Basic 'knife skills' for normals (not chefs)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 бер 2022
- The new Adam Ragusea chef's knife is for sale! www.adamragusea.com/store/rag...
My old video about "knife skills," specifically the claw grip and why I think it's unnecessary for normals: • You don't need knife s... - Навчання та стиль
Adam: be safe with knives.
Also Adam: waves kitchen knife around like he's in a wizard duel.
exactly what i thought
strong marco pierre white influence
lol! I had the same thought!
I hope someone makes a short edit with magic sparks shooting out of the knife.
I love Severed Survival :)
J Kenji Lopez Alt every once in a while mentions how he and a friend mathematically modeled onion chopping. The gist of it is to do the same "orbital" method you used in this video, but instead of aiming the knife towards the center of the circle, you aim for a point that is slightly below the surface of the table (specifically the golden ratio relative to the radius of the onion or ~1.6x). At least according to Kenji, this gets you the most mathematically evenly sized pieces of onion.
That's very interesting. Do you, by any chance, know where this mathematical model has been posted?
I refuse to care so deeply about onion slicing! 😂
@@notDemiurgo Watch a random Kenji video, he's gonna reference it, and you'll know from there.
Radial cutting will leave you pieces shaped like orange slices; too thin in the middle, making your central pieces far too small.
But practically speaking, this doesn't matter.
can you post a vid he mentions it in?
Adam you completely overlooked one very important knife tip: secure your cutting board! It takes zero effort, and it makes everything safer while also reducing aggravation. If your cutting board doesn't have any rubber feet, you can buy some adhesive ones for super cheap. I personally like using non-slip drawer liner. I buy them in rolls and then cut out rectangles to match the area of my boards.
Edit: I should also note a heavier cutting board also makes a huge difference. Even in this video, I noticed your cutting board sliding around despite the rubber strips on the sides. That's because your board is so thin that there's not enough weight to hold it in place.
Great tip. I'll add that if someone doesn't wish to purchase rubber feet or drawer liners they can also take a damp rag/towel and place it flat under the cutting board. The average person will already have a rag lying around and it works to the same effect. Later when you're done cutting you already have a wet rag to wipe up anything that may have spilled off the board!
A damp hand towel under your cutting board also does a wonderful job from keeping your cutting board from sliding around
@@DevanMistVlogs of course! I almost forgot about the towel trick. My only fear with that method is with end grain cutting boards. I'd imagine if you leave the damp towel under it for too long then you run the risk of splitting or warping.
I use a piece of that grippy stuff sold as drawer liner under my cutting board, keeps even a light board from sliding around and then I don't have to wonder if I remembered to put that damp towel in the wash or if I'll have a moldy mess and a warpy board in the morning if I don't do all my dishes immediately (which I usually don't). I also keep circles of that stuff around for opening jars and a couple pieces to keep cheap tablecloths from sliding off my table.
My sister gave my mom about a dozen nice plaid dish rags that are much too thick to wash dishes with - you can't get into the nooks and crannies of the dishes. They came to live on the countertop as they were too bulky to fit in the drawer. I suddenly found myself grabbing one, dry, for under the cutting board and I use them as "reusable paper towels" - messes I want to wipe up without messing up my hand towel and aren't messy enough to need to be disposed of. I'll be buying myself a set also.
The only thing I remembered from my brief work at a restaurant 20+ years ago was the "claw grip". It made sense then and I've always used it. Glad I did. Now I'm losing my vision and practice cutting with my eyes closed sometimes for the future. Very useful technique.
Incredibly fascinating!
Incredibly useful technique FOR THE HOME COOK TOO. I'm saddened Adam can't check his ego and just recommend home cooks take 30 minutes to develop a proper grip. smh
Yup. Claw grip is a knife skill worth the effort to learn. It is safer this way
Yo bro, I learned the claw grip, by cutting with my eyes closed. Dangerous at first, indeed, but after some practice, it helps a lot.
@@ianhooper4273 I am a home cook and it makes 0 differences whatever grips I use, and besides those who swear by god that claw grips are the “bible” for cutting, you need to have your priority rechecked. Sure, that grip works when you are cooking as a job, but for an ordinary home cook like me, I can cut just as fast with no grip even and still come out safe. I only have 2 slight cuts to the finger yearly
Once you’ve cut with a sharp knife, anything less sharp will never feel the same…
Adam had said he doesn’t watch many other cooking youtubers, so I doubt be watched that video. Especially since Weissman is basically the opposite of Adam’s channel.
@@jdavis37378 Knowing Adam's style, I think he wouldn't last 2 minutes in a Joshua Weissman video if he tried.
@@jdavis37378 Isn't that the video where he talks about the claw the end all be all technique, so basically the opposite of this? If it isn't that one, pls link the one you were thinking of.
@@jdavis37378 why do you watch every video every week if you hate Adam THIS much? You been commenting on every video by Adam at the date of release, so are you just a troll or a no life who watches people he hates and spreads hate even though he could just not watch a channel if he doesn't like the videos. So...What is it Juan, What are you, Juan?
@@jdavis37378 But this video is very anti claw technique and that video is very pro claw technique. Seems more like a call out if anything. Do you go call out Josh for using the camera in the cupboard thing when Alton Brown did similar things 20 years ago?
The number 1 safety tip I ever got with a knife was “more slide, less press.”
If it’s not going through, more slide, less press. Sharp or not, when you’re finding yourself putting more weight on the knife to push it through the food, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
If the knife is blunt and you try to press rather than slide the food you're cutting would just turn into mush For example Onions, If you use a sharp knife and slide the knife you won't cry while cutting onion but if your knife is blunt and you press on the onion rather than slide then you're gonna end crying because of the sulphuric gases released by the onions. The same with tomatoes if you're pressing rather than slide the tomato will just turn into mushm
Adam kind of said this throughout the video, but never went so far as to explicitly state it, so thank you for that. You even have a catchy saying to remember it by.
Great comment, I remember when I cut some meat back then I had a hard time so I just push it harder but then later I try to make a longer cut with less pressure and it end up easier and cut it all the same so now I focus more on using sliding motion to cut through things and it feels great. Just make sure you have a sharp knives that is sharpen regularly
His knife on this video is shit. Btw slide plus angle is basic of cutting. Press isn't a cutting technique even with the sharpest blade, unless the goal is to blunt the blade as quick as possible.
Came here to say I appreciate Adam saying “this knife is more expensive than others of same quality”. Makes me want to buy it more since I know he’s not trying to be a snake oil salesman; just telling us the realities of a branded, low volume product. It’s more about supporting him than getting the “absolute cheapest value”
Good to know for people with not so much disposable income too
I bought it 👍🏽👍🏽
@@ssboxermotorcycles you gotta give us an update at some point so you can tell us if it holds up to your expectations! I'm very curious about the Misen line he's had sponsor previous videos! Almost bought one a year or so ago but the price went up a bit too much.
@@EnkiSvohden I will definitely update you all! I bought it mainly to support Adam, I have Japanese knives but rarely ever use them. Wanted to support his growth and actually get a knife I’ll use! Sometimes having an “expensive” version of a “thing” will actually do worse for you, if you’re not even using the “thing”
no he’s still being a snake oil salesman
I just realized that I learned the claw grip in high school, had a subject called "Hauswirtschaft" housekeeping, it was 4h per week and we learned all kinds of skills there, like cooking, baking, cleaning, washing clothes etc. and we would prepare our meals once per week ourselves. It's a mandatory thing here in Switzerland (and I suppose in other places too).
It was a subject in Germany, however a lack of teachers and also neccesary room and equipment made it much rarer.
