Basic Cuts and Shapes

Whether you are working at being a chef, or simply want to

improve your skills in the kitchen, mastering the most
common culinary arts knife cuts will bring you one step
closer to creating impressive-looking, evenly cooked,
delicious meals. Learn what the basic cuts are, such as small
dice, batonnet, julienne, brunoise, and more.
Large Dice

The large dice is a culinary knife cut

measuring 3/4 inch × 3/4 inch × 3/4 inch.
This square cut is most often used for
vegetables like potatoes, and sometimes
fruits such as watermelon.
Batonnet

The batonnet (pronounced bah-tow-
NAY) is basically creating a
rectangular stick that measures 1/2
inch × 1/2 inch × 2 1/2 to 3 inches. It
is also the starting point for another
cut, the medium dice.
Medium Dice

The medium dice measures 1/2 inch × 1/2

inch × 1/2 inch, and is a smaller version of
the large dice. This is generally a good choice
when recipes don't specify the size of the dice
and the ingredient list just says "diced
tomatoes.“
 Allumette

Measuring 1/4 inch × 1/4 inch × 2 1/2

to 3 inches, the allumette is sometimes
referred to as the "matchstick cut." It's
also the starting point for the small
dice.
Small Dice

The littlest of the dice cuts, the small

dice measures 1/4 inch × 1/4 inch ×
1/4 inch and is produced by slicing the
allumette into 1/4-inch sections.
 Julienne

The julienne cut measures 1/8 inch × 1/8

inch × 2 1/2 inches and is basically
the allumette cut once more lengthwise.
You will most often use this cut for
carrots, celery, or potatoes, and see the
thin strips used as a garnish. 
Brunoise

The brunoise knife cut (pronounced

BROON-wahz) measures 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch
× 1/8 inch, which makes it the smallest of
the dice cuts. Brunoise is usually used for
garnishes.
 Fine Julienne

The fine julienne knife cut measures

1/16 inch × 1/16 inch × 2 inches. It is
also the starting point for the fine
brunoise cut. This cut is often used for
garnishes.
Fine Brunoise

The fine brunoise knife cut (pronounced

BROON-wahz) measures 1/16 inch × 1/16
inch × 1/16 inch. It sure is tiny!
 Mince

Smaller than a fine brunoise, the mince is

less precise since it is supposed to be
finely cut. We most often mince garlic, or
other aromatics, when we want the flavor
to be distributed more throughout the
dish. 
Chiffonade

The chiffonade cut is mainly used for

vegetable leaves and fresh herbs,
in particular, basil. The leaves are
stacked, rolled, and then sliced
perpendicularly, creating thin strips.
Different Types of Kitchen
Knives
KNIFE an instrument composed of a blade fixed
into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon

A knife is a cook’s best friend, whether they’re a

seasoned professional or a kitchen first-timer. But as
any glance at a knife block will reveal, there is a wide
array of knives to choose from.
 Chef’s Knife

As its name suggests, 

the chef’s knife is classic and ve
rsatile
; when people think of cooking
knives, this one is what comes
to mind.
Among the other types of knives, the chef’s knife is the jack-
of-all-trades. It is shaped like a right triangle with a curved
side–one side straight and one curved, meeting at a very
sharp point.
The sharp point on the chef’s knife also makes it adept at
very delicate cuts.
Boning Knife

The boning knife may look

small, but in my experience, it is
one of the most powerful knives
in any cooking toolkit.
While its name might imply that it’s meant for breaking bones, it
is actually for everything except bones.

 Boning is the process of removing leftover meat from bones.

The boning knife has a long, thin blade ideal for this process.
 Bread Knife

 a long knife with a serrated edge,

for slicing bread.
The bread knife is very long and sports a thick serrated
blade, which helps for cutting through large hunks of bread.
A chef’s knife can slip or turn while cutting, whereas the
bread knife has a long handle and thick blade that afford the
user excellent grip and stability
Paring Knife

The paring knife is an essential

knife in any kitchen
Its short handle and small, sharp blade make it adept at a wide
variety of needs, including peeling fruits and vegetables, cutting
foods into very small pieces, or engaging in other delicate tasks.

Importantly, 
the paring knife is not interchangeable with other small types of k
nives, like the boning knife
.
 Cleaver

 its rectangular blade and almost

hatchet-like appearance, 
the cleaver is one of the most
visually striking types of knives–
it’s another knife you’ve probably
seen in a cartoon. 
The standard American cleaver is a very heavy-duty tool,
being well-suited for cutting through big, hard vegetables,
large chunks of meat, and even some softer bones.
Carving Knife

The carving knife is pretty self-

explanatory: it’s best suited to
carving thick pieces of meat.
It’s theoretically useful for other cutting tasks, but
since it works best when it’s ultra-sharp, I keep it
in the knife block unless I’m using it for meat.
The carving knife is excellent for thick raw meat.
Utility Knife

The utility knife’s name

says it all: it’s useful.
Utility knives are not as defined as other types of knives,
but they tend to have straight handles and sharp pointed
tips; sometimes, only one side is sharpened, but sometimes
both sides are sharp.
One can define them as something between a paring knife
and a chef’s knife
Steak Knife

Despite its name, the steak knife is

a great multipurpose knife–and it’s
one of the few knives on this list
that has a place at the dinner table.
since steak knives tend to be serrated, they’re not especially good
for heavy-duty cuts, but they’re great when I don’t feel like
pulling out a paring knife just for slicing a sandwich.
 Santoku Knife

Its thinner blade allows for a bit more

focused slicing than the chef’s knife,
and its shorter blade and dull tip make
it adept at rapidly chopping herbs,
fruits, and vegetables.
It’s equally adept, however, at slicing and mincing meats,
making it a true all-purpose knife
Filet Knife

The filet blade is thin and sharp,

sometimes with razor-sharp
curves, making it easy to carve
meat from a fish.
It’s an excellent choice for breaking down a whole fish into
parts, but it also works for trimming bones from fish filets.
Kitchen Shears

kitchen shears look like one of the

most unnecessary kitchen
implements–but in my experience,
it is one of the most important. 
 Cooks need to snip a variety of things in the kitchen, from herbs to
food packaging, and it is essential to have a sterile or sanitary tool
for that.
 Ordinary household scissors cut substances that are not sanitary to
cross-mix with food–not to mention that they often have plastic
handles that are not dishwasher safe. 
 Kitchen shears solve this problem: they are easy to sanitize can be
dedicated to food prep.
Nakiri Knife

 which looks more like a cleaver

than a santoku knife, is a dedicated
chopping implement.
Its firm handle and long, strong rectangular blade are excellent
for slicing and dicing vegetables.
nakiri knife is amazing for cutting lettuce, cabbage, and root
vegetables, which the shorter santoku can sometimes get jammed
in.
Parts of a Knife
 What are the Risks ?

Accidents involving knives are common in the catering

industry. They usually involve cuts to the non-knife hand
and fingers but can lead to injuries on the upper arm and
torso.
Cleavers are commonly used for chopping and the same
controls for knives should be adopted.
 Ways to Minimize the Risk

DO
 Train employees in the safe use of knives and safe working practices when sharpening
them
 Use knife suitable for the task and for the food you are cutting
 Cut on a stable surface
 Handle knives carefully when washing up
 Carry a knife with the blade pointing downwards
 Store knives securely after use.
 Use protective equipment as required
 DON’T
 Leave knives loose on worktop surfaces where they can be accidentally pushed off
 Try to catch a falling knife
 Use a knife as a can opener
 Carry knives while carrying other objects
 Engage in horseplay with a knife
 Carry a knife in your pocket