A knife is an essential tool that we use every day in our kitchen or for other purposes. The knife has many variations, and all of them have different uses; among them, the Chef knife is a popular cooking utensil. To bring out the maximum performance of this knife, one needs to acquire a skill or follow some technique to use it.
You will get chef knives at many prices, but if you are trying to use a chef knife in your home kitchen, you should buy the best chef knife under 50. But if you can afford to buy a more expensive knife, then you can do so. After you buy a chef knife, follow our technique to use it.
The process of using a chef knife
The technique or the process of using a chef knife is the same around the world. As professional chefs follow these processes, so you can follow this to acquire the skill.
- Identifying the parts of a chef knife: An average person would think that only two parts of a knife are the handle and the blade. But a chef knife has many parts, such as the spine, blade, edge, rivet, tang, handle, booster, and heal. These are the common parts that you need to know before you use a chef knife.
- The process of holding a chef knife: After identifying the parts of a knife, you can move on to holding the knife. First, choose which hand will you use to hold the knife (left hand or right hand). Then put the index finger underneath the booster and place your thumb finger on the opposite side of your index finger. Placing your thumb finger in the pinch will give you a better grip. Remember, at first, you will face problems holding the knife, but if you practice it daily, then in a few days, you will be able to hold the knife properly.
- Using the guiding hand: Guiding hand refers to your other hand; this hand is used to hold the food in the place. A chef knife is a sharp object, so while keeping the food, there are a few things that you need to avoid ensuring the safety of your hand. You need to hold the food tightly, making sure it should not move or slip away while cutting it. Then, once you cut a slice, you need to remove your fingertips backwards quickly; you need to do this until the end. Also, the speed of cutting and backing your fingertips should be the same. Otherwise, you may get a cut. It’s a technique; you can’t be a master in it in one day. You have to practice it to reach perfection.
- Other technique: There is another different technique that you can use to hold your chef knife, and that technique is called ‘claw’. In this grip, you need to put your index finger in the holder, and your thumb finer should be wrapped around your index finger. It gives more grip and helps to cut quickly, but it will not be precise.
- Keeping your chef knife clean: Cleaning a chef knife is the most crucial task. Otherwise, you will not be able to use it for a long time. To clean the knife, hold the knife and wash it in the kitchen sink, then get a towel or a cleaning cloth. Then clean the blade with that towel; you should start from the heel and go to the tip. Be gentle and slow, or you can cut your hand if you stay careless.
- Sharpening the blade: A chef knife is also on the list of techniques you need to acquire before using a chef knife. A sharp blade can boost your morale, and it will help you to cut perfectly. You can sharpen your knife with a knife sharpener; modern and safe sharpeners are available recently. So buying a sharpener will help you in many ways, it’s recommended to sharping your chef knife once or twice a month. A dull blade will slow you down and may danger your hand.
Cautions that you need to follow
These tips will ensure the safety and safety of your knife, so you need to know it before you use a chef knife.
- Always remember to put the knife in the knife holder
- Use a chopping board while chopping food
- Leaving your knife in the kitchen sink is harmful to your knife
- Never mix your knives with other utensils
- Do not use the dishwasher to wash your knife
Final verdict
We have shared all the processes that will help you better understand how to use a chef knife. It’s all about precision and technique; you will not be able to acquire all of them in one day. Practice can make a man master of any technique, we hope it will help you, but if you still have a quarry, you can check Best kitchen master to know more about chef knife.
Read Also: Why Does It Pay to Be Organized in the Kitchen?