Which is honestly quite an issue since its a very important skill, and most often things like taxes and insurances were also included. And bear claw tends to be one of the very first things you learn almost anywhere, both because you can cut safer , but especially (something i noticed myself) : Its easier to slice thin
Many US schools used to have this class but it was called Home Economics and also covered things like sewing. It's still a thing at a lot of schools but optional.
In USA, it was called "home economics", there was 1/4 of a school year spent in a kitchen classroom (mom had already taught me more about cooking than the school had time for, but they TRIED), and another 1/4 of the year in a sewing classroom (I made a book bag).
Other two quarters, one was spent in the "metal shop" (I made a sheet metal dust pan and a scoop), the last quarter was spent in the "wood shop" (I made a large candle holder, turned on the wood lathe from butternut wood- still have it!).
Of course its switzerland.
From what my parents yave told me, chile used to have a mandatory subject called "civic formation" that was under the same scope as what you describe, sadly, my experience with school was wildly different, and as of now, kids are only taught about science, numbers and the like
You know, a year ago, I would have thought: Adam is right. Who needs to use actual knife technique at home? But then I remembered: I'm a musician. I know how to learn complicated physical things. So, instead of going slower with less technique, I did what I do every time I have to practice something hard. I WENT SLOWER USING PROPER TECHNIQUE.
Now, fast forward a year. I love you and your channel, but DUDE!! If you went as slow with proper technique for a year as you've gone the last year using scary technique, you would be FLYING by now. You were much faster than me one year ago. I am much faster AND safer than you now.
So, this is my friendly push-back. You actually freely acknowledge that you have to slow down or you'll surely hurt yourself. Just one year with starting slow on claw grip, etc., I am totally facile with it.
And you don't have to believe me. Because unlike public-domain information on chef techniques, there is a TON OF RESEARCH on how to imprint musical skills. And it all boils down to this: You never have to practice fast. You should not ever practice fast. Because it doesn't make you better. Only practicing slow makes you better. Imprinting trumpet, piano, bass...or knife skills depends on you going slow enough that you imprint PERFECT TECHNIQUE. If you try to play fast before you imprint the physical memory, you don't imprint anything except imperfection. And likewise, by approaching knife technique exactly the way I'd practice any instrumental technique--I didn't waste any time perfecting it. Nor did I practice going fast. I purposely did it slow, and never sped up.
Until one day, mindlessly, I threw an onion on the cutting board, and without even catching myself, I blazed through it like Jacques Pepin. I stood there, stunned, wondering if that had just actually happened. But it did. I had perfected great knife technique just like I perfected playing Donna Lee. I held my tempo down, even when I wanted to speed up, and repeated, repeated, repeated, repeated--never speeding up. And then, one day, without thinking about it, wham. I flew.
Want a challenge from a viewer? Well here it is. You're not going to be one bit slower than you are right now using claw grip, so try it for a year. And then, be amazed that one year later you can blaze through an onion while barely looking down and you will know exactly how big the dice is, because it doesn't depend on your eyes. You've cemented technique, and tricked your brain into acing it.
WIth love, my brother. You are right about so many things, but I think you've deluded yourself on this. Technique always matters.
As someone a year into piano lessons, I really like this analogy to learning an instrument and imprinting proper technique. I think you're probably right. And if you cook very frequently that makes sense. But lots and lots of people don't cook every day and may not be willing to slow down even more to make sure they're practicing the correct technique. If you're just talking about Adam getting faster, then yeah. Definitely. I see you're point and might start doing like you said myself. But just like people may not want to put in the work to practice an instrument, they may not care to put in the work on knife skills. And it's good for them to know how to stay safe.
Agreed
listen to this man
I agree. I have felt this way since I saw Adam's first video about knife skills.
I think his assertion that claw grip is some impossible technique that 'normal people' can't master without spending countless hours practicing in culinary school a bit perplexing. When I learned the claw grip a few years ago, I just got my practice in when I was making my dinner at home. At first it was slow, and now years later I'm getting complemented by my pro-cook friends on my skills and speed. Its only a few minutes an evening, but those minutes add up over the years, and it's worth it to protect your fingers and save time.
Yeah, seeing this in my feed was kinda confusing. This feels like a re-hash of the first video to sell knives.
The pro chefs aren’t doing the claw to be faster, they’re doing it to be safer. You can use proper techniques slowly if you’re not in a hurry. But purposely choosing to go slow simply because you don’t feel like learning the safer technique is kinda throwing me.
The one knife tip that seemed counter intuitive to me when I started as a cook in high school; sharper knives are safer knives.
The sharper your knife is, the easier it cuts stuff. As you mentioned, once the knife bites in, it’s much safer. And, if you do happen to cut yourself, it is a much cleaner cut that heals much more quickly.
So that is always the biggest tip I pass along to newer cooks.
i heard this but with also saying that sharp knives make you use them more carefully and be less likely to cut yourself
This is a tip that is also 100% true in wood carving and wood turning as well. Sharp tools are safe tools. They don't catch the wood and risk making big chunks go flying places, or suddenly jumping free and slicing up your hand.
Sharper knifes are much more dangerous to people who are used to dull knifes
@@user-dl9yy1zu80 Sharper knives are largely safer because you need to use much less force to use them. And less force = more control; if you start cutting something you don't want to it's easier to stop when you applied little force in the first place.
So unless you cut yourself for different reasons (which shouldn't really be an issue if you otherwise use the knife properly and pay attention to the cutting) it should be safer.
Also need to use less force
I always cut peppers skin side up, if the knife has difficulty cutting/biting into the skin it just means I need to sharpen it and it also means that if I had done it the other way I would probably have ended up with a bunch of half-cut strips of pepper still connected by a tiny membrane of skin in the back, not ideal.
Yes.
This is true, a blunt knife is dangerous.... Unless the person has never used a real sharp one in a long time then we gotta worry!
Exactly, an important part of using a knife in the kitchen is that anything you expect to cut should be easy to cut. If not, the answer is almost always "sharpen your knife". Of course there are always exceptions -- kabocha will never be easy to cut raw -- but most things, even hard things like carrots, shouldn't be giving significant resistance, and it's dangerous for them to.
I love how he goes "normal human" and "normal person" and stuff when referring to the knife techniques, it's like implying that pro chefs are abnormal beings out and beyond any sort of human comprehension
If you've ever watched a professional chef break down a chicken, large side of beef, or 60lb fish, it's a thing of magic.
Technically normal generally means near to the average or median of a group / largest subset of the group. So in this sense any professional is inherently not normal because they have elevated their skills enough to be part of am exclusive subset from the largest subset.
(Doctors, engineers, pro athletes, and pro chefs have all improved some aspect of themselves enough to be distinct from normal people in the context of their field.)
Chefs are abnormal beings, they're not beyond comprehension. Where do you get this stuff from?
I was married to a chef. He was, indeed, beyond human comprehension. 🥰
Any professional manual worker is beyond human compreension... Outsiders look at them like superhuman, they see themselves as way below average... Speaking from experience.
I still practice the claw grip as a means to avoid cutting my fingers, even though I left kitchen work years ago. It doesn't feel that unnatural after some practice. My commitment to it was cemented by actually cutting the tip of my index finger off after getting slightly distracted by something or other.
I understand why Adam doesn't bother but I feel the same as you. I've never worked in a kitchen environment but I do cook every day and have been using the claw grip since day 1. Nowadays holding food any other way feels unnatural to me lol.
Yeah I don't get his aversion to the claw grip. What if he slips? Or gets distracted? Or just makes a mistake? I know he goes slow to avoid those types of things but there's still a nonzero chance. I'll take the slightly uncomfortable grip (that's not even uncomfortable once you get used to it) given that it GUARANTEES I won't cut my finger off in any situation.
