Working in the kitchen to prepare a delicious dish or meal can be incredibly rewarding. As with most other activities, though, you have to make sure you’re being safe about what you’re doing if you want to avoid getting hurt in the process. Kitchen knives are especially important to be careful with, as they are meant to be quite sharp. So what should you do when you handle them?
Carry and Hold Them Properly
Do you know how to carry and hold a kitchen knife properly? Any time you’re carrying a sharp kitchen knife, you should carry it with the tip pointed towards the floor. The blade should be turned towards your thigh with your arm kept rigid. To hold it properly for use, wrap your middle, ring, and pinky finger around the handle so that they are directly behind the blade. Your fingers should be close together and the handle should feel comfortable. Pinch the base of the blade with your index finger and thumb by pressing your thumb against the side of the blade where it meets the handle and your index finger on the other side. The fingertip of your index finger should be just above the cutting edge. Grip the knife firmly to safely control it.
Communicate with Others
Not all cooking accidents are just those that are inflicted on oneself. Sometimes people accidentally hurt others because they failed to properly communicate that there was even a risk in the first place. No one wants to round a corner while they’re holding a knife and accidentally hurt someone because neither of you knew the other was there. Make sure that any time you carry a kitchen knife behind someone or you’re turning a corner while holding one that you alert them to your presence and the fact that you have a knife. It’s pretty standard practice in restaurants to say things like, “Sharp behind you” for exactly that reason.
Use a Cut Glove
You should always have your eye on the blade. This reduces the chances that you’ll cut yourself on accident. That isn’t a guarantee that you won’t cut yourself though. Accidents still happen, which is why it’s important to use a cut glove.
Properly handling kitchen knives is an absolute cooking safety must. People have accidentally cut themselves badly enough to lose parts of fingers when they haven’t used them properly. While you’re at it, make sure you keep your kitchen knives sharp. It might surprise you, but it turns out that dull kitchen knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones.
Ready to make your cooking experience safer? Check out our Cut Gloves to find one that will help you keep your hands in one piece while you cook.