how to hold chef knives

When using a chef knife, both hands play supporting roles to each other.

This is because while one hand is gripping the knife, the other hand holds and stabilizes the food being cut, thereby enhancing safety and efficiency. There are two key grips when holding the kitchen cutter; the blade grip and the handle grip.

It is worth noting that holding the knife wrongly can pose a serious safety hazard to you as you can end up cutting yourself.

There are several ways of holding a kitchen blade depending on the food you are cutting as well as the handling option that is perfect for you.

Here are some of the top ways of holding a kitchen knife:

Holding the knife by the handle

This is the basic knife holding option that is preferred by most people; particularly beginners and those who are less experienced in using kitchen blades such as paring knives, or cleavers.

In this option, you should place the thumb beneath the handle’s bolster and curl the fingers along the length of the handle. This grip is ideal for cooks with small hands as well as those who are not fond of using the blade grip.

In addition to this, the grip enables cooks to have good control over the knife thus allowing easy handling when preparing food.

When holding the kitchen cutter using the handle grip, it is necessary that you keep the hand firm.

This provides for good control and consequently allows you to apply reasonable force and pressure when using the blade.

Avoid extending your index finger over the blade as it can cause swelling on the finger especially when using special blades such as carving knives for long periods.

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Blade/pinch grip

This grip is ideal for professional and experienced cooks. In the pinch grip, the blade should be held between the thumb and the index finger.

The fingers should remain positioned at the base of the blade; where the blade is connected to the handle. There are cooks who prefer using thumb, index & middle fingers during the pinch grip.

This option provides the cooks with better stability and enhanced control when gripping the handle.

Overall, this blade grip is beneficial as it offers great accuracy when cutting especially for hard food items.

When making the pinch grip, the rest of the fingers should rest on the handle. Use the fingers to wrap the handle lightly for enhanced flexibility around the fingers.

The main reason for wrapping the fingers around the handle is for support and channeling strength to the fingers gripping the blade.

You will find this way helpful when practicing with bread knives or having meals with your favorite steak knives.

Avoid gripping the blade with excessive firmness as this leads to tension build up thereby increasing your likelihood of getting tired fast.

Irrespective of the grip you are using to hold the kitchen cutter, it is important that you use your dominant hand to hold the knife.

Use your free hand to guide the blade towards the food item you want to cut or chop.

The freehand helps in making even increments especially if you want to cut or slice food in even slices or pieces.

The food item that you are cutting should be maintained in a stable position for even cutting as well as for your finger’s safety.