@@MackeyD3 Well obviously if you go too fast you'll cut yourself no matter what. My point is... why not go slow AND use the claw grip??
@@MackeyD3 Then you were very clearly doing it wrong.
I have been taught to do the claw grip like a cat paw in home eco at school and every time I saw Adam cutting stuffs without clawing up his fingers + speed up clip just makes me feels anxious. Without making my fingers like cat paw, it just feel unnatural for me to cut stuffs.
I found the claw-grip worth-while to learn for the sole reason of me being extremely impatient.
Edit: Thought I should clear this up a bit. I don't disagree with Adam's assesment; I just wish to express that it doesn't apply to *all* home cooks.
Yeah, ever since his first video about the claw grip, I've come to the conclusion that funnily enough, knife skills might be worth it if you don't like to cook and would like to minimize your time in the kitchen. As for me, I like it because I like to learn new random little skills
@@tiagobrandao6588 That's also a good reason to learn it. It's always neat to have a wide variety of things you're good at, no matter how small. It can help with learning other skills and techniques as well.
I do enjoy cooking and part of the satisfaction is moving swiftly and fluidly. Cutting quickly is satisfying af.
Yeah, this go slow and think about what you're doing every step along the way is definitely *not* recommended if you're anywhere close to ADHD. Technique is your friend!
I agree with Adam here. I used to do claw but have returned to just holding the thing firmly and cutting slowly. I'm usually chopping stuff while waiting for something else to fry or something so no meaningful time is lost.
The most adam ragusea thing i have ever seen is stirring soup with a knife so he doesnt have to get another utensil dirty. I love it
Hey Adam! Quick pepper tip: if you're intending on doing an entire pepper, you can top and tail the pepper so you're left with a cylinder. The seeds are easy to remove by hand if the stem is still largely intact. From there, you can place a single vertical cut to split the pepper into a wide sort of pepper-leather, where you can easily move your knife across the surface to take out any of the white ridges. Also gives enough space to not have any rocking problems!
"I will think of a snappy reply to you and never post it" is the most relatable thing you've ever said.
I understand completely the things you point out about knife skills and the claw method, but I actually use the claw method not for speed (I also do a "walking chop"), but because, as you said, it helps to stabilise the knife, the food and it makes virtually impossible to cut yourself, especially if you go slow. If you are a person who are super uncomfortable with a knife and get anxious using it, the claw method can help you overcome that! Just don't focus on speed, the home cook doesn't need it.
I'm a professional cook of nearly 30 years, and I alternate between clawing and extending, and it does not matter... it's about feel at the moment. Generally though... to teach someone basic knife skills, the claw is just common sense and a good foundation on which to learn.
These knife skill videos have run their course and can now be scraped into the stock pot. What's absolutely true is (in professional cooking or at home) pay attention to your hands... I'd much rather mentor a cook to be careful and do a good job than to hurt themselves!
@@edjones1318 this guy teaches you the worst way possible. Why would you believe some UA-camr about cooking skills when you can literally learn it from professionals who have done it over several years. It's like learning martial arts from a UA-camr who hasn't been in MMA classes rather than learning from a world champion
@@fightsmack3140 How did you manage to miss the entire point of the video?
@@gothicfan52 there are alternatives and there are simply wrong ways, palm grip is simply the wrong way. Pro chefs chop so fast because they feel safe with the claw grip, Adam is showing the wrong way which is neither safe nor fast.
@@Nanorisk Pro chefs chop fast because they have years of practice. The claw grip doesn't make them fast, it makes going fast safer. They go fast because they have to chop a million of whatever per night and that need doesn't exist in your house. He's not giving advice for chopping quickly which makes me think you didn't actually watch the video where he explicitly states what I just typed. Slowing down and keeping your fingers away from the knife while you cut is a perfectly valid safety measure.
Adam is the only UA-camr that proudly teaches you to be lazy and wrong about everything. Such aspirational content.
Nat's What I Reckon is on my list too...UA-camrs teaching us skills to not be lazy in ways lazy people can handle lol.
Agree. He should stick to talking about the history of food and culture, something he’s quite good at.
@@nicks8026it’s only wrong if you’re becoming a professional chef. If you are everybody else then what he says isn’t wrong, just not maximum efficiency
@@nicks8026you're kind of missing the point. And I'm saying this as a long-time, ex-pro line cook.
If you tell people that in order to cook they need to emulate pro chefs then you will inherently discourage people who either are (or feel that they are) incapable of learning all of this technical info and dextrous skill.
If someone like Adam wants to target that demographic then they'll have to revise their approach. Part of that is "dumbing down" the more technical aspects.
A beginner actually jumping into cooking for themselves while doing so in a slightly "less technically safe (but still pretty safe all told)" way, is better than someone feeling overwhelmed by the learning curve and deciding to just give up before they even start.
For the carrot halving, I think you should have pointed out how you also angle the tip of the knife down before you apply force (7:33). This means you never have to press as hard as if the blade was parallel to the carrot, i.e. having to go through the entire carrot length throughout the cut, which increases the risk of it slipping at the moment the maximum pressure is applied and cutting the supporting hand.
my mum always taught me the claw grip to cut food when I was little, so it is very much second nature. I'm still not the fastest at it but I prefer the safety of it
Even as a home cook, I think the claw grip is super easy to learn and the most safe - once you understand it. Took me years to learn that fingers should not be parallel to the blade, but be in a curled state like a triangle. With mit right hand and side of the blade I push mildly against my last knuckle of my middle and surrounding fingers. That way my fingertips on the left hand are always out of the way and more importantly the knife cannot slip off of round stuff or wabble, because I am literally guiding the side of the blade with some left hand knuckles all the time. Also - my knuckle never leaves the side of the blade, knuckle and knife are a unit while I cut. This is what made the claw grip way less awkward to me. I converted to this after a horrendous cut to my left thumb with a new and insanely sharp Japanese knife while trying a horizontal cut to an onion (which I've never done again - I don't care for uneven onion pieces).
Is still go slow, that's the most important part. Over time however it started to feel more and more natural and easy, at this point I am regularly stopping myself from becoming too speedy. Not doing the same mistake again - saving 20 seconds max a night is not worth another awful cut.
I think the clawgrip is worthwhile to learn for several reasons:
• Not all time is equal. It's true you generally have time to spare in a home kitchen, but sometimes ingredients that you haven't prepared needs to be added quickly.
• Safer. While I agree that not using it can be pretty safe too, using the claw is never less safe (except possibly if you forget the thumb).
• It isn't that difficult! Yes, it takes a long time to master but it doesn't take long at all before you get over the initial discomfort and it becomes very usefull. When I made the switch it took two days before I couldn't go back and I generally learn those things very slowly. One of the best investments of time I've ever done in the kitchen.
• As a bonus, it also helps with helping you hold the blade perfectly perpendicular to the cutting surface. And also, it's pretty fun.
I learnt it mostly for precision and control. Couldn't imagine cutting with an open palm anyway.
No, it's definitely safer than flat handed.
I was "walking" (chopping slow) a year or two ago and nearly sliced off my thumb while chopping an onion. It was due to a minor distraction in the kitchen (I was high strung trying to get a meal prepped and asked someone for an ingredient, I thing) and because I had a flat hand. Frankly, I think Adam is delivering a load of horse hucky in this video.
Claw is not difficult and can still be done slowly. the claw has nothing to do with speed and everything to do with safety. You can quickly chop both clawed and flat, it's just ludicrously dangerous to do it flat.
100%!!! Also.. If you're gonna have a sharp knife I think is important.. To avoid accidents
Forgetting the thumb is exactly how I cut the tip of my thumb off. I haven't touched a chef's knife since. I almost never cook and this totally put me off. Adam's approach makes me think that maybe I should just do as he's describing and it won't be so bad.
