Knives can harm you even if they are not very sharp. If you use them carelessly, they can slip and cut your finger skin, or flesh.
If the cut is deep, it causes pain and takes a lot of time to heal. In the meantime, you will not be able to use that hand properly for other work.
It is never wise to get yourself into such danger and other problems that come with it. Therefore, you should try to take precautions and learn the correct use of every type of knife in the kitchen.
How do We Need to Care about Our fingers vs. Knife?
It is very important to learn the use of knives through a professional guide. It clarifies everything about a finger Vs a knife, and masters the skill of its correct use. Here we will share a few points that will help you chop off any fruit or vegetable in the kitchen.
It will be possible without chopping your fingers. With these tips, you will achieve perfect speed and cutting precision.
Steps to Safely Cut Food with a Knife
Here we will share the top three technical steps that will help you use a kitchen knife safely. They will save your kitchen and your hand fingers from injuries by providing full control over the food you are cutting.
Correct Grip on Knife
Act as if the knife that you are holding is your best friend. You should have a good grip on it like when you shake hands with someone.
One thing to keep in mind is that you are holding it in the dominant hand. For some people, it is the right hand while for others it’s the left hand. So, choose accordingly.
After choosing the right hand for gripping the knife, now focus on positioning it over the tool. Your index finger should be lying straight at the top of the knife blade. While the other fingers have to be gripping the handle just behind the knife blade.
Tip:
When we buy a knife, initially the blade is very sharp. After using it for some time, the blade becomes dull, so it is important to resharpen it.
This is because dull knives can easily skip and cause damage to your fingers. Also, when the knife is sharp, you are conscious and careful, so the chances of slipping and cutting are reduced a lot.
Hold Food with a Non-Dominant hand
After gripping the knife with the dominant hand, now you have to handle the food with your non-dominant hand. You should grip the food along the board, but there is a trick to doing that correctly.
Start by making a claw of your fingers. They should curl in the inward direction and towards the food on the cutting board.
As the fingers reach the food below, you need to grip the food with the help of your fingernails. This will help you keep the fingertip flesh away from the danger of a sharp knife blade.
Now, you have to keep the knife blade on food where it is closer to the knuckles. As you start chopping and cutting the food with a knife in this position, make sure you move the fingers backward.
With each cutting movement, move the finger away to make space for further cutting and to save the fingers.
Chop and Push Technique
The next point that you should learn about finger & knife safety measures is chop and push. It is a technical step that you have to learn and follow correctly. Making a mistake in doing this means you are putting your fingers in danger.
At the start, the chopping and pushing technique might be overwhelming for you. But with practice, you can master this skill in a very short time.
The trick lies all in the action of pushing food forward with a free hand and chopping with the dominant one. You have to focus on keeping fingers once sliced away from the knife blade to save them from cuts.
In the chop and push technique, make sure the knife tip is touching the cutting board. After this, you have to concentrate all on the up and down movement of the handle. Do it quickly and keep the fingers out of the way as the movement is quite fast.
Tip:
Try to put a damp towel below the cutting board. It will keep the board at its place while you are vigorously cutting food at the top of it. It’s a great idea which you should use especially when you are a beginner.
General Rules for Finger Safety During Knife Cutting
- Wash the knife before use. Oil or grease residues increase the slippage chances.
- Do not ever wave a kitchen knife in the air. It’s a dangerous stunt because you can cut your fingers to catch it back in the right position.
- The cutting board should be flat. It ensures a stable surface for cutting with a knife and makes it less likely to slip or slide.
- Always work slowly and steadily with a knife, especially when you are a beginner. Practice will soon make you quick and perfect.
- A dull knife blade is riskier than a sharp one, as it needs greater force to cut the food. In doing so, it can slip very easily and cut your finger. So, sharpen the knife as soon as it needs it.
- Try to put the knife in its right place immediately after using it. Do not leave it lying around anywhere in the kitchen.
Conclusion
The finger Vs knife information given above to save your fingers holds great importance. The points might seem simple, and easy to practice.
But they need your correct understanding, attention, and regular practice. When you make an effort to learn this skill, you are ready to chop any food like a professional.
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