Learn How To Handle A Knife With This Animated GIF Tutorial

You can only listen to and read someone talk about how to properly wield a kitchen knife so many times before you really need to see it in action. Thankfully, the folks at FirstWeFeast have a series of animated GIFs that will show you exactly how to master your kitchen knife safely.

You’ll have to hit the link below to see the full course of animations — and there are plenty. FirstWeFeast sat down with Henry Molina, a cook at New York’s Mission Chinese Food, to find out how a real cook in a small kitchen and a busy restaurant gets the job done without hurting himself. Each GIF shows you the right and wrong ways to hold your knife (the “pinch” grip versus the dangerous-looking “hammer” grip), how to curl your fingers into the “cats paw” that keeps you from slicing one open while you’re chopping veggies, and much more. There’s also an animated guide to evenly dicing small objects like a clove of garlic, and large objects like a whole onion.

All of the GIFs are useful, and while we’re willing to bet you know how to properly pit an avocado, it’s still good to see it in action. Just remember, none of this works if your knife is dull, so make sure all your knives are sharp before you head to the kitchen.

GIF Tutorial: Essential Knife Skills witha Mission Chinese Cook [FirstWeFeast.com]