I spent a large part of my life being a knife goblin at chipotle. There's a lot of technique, and I spent a lot of time teaching other people how to hold your knife correctly and not cut yourself, but there's really just two things that apply universally: go slow, keep your knife sharp.
Speed is a matter of muscle memory, and technique is just a way to make your muscle memory safer. There is definitely value in learning proper technique, but even if you see someone else do the technique, you're still a few hundred hours away from being able to do it quickly yourself.
The sharper your knife is, the less likely you are to hurt yourself with it. A sharp knife means you won't get a habit of pushing very hard through things, and the less power you're putting into your cuts, the less control you are losing.
Also maybe think about buying a cut glove if you want to be extra safe. It will probably make your technique a little bit worse, and they are pretty expensive, but you won't cut yourself while wearing one and using it correctly, so there is that for a shortcut.
Did you just say a knife goblin
From my anecdotal experience cutting peppers in a home kitchen environment:
I prefer cutting peppers flesh side up because a knife that is only slightly dull will start slipping on pepper skin (and other similar surfaces). I expect that most people at home are not keeping their knives perfectly sharp, so it is likely better to tell others to take it slow with a skin-side down pepper even if the shape is slightly unstable. You can further mitigate the risk by cutting perpendicular to the rotational axis. There's no real linear grain structure to a pepper, so you're not forced to cut pole-to-pole as with other veggies.
I use a pulling motion to cut skin things. Small paring knife, place tip on board, pull through the pepper. Super fast and my hand stays out of the way. Let's me pierce the skin from the side so there's no risk of sliding.
As a former commercial chef, you are exactly correct. Even in professional kitchens, the knives are not always the sharpest they can be. Always cut peppers skin-side down, that's my opinion. I have personally seen it been used by the majority of coworkers, and for similar reasoning.
@@MajorJakas as a professional cook myself, I also agree with this. You get used to sharpening knives at work regularly, but its never as sharp as you want it to be depending on your work place's knife quality. But you start to understand that things like bell pepper skins and other rinds will dull knives quickly so you find ways like cutting them skin side down to hopefully prevent some of that dulling so you can keep cutting quickly and efficiently.
Honestly, I've basically abandoned all of my knife skills except for the bear claw after being taught them in school. The bear claw genuinely does become safer and quicker after you get over the initial discomfort, but some of the other stuff that I was taught like grip (kinda pinching the base of the blade with the thumb and pointer finger) I found to not be as useful, simply because the efficiency was never really there because of the discomfort.
I would say that overall, with the exception of the bear claw, basically all night skills are optional and you should really pick and choose which ones to use based on your needs.
Also, I sometimes wonder if knife skills are as eurocentric as most modern culinary education is, because I find that basically all knife skills completely fail me or require modification when working with more exotic ingredients
You just need practice with “exotic”ingredients lol
You don't really have to wonder, look at South American, Middle Eastern, Chinese and Japanese chefs and you'll see that their knife skill principles are pretty much the same. Even for Chinese with the tall cleavers, the principles are the same - using the knife as efficiently as you can, which in many cases overlaps how Europeans, and everyone else around the world use them.
Yes, the bear/claw grip is definitely worth learning. First week I started cooking for myself in college, I cut myself twice: first time I sliced off a bit of my index finger fingernail, second time I sliced into the tip of my thumb. Switched to claw grip and have never cut myself ever again, even when going at full speed while I'm looking elsewhere (not that I recommend doing that). It's fast, safe, and very comfortable once you get used to it, plus it makes you look a lot more competent than you actually are (haha).
The claw is 100% essential learning. I can't bear to watch anyone chop without holding things safely like that. I'm not a chef, I'm just a dad who wants to keep his fingers intact when making dinner for my family
Most of this stuff was probably invented by the French so it'd make sense it's tailored to the stuff they were cooking in Europe in the 19th ish century
Keeping my fingers crossed for an international release, it’s beautiful, congratulations to all involved on the project
I'm not certain that I would call myself a super fan, I'm just a guy that likes to learn things. Adam does a very good job simplifying complex things into a much easier to understand context. Thank you for everything you do Adam.
Adam, let me see what you have!
"A knife!"
No!
Criminally underrated comment
I just wish you covered sweet potatoes - especially big ones are honestly the most terrifying thing I cut (into fries usually) because they can take a scary amount of pressure + tend to "follow the grain" so it can LITERALLY go sideways fast.
Yeah, same with rutabaga - it's almost like chopping firewood :)
Your onion cutting trick is a lifesaver. The way I was doing it was so much more complicated. As always, I appreciate your approachable and non-intimidating style of presenting. You don't expect perfection of your viewers, or even with yourself for that matter, and that in turn makes me feel more confident to just roll with it and have fun in the kitchen. Congratulations on the knives, by the way! They look exquisite!
Thank you for all the entertainment you put out each and every video. I can always tell how much fun you are having keep up the great work Adam!!! So I decided to get one of your knives can't wait for it to get here. Thanks again.
A note on frenching onions: if you’re looking for the slices where you cut the root off for little strips of onion, start by cutting the root off, THEN do your concentric cuts. Then, you can turn the onion halfway through so you stay with the “safe half” for the rest of the cuts (does that make any sense?). I’m a chef and I do it at work every day
“I am not a chef”
*proceeds to advertise a chef knife*
Me: “gonna have to convince me a lot harder man…”
Yeah. Because the name of a knife is very literal. It's really too bad I'm not bread because a "Bread Knife" would be really useful sometimes.
@@Paxtez Boner came to mind when I read the comment.
Adam is easily my favourite UA-cam cook and gives the best advice for people in my (I suspect a lot of people's) situation but I have to disagree with him here. I cut probably 5 onions a week on average and a few carrots and peppers so I get plenty of practice. If you practise the claw grip slowly you'll build up your speed and be very safe all the while. If you cut every single vegetable slowly and mindfully with intuitive technique you will almost certainly never cut yourself but you'll be even safer with the claw grip and have the potential to become faster. With that said there are some people who will just be resistant to learning the claw grip in the same way some people just don't want to go to the doctor and this would probably help them. Also props for mentioning carrots and avocados, that's the main hazard regardless of technique and skill
It is also good to note that the pinch technique is really only conducive if the knife is well-kept and sharp. If you're trying to cut a lot with a dull knife, the back of the blade can bite into the side of your finger and hurt after a while (unless the grip was made in a way that mitigates that). This doesn't mean that the pinch grip isn't good, it's just that keeping your knives sharp should also go hand-in-hand with improving your technique.
For the carrot style bit I simply start with the tip of the knife on the tip of the carrot (pressing down while using the pointy end to concentrate the effort, much more stable than if you start slicing with the entirety of the edge) while my second hand holds from the opposite end. Then I slide the knife across the carrot towards where my hand is and I open and widen my grip as the knife comes to then arrive to something similar to your claw grip. I find it goes quite fast and is quite safe.
I love your videos even if watching you cut things gives me a bloody heart attack. I’ve never understood why folks find claw unnatural or difficult (beyond the first couple of times cutting), but “walking” with the claw is even more effective to me than “walking” alone. It feels like a 20 minute lesson (I learned it after watching the Good Eats episode on knives) that takes an hour to be good enough to be safer than the methods shown here even at a pretty brisk chop. This is especially a godsend when I’ve got kids or guests being distracting since the claw feels much less prone to, “Timmy quit biting tommy, OW SHIT”.
Yeah, that's how I feel too. I get where he's coming from, but it seems a little exaggerated. Most of the "professional" knife techniques take very minimal amounts of effort to learn to a functional level. I don't really see a good reason not to learn them.
