Knife Safety Tips in the Kitchen
Cutlery can make a commercial kitchen unsafe if chefs and staff aren’t properly handling them. It’s vital they’re properly used and stored to ensure there are no accidents during a busy dinner rush. Chef Frank Barrett-Mills recommends you always use these knife safety tips in the kitchen so you can work easily and without mishaps.
Knife Safety Tips
- Properly hold the knife - Depending on the type of knife you use, there’s a proper way to hold it. For a chef’s knife, use either the pistol grip or place your thumb on one side of the blade with your index finger on the other and then fold a finger under.
- Hold the knife while mincing - If you’re using a chef’s knife to mince, you will want to hold one hand on the handle and another on the blade to hold the tip down. This ensures you never lift the blade too high.
- Only use sharp knives - A dull knife is a dangerous knife. This is because you have to work a lot harder to get it to cut through product. If your fingers happen to get away while cutting with a dull knife you’re going to be applying more pressure than usual and it could cause an accident. Make sure to regularly sharpen all kitchen cutlery to keep it in safe, working condition.
- Properly carry knives - While it’s better to just not carry a blade around at all through the kitchen, sometimes it needs to be brought from a dishwasher or sink after cleaning to get chopping. Be sure to properly carry the knife by holding it straight down with the blade to the back. This way you don’t risk an injury if you trip and you can protect those around you that you might bump into.
- Properly store knives - When kitchen cutlery is washed and no longer being used, they need to be safely put away. The best way to store knives is on a magnetic rack along a wall. Piling kitchen cutlery in bins or drawers is unsafe and could cause someone to get hurt when they stick their hand in to pull out a utensil.