Sophie Zhang
by: Sophie Zhang
Updated: 2026-01-19
Reading Time: 2 Min.
Cook Time: 0 min

How to Take Care of Your Knives and Basic Cutting Skills

How to Store and Care for Your Knives

  1. To keep your knife in great shape, use a clean cloth to gently wipe away any dirt and moisture from the blade.

  1. If you haven't used your knives in a while, it's a good idea to give them a nice coat of oil to keep them ready for their next cooking adventure.

How to Sharpen the Knife

  1. Stand with your feet apart and lean in a little. With your right hand, hold the knife so that the tip presses against your left palm.
  2. Put the sharpening stone on the front end of the blade, with the edge facing out. To avoid any problems, make sure both hands are steady.
  3. Hold the blade firmly against the stone, lift the back slightly, and then move it forward and back with even pressure. The movement of the wrist is what matters.

Basic Cutting Skills

Straight Cut


Hold the knife handle from above and cut through the cucumbers with confidence and accuracy.

Chopping


With your right hand, hold the handle tightly, and with your left hand, support the front top of the knife. Put the tip on your cutting board, lift the back end of the knife, and switch hands as you chop down through your food.

Sawing Cut


When you need to get through tougher cuts, the sawing cut is the way to go.

Rolling Cut


Pretend you're painting with your knife. After each stroke (cut), roll the canvas (the ingredient) a little to get ready for the next work of art.

Chopping


Chopping is your best friend when you want to turn boneless treats into fine mince or break up bone-in pieces into pieces.

Cleaving


With your left hand, hold the ingredient steady and let your right hand do the talking as you cleave with purpose.

Flat Slicing

  1. Keep the blade flat and parallel, and cut with a steady push-pull.
  2. For an angled approach, hold the food steady with your left hand and angle the knife to about 45°.
  3. Reverse slicing? Edge out, press the blade lightly against the joints of your left fingers, and glide through your ingredient.

Basic Knife Shapes

Cutting Strips


First, cut your ingredient into thick slices, and then cut those slices into neat strips.

Shredding

  1. Start by cutting the ingredients into pieces that are easy to handle.
  2. For easy handling, stack or stagger these pieces.
  3. Then, with a steady hand, cut them into small pieces that are about 5 centimeters long for the best texture.
Sophie Zhang

Sophie Zhang

Hello, I'm Sophie, the chef who tries new things at Flavors of China. I enjoy tweaking recipes to make them more fun and easier to cook. I love classic flavors, but I also like showing you fresh ways to bring them into your own kitchen.I like to do things on my own.I often make up recipes, try out new ideas, and tell you what works (and sometimes what doesn't) so you can feel good about trying new things too. I like to serve meals that are both comfortable and creative, and I always give useful tips to help cooking go smoothly and without stress. We'll find out that Chinese food isn't just for restaurants; it's something you can make every day and have fun doing it.