How To Slice And Dice An Onion Like A Pro

Ever wondered what the professionals do differently when they slice or dice onions and other ingredients? We did. So we called a chef, grabbed a camera, and filmed the nitty-gritty of knife skills for your kitchen education.

How differently does, say, Art Rogers, chef-owner of Lento in Rochester, NY, cut an onion than you or I? That depends on your knife skills. In the embedded clip, Rogers demonstrates good slicing technique, using his knuckles as a guide for lever-action, evenly-spaced chops.

He also shows the easiest way to get a consistent onion dice without making a mess of your workspace: Cut it in half, lay the halves on their flat sides, make horizontal cuts almost all the way through, then use the same levered slices to dice the vegetable in its place. (Be sure to hit the HD button for the high-res close-ups.)

Apologies for the somewhat shaky camera work, along with the out-of-focus moment. This was our first outing with a Kodak Zi6, Gizmodo’s favorite cheap HD camcorder, and we weren’t aware you had to get microscopically close to benefit from “macro” mode. Also, if you’re a knife nerd (and you’re in good company), Rogers is using his preferred Misono Japanese carbon steel knife, both for its edge retention and surprising lightness.

As you heard in the introduction, we’ve got another training video coming up for you. Thanks to Art Rogers and the Lento staff for letting us invade their kitchen, and for sacrificing vegetables and other foods in the name of edutainment.