Take the 2-minute tour ×

What are some good resources for learning knife skills? Specifically, is there anywhere that I can see video demonstration of different slicing techniques and when those techniques are appropriate?

share|improve this question
Good question. I'm with my thumb cut, probably not lack of skills but excess of alcohol... –  Daniel Moura Jul 9 '10 at 22:03
@DanielMoura, always wear a helmet, when drinking heavily. Also: How should I care for my knives. –  Vorac Jul 3 at 9:45

7 Answers 7

up vote 26 down vote accepted

Why bother paying for instruction or books. The best way to learn is watching a video and practicing.


Youtube has a great wealth of videos on knife skills. I'm more a visual learner. I like to see a video. A book are not going to help me squat.


Chowhound has a great wealth of knife skill videos.

share|improve this answer
Accepting this answer as it has a large number of sources. Although it's CW, so it doesn't matter for points. –  jessecurry May 30 '13 at 15:17

I really like the book "Knife skills Illustrated"; it is a bit annoying that it has left and right handed versions of everything, though.

share|improve this answer
Being a lefty, that would be right up my alley :) –  jessecurry Jul 9 '10 at 20:04

The Good Eats episode American Slicer was devoted entirely to knife usage.

share|improve this answer

Cooks Illustrated has a couple of great videos (subscription, or free trial, required).

share|improve this answer

The absolute best way to pick this up is to do it with the help of an in-person instructor. It is a motor skill that is best learned by trial, error, and the emulation of experts.

Your local culinary institutes might offer courses or one-day workshops on various topics for the general public and cooking enthusiasts.

For instance, here's a place in Maryland that offers classes: L'Academie de Cuisine. I once gave my wife a gift certificate for their "knife skills" workshop. She can now chop circles around anyone who isn't a chef!

share|improve this answer
The advantage to having someone watching you is that they can identify mistakes that you might be making, and offer corrections. –  Joe Jul 22 at 23:11

Epicurious have some useful videos on knife skills, they can be found at:


Another interesting source is Rouxbe, they have a large number of cooking lesson videos online, which include knife skills. This site, however, requires a subscription:


share|improve this answer

Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen by Norman Weinstein is a great picture book demonstrating technique for specific fruits, vegetables, and meats.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer


