Home Skills & DIY

Knife Skills for the Home Kitchen

Meets Thursdays · 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM · on Zoom Fall 2026 · registration open Free to audit

This class runs in the Fall 2026 session. Registration is open now; lessons, materials, and the class discussion board are posted before it begins.

If you're tired of hacking at onions, crying, and taking forever, this class is for you. We get you cutting early. Less watching me, more hands on the board.

We'll cover safe grips, the basic cuts you actually use at home, and the part nobody tells you about: how to keep a knife sharp instead of sharp-ish. Sharpening is the whole game. A sharp knife bites where you aim it. A dull one slips, and that's how people end up in urgent care (ask me how I know).

You'll leave able to dice an onion fast and safe, and knowing how to keep your one good knife alive. That's the goal. ~kaylee

What you'll learn

Choose one good knife and a whetstone
Set up a stable, non-sliding cutting board
Use pinch grip and claw grip safely
Slice, dice, and mince with even, controlled cuts
Sharpen and hone your knife to keep an edge

Lessons

Start Here: Why Sharp Beats Everything
The one belief this class is built on, plus a look at what you actually own and what you don't need.
Grips and How Not to Lose a Knuckle
Safe hands first, because speed is a side effect and grip is what keeps your fingers attached.
The Cuts You Actually Use
The handful of basic cuts that cover most of home cooking, taught hands-on.
- Slicing: even, controlled, no sawing18 min
- The dice: rough, medium, fine22 min
- Mincing garlic and herbs without a paste18 min
- Julienne and batons for the stuff that needs it20 min
Onions, Peppers, and the Usual Suspects
Break down the vegetables you cut every single week, fast and clean.
- Dicing an onion (the under-a-minute goal)25 min
- Bell peppers the correct way18 min
- Tomatoes without crushing them18 min
- Round vegetables that want to roll away18 min
Sharpening: The Whole Game
The part nobody teaches, done on a $30 whetstone until your edge actually bites.
Putting It Together and Keeping the Habit
A real prep run, plus honest talk about practicing in bursts and what I still don't do.

Class discussion

The class discussion board opens when the class begins this fall. Auditors and enrolled students ask questions and share work here once the session starts.