How do you cut the tip or ends of something? Like a small garlic clove. That seems physically impossible to hold with the claw. Or are you just throwing out half of every garlic clove
Just one example, cutting bell peppers (diced?) like he did in the vid. Ideally, I guess, you don't want your slices to move around when you dice them. You probably want to press them together + against the board. The claw grip offers way less grip than a natural grip, everything moves around. Even worse that you need to actually move your hand, the claw grip getting progressively worse and more unsteady everytime it moves back. Tried to force myself to use it for years and it just seems like a good way to get a cramp, unsteady food potentially making the knife slip, etc. Like Adam, I also can't remember if I've ever cut myself a single time in 15 years, so it's not like I have the biggest incentive to use an unnatural grip. It seems like it's almost like being forced to write right-handed, it's natural for 90% of people, good for them, but it's a traumatic experience for the other 10%. Personally, I have tiny hands too, so maybe that's why I feel like I need to spread my hand grip instead of using a tiny ineffective claw grip. Who knows haha
@@TumblinWeeds if you don't exaggerate the claw as much as Adam does you can get 90% of a clove of garlic sliced, and what's left is the root end that gets discarded anyway.
@@TumblinWeeds If you're trying to chop it finely, leaving a bigger piece at the end isn't a big deal, you'll make multiple passes over it anyway. I guess you're thinking about slicing it thinly or something? Just straighten your fingers out as needed towards the end (don't extend beyond vertical so that your tips stay safe). But that also means you need to be somewhat more careful, so make sure to slow down and only lift the knife as much as is necessary.
Of course the easiest way to cut something is when it has a flat bottom so that it sits firmly on the board - in that case, you can let go of it towards the end and just freehand the last few cuts. That way you can get down to the last millimeter.
I learned the claw grip from my dad, but he is a cook, so yea. I don't always use it, but when I'm cutting something, more slippery I think I tend to use the claw hook, just like most techniques are a matter of practice as far as I know.
I also do the horizontal slices on the onion.
I also do use the "clamp grip".
For tomatoes, I've heard that a serrated knife works well, and I did try it a bit (I don't have always a lot of opportunities to test that tip), and as far as I can tell you do have to move the knife more because it is serrated, but it grabs the food much better, and it doesn't destroy the tomato. Part of the reason was also from another cook that indicated that the acidity of the tomato eventually eats out at the edge of the blade, probably a thing that doesn't matter much at home but in a kitchen makes perfect sense that you would want to not use up your knifes as fast.
I've seen rocking with the other hand on top of the knife to help the rocking motion, never heard a reason for it, but I could see how it helps.
Even with all that, I do agree that going slow is the most important and critical advice, and yea sharp knife, do not use dull knifes they will slide off something that you are cutting, and it will definitely cut you.
I used to get really frustrated when I was beginning to learn the claw grip, it took me several months to get comfortable with it. It is a very frustrating, unnatural movement for the arm. But when you learn, the feeling of speed is borderline addictive.
Really great and safe break down of basic home cooking knife skills. Walk don’t run… I only have one batch to cut. Excellent advice through and through. Love your videos!
Yo Adam, the inedible top part of the peeled onion is called the foreskin.
It always sting when I cut off the foreskin
@@ATN2024 They say it's healthier if you cut it off, but really the risk of infection is really not very likely in our times of modern sanitation and advanced medicine.
Thank you so much. I’ve never been able to do the claw grip. You made me realize I don’t need to practice for hours. Just go slow.
OMG, my husband just surprised me with one of your new chef's knives. He happened to be in the room when I was watching this video last week. It's beautiful and feels so great in my hand. Can't wait to use it tonight!!
Based husband
I still stand by "walk, don't run" thanks Adam!
Why? Enough practice of the right way ( claw grip) will make it natural. It's not safe, it's slow, and it's wrong. But hey, "you do you"
@@jamescassar5348 I only cook once, maybe twice/week. By the time I got good at it, I'd be a very old man.
@@Lilhawke how do you cook twice a week only? I work as a chef full time and at home I still cook twice a day sometimes 🤣 maybe some days less as I do meal prep at home like I do at work. But then again I cook for the family not just myself.
I feel like the pepper question depends on how sharp your knife is. If it's so sharp that it'll catch on the smooth side no problem then cut it on that side. If the edge is a bit dull probably flip the pepper and cut it on the flesh side
From a maximal safety perspective, both a very sharp and a medium sharp knife are safe cutting flesh side up, so it’s a good habit to get into. No downside
And if you're using the 'claw grip', you can hold down the piece of pepper firmly enough that it won't be rocking anyway.
Absolute class and integrity with the product launch, as I'd expect from you. Congrats!
HUGE kitchen lighting improvement. Looking great. Fantastic shots. Fantastic editing. Thank you Adam!!
If I'm unsure about a cut usually I like to saw back and forth with barely any pressure just to get an initial cut in and using that to stabilize where I can actually really cut the thing. I think it's kinda like making a guiding hole for a nail.
I'm always glad to see when you emphasize how different the home kitchen is, and normalizing "not pro" moves
So important that we can be slow and don't have to always aspire to professional way to do things
I do understand for ppl who can't afford the time
But I think there are many of us who could afford to just take cooking a little more slowly and focus on the very act of cooking instead of it just as a means to an end
It can be therapeutic
Honestly I think the claw grip is not hard to learn and once you learn it’s just easier and gives a good foundation
Look, it's fine to cook at your own pace, but learning "the claw" isn't some mystical move that only pro chefs do. It's just basic knife safety. Learning the basics of dicing and julienning properly isn't hard, and when you learn it correctly, you will naturally develop a faster rhythm with it. Meanwhile, if you go to Adam's previous knife skills video, you'll see that he hasn't gotten any faster. He advocates for easy and comfortable mediocrity instead of improving and becoming passionate about something you do everyday.
having watched most of your videos i have to say that you are the segue king! Iv never seen another youtuber work so perfectly into an endorsement etc like you do!
Your a knowledgeable man, Adam. And I appreciate the heck out of you!❤️🤟🏻
3:49
the natural adam ragusea intimidation technique observed in the wild by scientists over generations, perfectly documented in this knife video
The cutting forward while moving down is the traditional Japanese method. It actually works for many fast, professional chefs. The rocking motion variation is a western technique that is optimized for the super curved French chef knives.
Love these tricks! I am not a professional chef and I have some coordination issues (especially w forming the left hand grip) so these common-sense tips really are useful.
I can't wait to try the one with the onion diagonally. I wonder if the "cutting towards the hand danger" in that final 1/4th can be avoided by rotating the onion 180° and beginning again from the right-hand side with a "downward pull" cut to avoid the bulb in order to meet the previous cuts. Excited to try this! Thank you!
That final "boil it!" feels like as nostalgic as a warm summer after your final Friday class
i agree with the walk dont run method of chopping, though i do think the claw grip is indispensable in the kitchen. i was never professionally or academically taught how to cook, but i was able to learn how to use a claw grip through just copying youtube videos and practicing at home and it's saved my fingers so many times. Think of it less as a way to stabilize your knife, and focus more on holding the food comfortably while keeping the tips of your fingers protected.
Also something I found as a home cook is to chop from the edge closest to your hands than using the far tip of the knife to cut things. It's more energy efficient since it relies on the knife's center of gravity and your arm's strength than your wrist's, and it makes chopping so much easier. I do have to mention I use a small cleaver style knife and not the western pointy style knife as my all-around kitchen workhorse.
