Using the Knife

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About

Many laborsaving tools are available for cutting, chopping, and slicing fresh foods lists the basic kinds.

The chef’s knife or French knife, however, is still the cook’s most important and versatile cutting tool. The knife is more precise than a machine. Unless you are cutting a large quantity, the knife can even be faster. Cleaning a large machine takes time.

To get the best use out of your knife, you must learn to keep it sharp and to handle it properly.

Figure 7.1 When sharpening a knife, hold the blade at a 20-degree angle to the stone.