Why it matters
Two things happen when you cut evenly. The food cooks evenly — no half-raw, half-burnt onions — and you can trust the timings in a recipe, because the writer assumed a certain size. When a recipe says “finely dice” or “julienne”, it is giving you a size, not a style. The table below translates those words into millimetres.
You need two things: a sharp chef's knife (20 cm is the all-rounder) and a large, stable board. Everything else in this guide is technique.
The grip and the claw
Knife hand: the pinch grip
Pinch the blade itself — not the handle — between your thumb and the side of your index finger, just in front of the handle. Your remaining three fingers wrap the handle. It feels odd for a day and then you will never go back: the knife becomes an extension of your hand and stops wobbling.
Guiding hand: the claw
Curl the fingertips of your other hand under, so the knuckles face the blade and the fingertips are tucked behind them. The flat of the blade rests lightly against your knuckles as a guide. Your knuckles set the thickness of each slice; your fingertips are never in the path of the blade.
Steady the food, not the knife
Cut a flat side on anything round first (halve an onion, slice a sliver off a carrot) so it sits still. A rolling vegetable is the most common cause of cuts.
Rock, push, pull
There are only three basic motions, and most cooks use the first for almost everything.
- Rock chop — the tip stays on the board and the heel rocks down and forward through the food. Fast, controlled; the everyday cut for onions, celery, herbs.
- Push cut — the whole blade moves forward and down in one stroke, like a guillotine. Cleaner for firm vegetables (carrots, potatoes) and the natural motion for a santoku or nakiri.
- Pull / draw cut — the blade slides backwards towards you through soft or delicate food. Slicing tomatoes, fish, cooked meat; also what a serrated bread knife does.
Whatever the motion, let the edge do the work. If you are pressing hard, the knife is dull or you are using the wrong part of the blade.
The classic cuts
These are the French names recipes borrow. The sizes are targets, not law — consistency matters more than precision.
| Cut | Size | What it looks like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rough chop | Uneven, 2–3 cm | Irregular chunks | Stock, purées, anything you will blend or strain |
| Large dice | 2 cm cubes | Big, even cubes | Roasting vegetables, stews, potatoes for boiling |
| Medium dice | 1 cm cubes | Bite-sized cubes | Soups, braises, most everyday recipes |
| Small dice | 5 mm cubes | Neat small cubes | Salsas, fillings, sofrito, anything eaten raw |
| Brunoise | 3 mm cubes | Tiny, precise cubes | Garnishes, shallots in a dressing, fine sauces |
| Mince | As fine as possible | Almost a paste | Garlic, ginger, chilli, anchovies |
| Slice | Any even thickness | Uniform rounds or planks | Onions for frying, courgettes, mushrooms |
| Batons | 6 mm × 6 mm × 5–6 cm | Thick matchsticks | Crudités, chunky stir-fries |
| Julienne | 3 mm × 3 mm × 5 cm | Fine matchsticks | Slaws, garnishes, quick stir-fries |
| Chiffonade | Thin ribbons | Rolled leaves sliced across | Basil, mint, spinach, cabbage |
| Bias / diagonal | 45° slices | Elongated ovals | Spring onions, carrots for stir-fry, baguette |
| Oblique / roll cut | Turn 90° between cuts | Irregular wedges with lots of surface | Carrots and parsnips for roasting |
| Paysanne | 1 cm × 1 cm × 2 mm | Thin flat squares or tiles | Rustic soups, minestrone |
| Supreme (citrus) | n/a | Segments with no membrane | Salads, desserts, garnishes |
How the cuts build on each other
Slice into planks → cut planks into sticks (batons or julienne) → cut sticks across into cubes (dice or brunoise). Every cube cut is just the stick cut plus one more pass. Once you can make even planks, everything else follows.
Onion, garlic, herbs
Three things you will cut more than anything else.
Dicing an onion
- Cut off the top (stem end). Leave the root on — it holds the layers together.
- Halve through the root, peel, and lay a half flat side down.
- Make vertical cuts from the top towards the root, stopping just before it, spaced to the dice size you want.
- Optional for a finer dice: one or two horizontal cuts parallel to the board, again stopping before the root.
- Slice across the cuts. The onion falls into dice. Discard the root.
Garlic three ways
- Smashed — press with the flat of the blade; skin slips off. Mild, for infusing oil.
- Sliced — thin, even slices. Sweet and gentle when fried slowly.
- Minced / paste — chop finely, then drag the flat of the blade across with a pinch of salt. Strongest flavour; a microplane does the same job faster.
Herbs
- Soft herbs (basil, mint, coriander, parsley): dry them well, bunch tightly, slice once with a sharp knife. Repeated chopping bruises and blackens them.
- Chiffonade: stack leaves, roll into a cigar, slice across into ribbons.
- Woody herbs (rosemary, thyme): strip leaves by pulling the stem backwards through pinched fingers, then chop finely — the stems are too tough to eat.
Safety habits
Non-negotiables
- A falling knife has no handle. Step back; never try to catch it.
- Never leave a knife in a sink of water where you cannot see it.
- Carry a knife point down, blade back, close to your leg — and say “knife” or “behind” if someone is near.
- Cut away from your body and keep your guiding hand in the claw.
- Dry your hands and the handle. Wet grips slip.
Set up for safety
- Put a damp tea towel or a non-slip mat under the board.
- Give yourself room. Clear the board between ingredients — a bench scraper helps.
- Slow down when tired or distracted. Almost every kitchen cut happens while rushing.
Next: put it in order
Knowing how to cut is one thing; knowing what to cut first so the pan is never waiting on you is the other half.