How do I chop faster and more safely?

Speed in a kitchen comes almost entirely from not having to think about the knife. Three habits do most of the work, and all three are also what makes chopping safe — the claw grip in particular means the blade physically cannot reach your fingertips.

Safety

What you'll need

• A sharp chef's knife
• Stable chopping board
• Damp cloth or non-slip mat

Step by step

1. Put a damp cloth or non-slip mat under the board and check it doesn't move.Push it firmly in each direction before you start. This takes five seconds and prevents most accidents.
2. Grip the knife by pinching the blade just in front of the handle with thumb and forefinger.Fingers wrap the handle behind. This 'pinch grip' gives far more control than holding the handle alone.
3. Curl the fingertips of your guiding hand under, so the knuckles face the blade.The claw. The flat of the blade rests against your knuckles, which physically stops it reaching your fingertips.
4. Keep the tip of the knife on the board and rock the blade down and forward through the food.Rocking is faster than lifting the whole knife, and it keeps the blade under control the whole time.
5. Move the guiding hand back in small increments to set the thickness.The knuckles are the gauge. Consistent movement gives consistent pieces.
6. Cut a flat face on anything round before doing anything else.A round vegetable that rolls under the blade is the second most common cause of cuts.
7. Slow down deliberately when you're tired or distracted.Almost all kitchen cuts happen at the end of a session, not the start.

Tips

• Practise on something cheap and forgiving — a few onions or carrots — rather than trying a new technique on dinner.
• Clear the board as you go into bowls. A crowded board makes everything slower and less safe.
• A larger knife feels intimidating but is safer and faster than a small one for most prep, because you're not sawing.
• Cut once, use twice: prep the whole onion or bunch and store what you don't need.

Common mistakes

• Gripping the handle only — Much less blade control, and the knife twists in the hand.
• Flat fingertips on the food — Nothing between the blade and your fingers. The claw exists precisely for this.
• A board that slides — The most common cause of serious kitchen cuts.
• Using a blunt knife — It needs more force and slips off the food instead of biting into it.

Questions people ask