As a trained chef, this is a great video on basic skills (I use the orbital method at full speed I just do it backwards for safety-as a righty, I do the orbital cuts left to right away from my hand)
My opinion on peppers is to cut skin down; I'll take the tiny bit of wobble in exchange for better purchase for the knife and I've been known to recommend/require newbies to use a serrated knife especially for tomatoes (used to work in a camp kitchen and had the terrifying job of putting knives in the hands of teenagers). Better to wash two knives with ten fingers than to wash one knife with nine fingers.
Thanks again Adam, I always really enjoy your videos and am waiting expectantly for a 10 inch chefs knife, a nikiri, or a Chinese vegetable cleaver with your face on it (I've never felt comfortable with 8 inch chef knives)
Spectacular work, Adam! Really enjoyed this one.
It is still anecdotal but in culinary school we were told some specific techniques regarding regarding safe knife skills but they were mostly in place to avoid hazards that has happened to previous students. We were still cutting ourselves sometimes though, but we were preparing for the "quick stuff" that is required to be a chef so, just like you say, many of the techniques are not really applicable for home cooks. However one of the best itps is to put a damp dish rag under your cutting board to keep it from slipping.
Anyways, love from Sweden! :)
I really don't agree with Adam on the claw grip. Since you are going slow anyway, you might as well do it. In the end you'll be fast without ever actually practicing. While you might not have economy of scale, you save time by allowing you to more confidently chop things whilst other things are cooking, saving on prep time.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
Agreed, and it accounts for errors in your technique. With the claw grip you physically can't cut yourself even if you get distracted or slip.
I think you missed the part where he pretty much said he doesn't care about saving time
Wow a whole extra 30 seconds saved, think about how many other things he can get done with all of that extra time.
@@1337slic3 this is legit how I trained people under me in a prof kitchen.
There is no point makeing someone work to fast, it's better to help them build the muscle memory of a good technique in slow motion so they understand the job.
Also @ajuicejemas time saving only matters when ya cutting more then a dozen things even in most prof kitchens, as safety is always best unless ya a screaming head chief as injuries always take more time.
Every Thanksgiving, my dad would tell us to start with a good, sharp knife, then EVERYTIME you use it (and more often if you are cutting a lot), hit it a few times with the steel. This is one thing that I do. I found a good, sharp knife, and I hit it with the steel EVERYTIME.
I borrowed a friend's high-end knife, and it was dull, so I tried to hit it with the steel, but I couldn't get an edge on it. I even tried to put an edge on it with a stone but couldn't do it. I concluded that this high-end knife was made of really good material, and the only way to get it sharp was to have it professionally sharpened. Whereas my cheaper, but good knife stays sharp with just a few seconds of care EVERYTIME I use it.
This is why I appreciate that Adam didn't go with a high-end material for his knife. It's for non-chefs, so the value just isn't there. In my opinion at least.
I love my fancy Japanese knives, they keep an edge for a really long time but they are an absolute pain in my ass to sharpen. It’s not hard, it just takes so long. You really need 3 different grits and a strop to get them properly sharp again. But then it lasts for like a year with me just cooking at home.
You have taken a whole lot of guilt off the shoulders of home cooks, who do not have the time orneed to chop professionally. Another gold star!
I really enjoy your educational and honest channel. Refreshing!
This is why I love this channel. I follow several great cooking channels, but so many of them focus on these chef or high culinary skills, techniques, and even recipes. This channel consistently puts out videos that resonate with home cooks, with ingredients and techniques. This and many other reasons are why I think this channel is fantastic! Keep doing what you do Adam!
@SILVIA CAMORA Not on a damn Cooking channel...
There is nothing chef-y or high culinary about keeping your fingers out of a path of a knife. Noone says you have to do it fast.
I've always been a big proponent of doing things the best way you can, even for the small stuff. I had to repair some drywall so I spent time learning how to do it right even though I don't ever plan on doing it professionally or hopefully even doing again at all. I think building a solid foundation for a skill is important even if you don't plan on improving that skill. I agree that speed and precision are significantly more important in the professional end of the culinary world but I don't think that the claw grip exists just so people can cut really fast. It helps with that, for sure, but it's also about safety and control.
I think if you have no interest in cutting fast you should still learn the claw grip because it's, arguably, objectively better and safer. You can still take your time with slow, thought out cuts while doing the claw grip so I don't understand why some people argue against it. On your u-turn analogy I think it would be more fitting to say "Just because you don't want to do a u-turn at 100mph doesn't meant you shouldn't learn how to u-turn properly". I don't plan on racing my car but I still made sure that I learned how to drive my stick shift properly.
First you get good, then you get fast but if you don't want to get fast you should still get good.
Also that looks like a nice knife for the price, seems like you guys put a lot of work into it and it shows.
Totally agreed. For me, this is a general philosophy when it comes to practices and procedures: You build your normal practices to be, as much as possible, impossible to fuck up. "Just be careful" works great until you get complacent for a second, or get distracted, or whatever, because even the most careful humans make mistakes. If you instead build habits that make mistakes more difficult in the first place, then you've built stronger safety guarantees into something you do probably every day.
Plus, I just think it's more comfortable. Using my knuckle to guide the blade has become super natural, and it helps make more precise cuts without resorting to "pointer" grip Adam was talking about.
As you said "[...] doing things the best way you can". That means that for 99% of people to not try and attempt the claw grip or whatever difficult technique that they don't profess. If someone has the time and care to learn a new skill or technique, that can only be good but we must realize that most people don't have that. Therefore, by pressuring home cooks to "be more like professional chefs" , because their techniques are by-the-books safer and quicker, it will lead more people to attempt something they don't know how to do properly because they feel like the have to.
And to also respond to Harakou: To be careful means to go slow, know your limits and not let yourself be complacent. If you are interrupted in the cooking, by going slow you won't accidentally injure yourself. That should be good enough. No need to go fast? Then there's also no need for a "safer" technique because ~0 risk is still ~0 risk either way with or without the right grip. That is not entirely accurate, if a good grip is easy to do with no learning curve then there's no reason to not do it. I'm just saying sometimes the difference is small enough because of the slow speed and careful action which renders more difficult but safer techniques superfluous.
Proficiency is always better than ignorance and apathy but we live in the real world and must see that to be skillful at everything that have some minor affect to lower risks of injury is not feasible. People have priorities and the time that would be spent learning a knife-skill that won't have a big impact since you're still going relatively slow (since you're a just home cook in this example and not a professional) could be better spent at other things. Maybe focusing on other parts of the cooking that will have a bigger impact on the result or risks? Or maybe something entirely different.
It is good that people know "safe knife-skills and techniques" but it should not be an expectation put on regular people as that might end up in more injuries by naïve improvisation. Live and let live; Good for those who have the skill - good for those who need not to know it.
@@IWouldLikeToRemainAnonymous I'd argue that most people who watch cooking videos on youtube have some interest and ability to improve their own cooking skills in some way. Learning proper knife handling, which to me is pretty minimum, isn't much more work than learning new recipes or other techniques. To me it's like saying "yes it's perfectly fine to drive with one leg propped up on the dashboard". Sure, it's probably not going to be a problem for people most of the time but why even bother advocating for it? If Adam made a video on home improvement and said "look guys, only pro's wear eye protection, you can just squint when using power tools" I'd have the same issue. If people want to do it the worse of the two options they're just going to do it, but why advocate for it?
This isn't a difficult skill to build, nor is an advanced one and I think people insisting that it's some strange mastery people have, the less likely others will be to try it. I remember being taught the claw grip in my grade 8 cooking class in school. If that isn't about basics, I don't know what is. Also it's not like this is adding so much more time and effort to cooking. You don't have to go home and practice. Just change your grip when you do cook and continue to take your time. The difference may be minutes at the end of it.
