Any chef worth her salt can tell you that great cooking follows many time-honored basic traditions and techniques. One of those basics is knife skills. I find that this is one area of the kitchen where people have the amount of confidence I wish for them. It’s important to learn how to use your knife, as well as how to buy and care for a good knife.

Begin by finding quality knives. Pick a manufacturer that guarantees their product. Beyond that, there are some key points to consider.

A knife should be made of one piece of forged high carbon stainless steel. This alloy combines both carbon steel and stainless, which means that the knife will not corrode or discolor and allows for easy sharpening. The best knives are made with a full tang running the entire length of the handle (this is the portion of the blade that fits into the handle). The other part of the knife that is important is the called the bolster. This is a thick piece of metal where the blade meets the handle. A full tang and bolster will provide better support, durability, and balance. Good knife handles are often made of either polypropylene or hard woods infused with plastic. My best advice is to pick the handle that fits best in your hand.

Right out of the box a knife’s edge should be sharp. A great test is trying to cut a tomato, or trying to make a clean slice through a piece of paper. The edge of your knife’s blade can either be a clean line or it can have a row of shallow dimples, known as Kullenschliff. These are mainly found on Japanese style knives. (The purpose of this design is to keep food from sticking to the knife.)

In terms of styles of knives, there are some basics that are the workhorses of your kitchen. Three knives—the French knife, paring knife, and a serrated knife—are the core knives in your collection. The French or chef’s knife is an all-purpose knife that is anywhere from eight to fourteen inches long and is used for chopping, slicing, and cutting larger ingredients. The paring knife is two to four inches long and used for detail work and for cutting smaller-sized ingredients. The serrated knife is primarily used for slicing bread.

The last pivotal piece of your knife kit is the sharpening steel. This actually does not sharpen your knife but rather hones the blade. It is best to use your sharpening steel after every use of a knife. There are a bevy of knives to choose from beyond these basics ones. They all have a place in your cooking, but these can get just about any job done.

• Caring for and Storing Your Knives

The best way to clean your knives is by hand. Putting knives into the dishwasher can damage the blade from heat and getting knocked around.

There are many ways to store your knives. A wooden block should store your knives horizontally (instead of vertically). You can also use plastic sleeves to slip over your knives if you store them in a drawer. Another option is to use a magnetic strip on the wall.

What do you cut on? This is the source of a lot of debate in the kitchen. We have become a germaphobic public and this ushered in the use of plastic cutting boards. Then we thought we could be fancier in the kitchen and that mentality ushered in decorative glass cutting boards. In truth, however, the best surface to cut on is wood. It is gentle on your knives and actually is the safest option. There are some cutting boards that are made of recycled wood that is turned into a composite wood. Not only nice on your knives, these also can be put in the dishwasher.

An important aspect in the care of your knife is keeping it sharp. Using a dull knife will make chopping a tough task and that ultimately is not safe (or enjoyable!). What I recommend is having your knife professionally sharpened once a quarter. Take your knives to someone who is skilled in this area. There are many free sharpening services out there, but I have heard too many stories of knives coming back significantly smaller and the blade becoming dull quickly. You might be interested to know that potatoes and onions dull your knife the quickest!

• Controlling Your Knife

Holding a chef knife correctly will result in you having greater control and good balance. When you set out to buy your knife, make sure that it fits comfortably in your hand because this will affect your grip. You will hold the handle of the knife with your pinkie, middle and ring finger—gripping it just below the bolster. Then rest your index finger flat against the blade (on the other side of the bolster), curling it to fit the blade. On the other side of the blade you will put your thumb. It is almost a pinching kind of grip.

Your other hand is going to be in charge of holding the ingredient and acting as a guide for your knife. Always curl your fingertips inward, making a claw around the ingredients, allowing the knife to rest flat against your knuckles. I understand that this is going to feel very awkward, but stick with it. The more you practice the sooner you will forget you ever held your knife any other way.

Common Cutting Terms

(1) Dice. This is where you cut an ingredient in the shape of a cube. Standard sizes are:

Fine dice – 1/8 inch

Small dice – ¼ inch

Medium dice – ½ inch

Large dice – ¾ inch

(2) Chiffonade. A finely sliced or shredded cut. It is primarily used with leafy vegetables or herbs. To accomplish this, wash and de-stem the leaves. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll them tightly like a cigar. Make fine slices across the leaves while holding the leaf roll tightly. Do not chop over this after you have sliced the leaf roll. This type of slicing produces a shredded effect and over-chopping will bruise the leaves.

(3) Rounds (Rondelles). These are easily made, round slices of cylindrical vegetables or fruits. Peel the item and place it on the cutting board. Keeping your fingertips curled back, grip the item and make even slices. You may use your index finger to guide the thickness of your rounds.

(4) Diagonals. These are elongated or oval-shaped slices of vegetables or fruits. Hold the knife at an angle to the item being cut and cut in a similar fashion to the rounds.

(5) Chopping. To cut in small pieces with uniformity. When a recipe calls for a coarsely chopped item, it does not mean a carelessly chopped item. Rather, you should make sure that the slices are uniform in size. Coarsely chopped pieces should measure approximately ¾-inch by ¾-inch. Truly what we are talking about here is dicing.

(6) Julienne. This is where you cut your ingredient into long thin strips (think stir fry). A carrot that has been julienned is ¼-inch thick and 2 inches long.

(7) Mincing. To cut an item into very small pieces. The terms finely chopped and minced are often used interchangeably. The term is most often used when referring to garlic, shallots, herbs, and other foods that do not have to be uniformly chopped. It is done simply by dicing the item and then holding the knife over the item and using a rocking motion to mince the item with the heel of the knife.

Once you get in the kitchen and start practicing your knife skills, with a high quality, well-maintained knife, your confidence will soar, and I believe you will enjoy your time there more. And, remember, we eat with our eyes. Proper knife skills help your food look good, but they also ensure that your food cooks properly.

Lara Ritchie is the culinary director and a teacher at Nothing To It! Culinary Center.