Sharpen Your Skills: The 3 Knife Cuts to Master in 2026

By Adam Dodd

on Jan 3, 2026

Every January, the same resolutions roll around. We promise to eat healthier, cook at home more often, or finally tackle that complex recipe book gathering dust on the shelf. But there is one resolution that sits at the very foundation of all those goals—one that is often overlooked.

Better knife skills.

If you have ever wondered why restaurant food looks so appetizing or why professional chefs can breeze through a pile of onions in seconds while you are still struggling with the first layer, the answer isn’t magic. It’s technique.

Cooking isn’t just about following a recipe; it is about how you treat your ingredients. Uniform cuts ensure even cooking. Proper technique prevents fatigue and injury. And let’s be honest: there is something incredibly satisfying about turning a chaotic pile of vegetables into a neat, organized mise en place.

This year, stop hacking at your food. Let’s look at the three essential knife cuts that will elevate your home cooking in 2026, and exactly how to execute them.

First: The Grip Check

Before we make a single cut, we have to talk about how you are holding your tool. Most home cooks hold the handle way too far back, like a hammer. This reduces your control and causes wobbly cuts.

For maximum precision, pinch the blade itself with your thumb and index finger just in front of the handle bolster, wrapping your other three fingers around the handle. This "pinch grip" gives you leverage and makes the knife feel like an extension of your hand rather than a clumsy tool.

Pro Tip: If your hand feels tired after five minutes of chopping, check your grip. A well-balanced chef’s knife should do the work for you—you shouldn't have to force it through the food.

1. The Julienne (The Matchstick)

Best for: Stir-fries, salads, and crunchy garnishes.

The Julienne is the grandfather of precision cuts. It transforms bulky vegetables into elegant, thin matchsticks measuring roughly 3mm x 3mm x 5cm. Not only does this look professional, but it also allows dense vegetables like carrots or capsicums to cook rapidly and evenly in a hot wok or pan.

The Technique:

Square it off: Peel your vegetable and cut it into segments about 5cm long. Slice a thin layer off one side to create a flat base so the vegetable doesn’t roll away (safety first!).
Make planks: With the flat side down, slice the vegetable into uniform vertical planks, about 3mm thick.
The stack: Stack two or three planks on top of each other.
The slice: Slice down through the stack to create fine strips.

Why it matters: Texture is a huge part of flavor. A salad with chunky, uneven carrots is a chore to eat. A salad with crisp, uniform julienne strips is a delight. To get those paper-thin planks, you need a blade with a very sharp, fine edge. Using a Japanese-style vegetable blade (Nakiri) can make this significantly easier, as the flatter profile is designed specifically for this push-cut motion.

2. The Brunoise (The Fine Dice)

Best for: Soups, risottos, sauces, and salsa.

If you master the Julienne, you have already done 90% of the work for the Brunoise. This cut produces tiny, perfect cubes (about 3mm). This is the secret to those silky soups and sauces where the vegetables seem to melt into the background flavor rather than standing out as chunks.

The Technique:

Start with Julienne: Follow the steps above to create your matchsticks.
Gather the troops: Gather a small bundle of your matchsticks together, lining up the ends.
Cross-cut: Cut across the sticks at 3mm intervals to produce tiny cubes.

Warning: Do not use your blade to scrape your freshly cut veggies off the board. This rolls the fine metal edge and dulls your knife instantly. Instead, flip the knife over and use the spine, or use a wide-bladed knife like the White Tessellation Chef Knife which is tall enough to double as a bench scraper to transfer food effortlessly.

The Brunoise requires patience. It is distinct from a "rough chop." Because the pieces are so small, they release their flavor very quickly. This is ideal for a base (soffritto or mirepoix) that needs to sauté rapidly without browning too much.

3. The Chiffonade (The Ribbon)

Best for: Leafy greens, basil, mint, and kale.

Have you ever tried to chop basil and ended up with bruised, black mush? That happens when you crush the delicate herbs rather than slicing them. The Chiffonade technique solves this, creating beautiful, fluffy ribbons that look incredible scattered over pasta or eggs.

The Technique:

Stack: Take your leaves (e.g., basil) and stack them neatly on top of one another.
Roll: Roll the stack tightly lengthwise, like a cigar.
Slice: Slice across the roll carefully. The spacing of your cuts determines the width of the ribbons.
Fluff: Use your fingers to gently separate the ribbons.

Because herbs are delicate, a dull knife will tear the cell walls, causing oxidation (blackening). You need a laser-sharp edge here. A smaller agile utility knife is often perfect for these lighter tasks where a heavy chef's knife might feel like overkill.

The Secret Ingredient: Maintenance

You can memorize these techniques, watch every YouTube tutorial, and buy the freshest produce, but you will fail if your tool isn't up to the task.

A dull knife slips. It requires more pressure to cut, which is when accidents happen. It mashes the food rather than severing it. If you are sliding off the skin of a tomato rather than slicing through it, your resolution for 2026 shouldn't just be about cooking—it should be about maintenance.

You don't need to be a master sharpener to keep your edge. Using a diamond honing rod before every cooking session takes 10 seconds and realigns the microscopic teeth of the blade. It’s the single best habit you can form this year.

Cooking is a Practice

Don't be discouraged if your first Brunoise looks a bit uneven. Speed comes with time; precision comes with practice.

Set aside a Sunday afternoon, buy a bag of cheap onions or carrots, and just practice. Focus on the rhythm. Listen to the sound of the knife against the durable cutting board. Enjoy the process of improvement.