You say that it "might end up in more injuries by naïve improvisation" but I don't think that is the case. You should still be going as slow as you need. I think this needs to be reiterated but the claw grip is not about speed, it's about safety and control. If you cut yourself in the claw grip, you will cut yourself with whatever we're calling this other method.
If this were a youtube channel and video that had nothing to do with cooking and commenters that had no interest in cooking, I wouldn't have bothered commenting. But that isn't the case. People are here to learn things about cooking and it seems very counterproductive to insist that using the worse of two methods is just fine especially when it's so easy to correct.
No
Great job on the knife, Adam. Just ordered mine (00325) and looking forward to getting it.
I can't get over the wonderful safety information about knives while simultaneously also watching Adam jiggle his blade around in the kitchen as he chats to us half with his voice and half with his hands.
Hey
Small tip for cutting herbs
I find it much simpler to bunch the herbs up after washing them and then just cutting them over the top of the pot with a pair of scissors.
There's a much smaller risk of cutting yourself, it all just goes into the pot and there's no thin leaves stuck to the cooking board that you'll have to pick off
Just thought I'd help
Exactly what I do
For cutting things with smooth skin, if your knife is sharp enough it should quickly break the skin with almost no pressure put on the knife (generally sharp knives areuch safer because of this; blunt knives slip far more easily and require much more force which also increases the chance of slipping).
An alternative is using a serrated knife with a sawing motion to break to the skin.
In either case (sharp knife or serrated knife) you should need almost no presure, thus also preventing squishing of softer vegetables such as tomatoes.
Im pretty impressed by the intrinsic elements you went with for your knife
Very good video! Most of us are NOT professional chefs and while I try do things "properly" there is no pressure to produce quantity. Quality is much more important and cutting matters. Cutting different shapes makes different tastes. Well textures really, but you get the idea. "Turn the crown upside down and cut down" Love it!
Tip for cutting round smooth things- use a serrated knife. The serrations give a better grip, and it won't slip off the skin. Rada sells a tomato knife that costs maybe $10 and is fantastic at this, as well as cutting bread and cheese and pretty much anything else
I actually cut myself with a carrot the way you demonstrate here. The carrot rolled to the side and the knife cut a piece from my thumb.
Since then I lay out the carrot like you, but anchor the tip of the knife on the cutting board, so its more stable, and then cut the carrot kinda like one of those office paper cutters. worked good so far
The proper technique for carrots is that the tip stays on the cutting board and is the fulcrom you rotate down. (This is a 3rd class lever with your hand moving farther it multiplies the force at the cutting point) it provides much greater stability and is easier to cut than "guillotine" style with the knife off the board.
It should look exactly like those paper cutters in schools with the bladed lever that can cut through like 50 sheets at once with a perfect edge.
Great video. Thank you for your time. An addemdum to your technique with the carrots; after grabbing the carrot and sliding the knife between your fingers, rest the tip of the knife firmly on the board before cutting, then cut using a rolling motion from front to back. It will give you a lot more control and prevent the carrot from rolling. I've been doing that for years because I'm a fan of those little matchstick carrots. Thank you and be safe.
I love your content. And I like I learn stuff and cook differently because of you. To the vinegar in soup tip in this video, worked in professional kitchen that catered to larger numbers than the kitchen cook prep to, so some things came in to the kitchen pre-prepared (5kg bags of cheese etc.) 1 such thing was soup mix (veg pressed raw throw a grid, so they were even sized,) if a bag had sat in the fridge and was starting to turn, -not off- just past its best maybe look a little slimy, that make great soup. The natural tang it had accrued made the soup a little sour and help balance the soup in a way that fresh picked veg could never. I am not advocating cooking and eating spoiled food, I am saying that cutting the "bad" bit off a tomato or carrot and still using it to cook with, is a good way to not waste food.
11:45 When you smash garlic using this technique I would *really* recommend moving your cutting board towards yourself so that it is flush with the edge of your counter. You can have *just* the blade over the garlic, keeping the handle floating off the cutting board/counter. If you continuously smash your garlic with your entire knife on the board, your knife will eventually take a bend. Seriously. If you don't care about your knives, that's cool, but if you want your knives to remain straight, move the handle off the board.
I worked with a dude who did this and his knife (stainless steel I believe) had a noticeable curve that made cutting anything a nightmare. It is hard to fix properly and it's best if you can just avoid it altogether.
Agree.... It's also insanely dangerous... If someone rushes doing it this way - you might get a bounce back that will cut your real good. It was odd watching this video... I wasn't sure if it was a prank video or a real one.
The claw grip is not intended for stabilizing the knife; it's just to keep your fingers out of harm. The claw grip is used for a feeding cut just as much as a walking cut.
The knife tip should be held onto the board whenever possible; that's what stabilizes it. A knife should then be used in an elipse like a locomotive.
the sections of a knife have different jobs and applications
I could keep the knife tip on the board comfortably, if I cut my kitchen down 6”. Keeping the knife tip on the board is a weird, unnatural thing to do, invented by television chefs to give them something to say.
I like keeping the knife's blade parallel with the cutting surface more often than not. Having the tip on the board is nice if you don't need to lift the blade too much but gets a bit ridiculous when you need to lift the knife more than 30 degrees.
Thank you so much Adam! 💖
Adam! For the left side when cutting along the cocentric rings instead of favoring the tip of the knife it is easier to start the cut towards the middle/lower half of the blade and glide the knife through in an arch - middle of blade to tip, left-to-right. I find it has little to no resistance and all I have to do is slightly crouch/bend to get a better angle
One of the greatest things I’ve learned was the bear claw grip as a prep cook in a pizzeria I worked at in high school. Still use it today and it makes it so much safer and easier
Love this. In my experience, I tried the "claw grip" once I learned that this is how Gordon Ramsay and all cheffy people did it. Sometimes, I lifted the knife up too much, and I ended up just cutting my knuckles instead of my fingertips. But why even learn to do it the fancy way if it doesn't even matter?? At this point I do the methods Adam talks about here, and it's been a long time since I cut myself, and I think I cook plenty fast. I'm more scared of my box grater than my knife.
Gordon Ramsay doesn't do everything right. Looking at you, "grilled cheese".
Oh god I forgot about the "grilled cheese." That sandwich was so strange.
So, after seriously cutting the tip of my finger off years ago, I really committed to "claw grip," and it became natural enough that it makes my butt clench a little whenever I see people cut with their fingers spread out like Adam'. To me, it's like holding the blade with your thumb and index finger, or sitting with good posture.
Anyway, box graters ARE scary, and we can prep food however we want in our kitchens.
Idk about box graters. Perhaps it's just that mine isn't as sharp as they could be, but unless I'm doing something where my knuckles for some reason are getting close to the grater, which they shouldn't, I'm not really bothered. Since the blades are all basically facing up, you would have to do some kind of sideways motion to start cutting yourself, not just pushing down. When I grate something I usually slow down at the end and grate until nothings left. Perhaps I'm crazy.
@@nefariousyawn If you use a box grater with your palm facing the grates youll feel much safer. unless youre using a lot of pressure the box grater has never done damage to my hand.
I think with a claw grip, your knuckles should be feeling the blade all the time.
@@steveroni Yeah, same. I don't know if it's because my calloused hands, or just because I tend to not go super fast at the end.
One tip, at 3:02, for cutting the last bit of the onion where it's taller than it is wide and the angle of the onion is steeply slanted towards your fingers. You can roll the onion over towards your knife so the end you were cutting is now flat on the board. Then just keep cutting in the direction you were doing it. It helps keep the knife from slipping down the steep slope towards your fingers.
I'm working in fast food gastronomy for a couple months now. A lot of your advices work at home where time is not really an issue. But preparing a couple dozens or hundreds of portions is going to cost you a lot of time without techniques. I just don't have the time to be as careful and thoughtful as I am cooking at home.
