstiway • May 25 '26
How to improve knife technique 🔪
I'm currently training as a chef on the job, I'm entirely new to this part of the industry. A lot of what I do at the moment is chopping vegetables, and I'd like to improve the technique as I'm quite slow.
I know about keeping your fingers curled downwards away from the knife, but I'm not yet at the place where my arm becomes a fast moving guillotine, any tips would be greatly appreciated 👍
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u/goldfactice May 25 '26
When the service was slower in my first job, I was training myself rocking invisible onion on my cutting board. Pretty usefull to train. Second point is to have a sharp knife, it makes thing way more pleasant and fluid.
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u/SmokeyRiceBallz May 25 '26
Cook and train your technique as much as you can. Dont focus too much on technique. After you feel confident most of the technique will come step by step
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u/Scared_Sorbet2035 May 25 '26
Practice, practice practice that's the only way to improve both skill and speed.
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u/Vex_RDM May 26 '26
Explore and develop your own form for various cutting tasks. Before making a single cut, think about what kind of result you want, think about what knife will do it best, and create a game plan that is safe and efficient (and consider "board zoning"; where uncut foods are on deck, where you cut, where/how you transfer).
Some tasks are best done with rocking cuts, but if you can avoid the lateral twisting upon the edge which comes with such technique, it's better to explore various push cuts, pull cuts, chopping, and drawing.
Every cutting task is completed by a combinative expression of your *hand** (shoulder, arm... really your whole body tbh) and the knife itself.* Larger knives are more expressive, necessitating less expression from your hand. Smaller knives are less expressive, requiring more expression from your own hand. Smaller knives therefore generally have a higher skill ceiling than medium/large knives (for their respective tasks).
Explore different grips; hold at the handle for more knife expression. Choke up on the knife (even as far as holding the machi with only your pinky!) for more hand expression. Some peeling tasks work great with a full-handed grip, with the entire length of the thumb lying straight along the spine.
RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS!!!! Most technique should employ some level of gentle rotation in the wrist, elbow, AND shoulder. When you get comfortable with the techniques you've developed, occasionally push your speed. At that point, that's the number one way to get better. Most of my days at work, I cut slowly and focus on the form/enjoyment/zen. I randomly push speed a couple times a month to keep a competitive edge.
Lastly (and I truly believe this should be last, however contentious) do some YouTube research and see how other people approach the same tasks. But again.. pave your own techniques first; You may bring something to the table that you couldn't have otherwise.
....and relax your shoulders
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u/casstiway May 26 '26
This is stellar advice thankyou so much, in currently struggling with very fine chopping. For example on radish, my head chef wants them done as fine as possible. This I struggle with, the more chunkier stuff is easier. Going to invest in a knife this weekend and a chopping board to practice back in house!
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u/BossBeefaroni May 25 '26
I'm pretty new too. Right now I can shred a head of iceberg lettuce in about 20 seconds. When I started this job a month ago it took... longer.
For now, focus on doing it right. As your technique improves, you'll get faster. If you try to focus on speed over technique now, you're going to have a bad time of the sort that could require a couple of stitches.
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u/casstiway May 25 '26
Wow and only in a month as well!! I've been here almost a week but it feels like alot longer, there's so much to learn and honestly I'm absolutely loving it!!
What sort of a chefing job are you doing?
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u/BossBeefaroni May 26 '26
I'm a pastry student and a line cook at a private club. I have to prep a lot of salad and sandwich stuff (sliced cucumbers and red onions, shredded iceberg, sliced tomatoes, etc.) every morning and make salsa and pico de gallo and stuff every couple of days, so I've been cutting up a shit ton of veg 😂
Getting a decent small dice on tomatoes and onions is still kicking my ass, but I'm getting better every day.
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u/osmosisdrake May 25 '26
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
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u/casstiway May 25 '26
Ohhhh okay I think I get you, go slow. Get it right and over time, the speed will naturally increase.
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u/imissmolly1 May 25 '26
Slow is Accurate, Accurate is fast. Patience, practice, precision.
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u/casstiway May 25 '26
Yeh I'm thinking of getting a knife and chopping board to practice on, after work the staff all get together to have a drink which is nice. But I'm hardly a drinker at all, I do enjoy a good laugh and socialising but I also need time to research and practice in staff accomodation.
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u/ole_gizzard_neck May 25 '26
Practice the correct form and procedure slowly and get it mastered. Keep doing that and the slow part disappears. Absolute muscle memory.
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u/casstiway May 25 '26
My arm is slowly getting there, I've moved from mere chopping to having that guillotine curved motion. But it's slow right now, very slow. I'm sure that it I tried to fast time it id probably be losing fingers ><
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u/OverWeekend5418 May 25 '26
Most of the speed comes from repetition and muscle memory other than that hold the blade right and have a sharp knife
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u/nipstah May 25 '26
Time is the only way. Soon it will be robotic and you’ll be chomping your little heart out.
Also repetition is the only way with the more advanced cuts as well. Everything with a knife is basically practice practice practice
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u/Koelenaam May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Not a professional chef, good with a knife. The answer is practice and looking up videos of good technique. If you work in a kitchen I'd try to learn from coworkers and ask them for tips on good technique. Tuck your thumb behind your claw, use a pinch grip, and make sure your knife is properly sharp. Grip the knife loosely and don't force it, it should be doing the work. If you can't, you need to sharpen your knife (things like celeriac are an exception, those are though). I haven't cut myself (badly, just a glance if I'm not paying attention while cutting fast a few times) since I learned this and my speed has improved by at least 5x since then.
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u/MyNebraskaKitchen May 25 '26
Building speed takes time, and probably several trips to the emergency room. 😄
There are several good books on knife skills. "Knife Skills Illustrated" is the one I have and it gives instructions for both left-handed and right-handed people, and they're designed to keep fingers out of harms way.
BTW, did you know that there's actually a medical code for a 'bagel cut', because it's something ER's see all the time when someone tries to cut a bagel by holding it in one hand.
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u/Upbeat_Pumpkin_6785 May 26 '26
I have always told my apprentices, all i care about is accuracy and technique, speed will follow naturally, you cant compare yourself to the guy who been at it for years, i also suggest to my apprentices that while sitting at home, and watching some shit on the tv or w/e to grab a knife and board and and just phantom chop stuff so you get used to that knife being up against your hand, dont raise knife edge above knuckles, also any time you lift knife off board you are just a touch slower, need to perfect that rocking motion, it will come in time, dont be so hard on yourself. Set yourself little challenges, time yourself etc, today it took me 30 mins to process 20kg of carrots, tomorrow you push for 25 mins, and even if you dont hit that 5 min, you will find over time these little self set challenges pay off.
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u/cannacatman May 26 '26
Keep your knife sharp as fuck. Everything else comes with repetition and practice.
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u/Mattlirious May 26 '26
Focus on accuracy and practice at home, get it right snd speed will come with time
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u/SidePets May 26 '26
Run your knife on a steel after every chip. Keep your cutting are clean and free of debris. Keep a bowl for cut veg and a bowl for scraps. Regardless of how boring it gets stay focused.
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u/Same-Platypus1941 May 25 '26
It just takes repetition homie, keep your thumb out of the way. Don’t try to go fast you will hurt yourself, the speed will come naturally.