Love your videos and content.
Down to earth cooking channels are really great for non professionals
There's a much better way to julienne carrots that's much simpler and takes less time. Instead of cutting the carrot in half, shave a cheek off the side. As little as you can to create a flat surface. Then rotate 90 degrees so the flat side you just cut is on the bottom and do it again. Repeat with the remaining two sides and you have a nice cuboid shape that's easy to cut into an even fine dice.
As a home cook, I then take those cheeks I shaved off and approximate the same size dice on them so as not to waste food.
I'm just a home cook but I started using the claw technique just as I started cooking, through my mom who is a professional, but mainly through youtube. I never practised or anything, just kept going slowly until I was comfortable one day I tried fast and it came out. I learned to chop fast and in a much much safer way without going out of my way to do so, and I did so much earlier than I actually learned to cook, and believe me it makes a difference. Even if you don't care about time, it's just fun, it's not a chore, it does get comfortable.
I love your videos Adam, but really, getting comefortable with the claw grip comes by just doing it, you don't need to spend extra time practicing it, and even if you keep it slow, is more comfortable and safe, I don't really see an argument why people should do this over that, same low floor, much higher ceiling.
Regarding cutting tomatoes and bell peppers, I noticed that a) a sharper blade makes it a lot safer and b) how you sharpen it matters. I sharpen mine on a couple stones, and if you properly sharpen it you get these microserrations that really grab the skin. You can test this when sharpening, an edge that’s fully developed on a certain stone will grab the skin of you thumb if you wet your thumb and gently without any pressure try to pull it along the edge. I emphasize try here, you don’t want to actually move you thumb, but you’ll feel the knife starting to try and cut you, it feels like it tugs on your skin. An edge that isn’t done yet on a certain grit will just skate under your thumb, no tugging. I can’t really say how high you need to go, but I feel like there’s no point going higher than 8000, I usually do a quick run over 1000, 3000, 5000 and 8000 if the knife edge isn’t damaged but just dull, and you could probably skip 8000 as well and stop at 5000.
I learned “knife skills” as a home cook. It helps with more complicated recipes where you got a lot going on and every second counts. It helps that I was a line cook for years and that’s why I actually have that skill but I would still recommend home cooks learn it. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife. You don’t always need it but when you do boy it helps.
Great video, and I love the consistent message that there are no prerequisites to cooking, and one can develop skills through applied effort, based on your desire and need. Lots of good comments on the claw grip, but I have a particular argument for my personal case, which might be possible to generalize: I have cut this way for so long that I can cut safely, efficiently, and consistently *without looking at my hands*. Home kitchens are full of interruptions and distractions. My right (knife) hand can tell when my left hand is out of position and stop moving, regardless of my attention. This happens once or twice a month, saving me cut skin or a mis-sized prep cut. Heck yes, becoming this comfortable was like learning to ride a bike, with the same subsequent benefits. I find prepping vegetables a peasant, familiar ritual. And my tip for slicing peppers: I keep my knife very sharp. The pepper goes flesh-to-board, and the skin practically splits itself when caressed by the blade.
hey adam, great video. i think you should mention or highlight that especially when cutting hard round things where the knife can easily slip out that the cutting motion should start by going all the way through with one end of the knife (either heel or tip) and then rocking or sliding into the other end. you did this when you cut the carrot, it just is important to prevent the carrot from rolling
This is how I halve carrots; it feels really natural, and keeps my fingers out of the way. It's basically a paper cutter motion; tip of the knife on the cutting board, second hand on the back of the knife, (both for pressure, and to keep it out of danger) then bring it down front to back. Because I'm only hitting one end of the carrot at a time, it doesn't roll.
It's also the same with weights training, you go slow with proper technique till you build the muscle memory, after a while finding your groove happens without thought.
Point grip + claw grip has worked super well for me for my whole life, lucky to have heard of the claw grip when I was quite young.
Thank you for sharing! These are great tips 👍
other options
- Use smaller knives (they're easier to control)
- Drawing the point of the knife across the board and through the food is also fool proof.
Sharp is good.
I've worked in kitchens and also been slow at home.
This stuff should be taught in school.
often terrifies me watching people try to use a knife
I personally never use my proper chef's knife - I use the mini-butcher my set came with. It's just the right size and weight to me for just about everything. I do wish it had an actual point though... gotta keep my pairing knife in service somehow, I guess 😉
Big knives are great for carrots, pumpkin etc that are large and hard. You can use the weight of the knife and apply force in a more controlled way.
After years of cutting carrots I have found my own method that basically negates any and all danger of rolling:
After cutting the root end of the carrot off:
Use the same grip as shown above
Place the blade lengthwise down the carrot just past the root end, and set the tip directly on the board at a 45-degree angle
Leave the tip on the board and slowly bring the hilt of the knife down until the blade starts embedding itself itself into the root end, about a half an inch to an inch (depending on the size of the carrot)
Now that the knife is already wedged into the carrot, the blade can only go in one direction - the angle determined by the initial cut
You don't even need to continue holding the carrot, and can move your hand to the spine of the blade, bringing it fully down like a paper cutter. As long as the tip of the knife remains on the board, and the initial cut is straight down the middle, you can't roll the knife, period. This works for all round, long produce like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, etc.
Looking forward to international shipping on your knife, I’ll order one from Australia. Love your home-hobbies approach to cooking, gives hope to the rest of us non-professionals in the kitchen. 👍
One thing I would add when chopping an onion is when you get close to the root end you can flip it so that the freshly cut side rests on the board and chop up the top and sides. It's especially useful for very slippery onions and/or if you want to reduce waste.
Regarding 6:05 , i honestly did not find learning the claw-grip very time consuming. It took me one night to get the rudimentary parts of it down (as in a single cooking-session, plus some added playing around with some spoiled potatoes afterwards)
After that initial evening of rudiments, I was chopping fast and safe within a week.
I learned it by watching food network when I was in elementary school. When I picked up a knife for the first time, I naturally started with the claw grip and did the "running chop", sometime in 4th or 5th grade. I think everyone has a different learning curve, but idk how much of it is just people not feeling like doing it. I honestly think everyone could probably get it after practicing for maybe a week at most.
Agreed on the garlic press- I'm not very skilled at cutting and I think when you figure in the time needed to find it , wash it , return - it adds more time than it saves. It's only worth it if you don't already have a board and knife out already- or if your knife is dull which makes mincing garlic a real pain.
Cook with 20 years experience here. You saved the most important tip for the end. Keep your knife sharp. The one i have at home cost me 5 bucks a Wallmart.
Another tip: Try to keep the tip of your knife on the board as much as possible while doing an almost circular motion with the holding hand. Kind of like a steam locomotive's running gear.
Before I watch, here’s my advice; take your time.
This helps alleviate my absolutely mind-blowingly bad motor skills. Nothing wrong with taking your time, you can pre-cut things anyways.
Walk don’t run ;)
@@prmperop crawl, don’t walk in my case.
4:27 Adam, I also do the radial cut that you show, but since I have a Chinese style chef's knife, with a broad blade (which is much more useful for scooping stuff; they're also ground to a more aggressive angle than western style blades), I simply turn the onion around with the root end facing me when I have to do radial cuts on the other end. I found that I can actually do the cut very evenly and quickly this way, and I don't need to do any awkward hand positioning.
I also have another weird trick I do that results in extremely consistent wedges: I make the 45˚ cut first, then I go between each of those wedges and split them in half, then I do that again with each resulting wedge if I need a really fine dice. It is much easier to visually bisect something consistently. When I do this, I can work both quickly and consistent.y
good tip!