# Need advice on increasing my speed.



## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

Hi all, 

I am a commis chef (Ya, that's a beginner chef in Ireland and the UK) I have worked rarely in a family run restaurant where I would be working when it was busy. I could have been put at plating up dishes or helping out in the wash up. I really didn't like this job at all, but at the time it was a bit of money while I was at college. I done 4 year in culinary arts college and to be honest, while I hold good knowledge in food, equipment and cooking techniques, my practical skills leave a lot to be desired. In fact my knife skills are very bad and I'm very slow during prep. 

I recently changed job as I was pretty sick in my first job and I believe it was time to move on. So I was selected for a commis chef position I applied for in a local hotel. The hotel caters for banqueting only, so no Lunch/ala carte menu. It's just what ever groups are booked into the hotel. So this could be weddings and tour groups mainly. 

The head chef is very nice to work for and is extremely genuine (as is every other member of staff in this particular company). He can see that I am really lacking in my knife skills etc. But he give me the job as he said that I have a good attitude, I'm willing to work hard and to ultimately improve and develop my skills to get better. 

The problem is mainly my speed, which is connected to my lack of self confidence. Also I over think things and this also seems to slow me down as well. For instance it took me 2 hours to chop veg. where it should have only taken me 30 minutes at most.

it's embarrassing and I'm ashamed to be this bad. I really am desperate for advice as this is literally my dream job. 

Any advice at all is appreciated. Thanks!

Regards 
Peter


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

Hi Peter. Welcome to ChefTalk!
What can I say? We all have to learn. And that means beginning at the bottom and learning how to do the basics. You're fortunate to have a chef you work for who is supportive of your desire (and need!) to improve your skills. Ask the chef to show you exactly how to cut each vegetable. Ask him for 5 minutes of his time to save you an hour or more of your time. I'm certain he will do it. As for any other skills? Shadow people who do them well. Ask them questions (at the appropriate times!) and be engaged and curious about what the operation does. Understand how what you do fits in the larger picture of how the place operates. If you focus on those types of thoughts you won't have time to go over the same mental hamster wheel that also seems to be keeping you from being more present in your tasks.
Good luck!
Peachcreek


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## linecookliz (Jun 8, 2017)

I am a visual learner, and had to learn the different types of cuts on my own. I went to bookstores and read books on cooking techniques. I also went on youtube to learn how the different types of cuts. Then at work I practice and apply. Knowing how to hold a knife correctly is important also, and makes a big difference. It has helped with my prep a lot, and practicing brings speed. I'm a beginner also, but working on my plating right now.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

There is no substitute for experience. You need practice, just like any skill set you would develop over time. We were all slow, awkward and inefficient starting out. It is just how it is.

Big picture thinking helps. Consolidating your steps helps...don't grab an onion, take it back to your station, chop it, then go back and get a carrot. Get everything you need in your first few minutes, then spend minimal amount of time away from your station while you do your cuts. 

Buy an egg timer. Time yourself dicing 2 quarts of carrots (or whatever). Then, the next day, time yourself again and try to beat your time. Do this for all your tasks. Be a nerd and keep a log. 

Really analyze what you are doing. Be self critical. Are you constantly putting down and picking up your knife? Are you doing all tasks in stages--are you peeling, squaring off and dicing each carrot individually? You should peel all your carrots, then square them all off, then dice them all. 

Good luck.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

I'll add that correct knife technique is the most important. Practice does indeed bring speed eventually. Proper technique is awkward and uncomfortable at first for everyone but that should not mean you change it for any reason. Using proper technique means you will start off slow but as you practice, you get faster, but all the time using good technique. This means that eventually, you are able to blaze through prep without cutting your finger. Eventually. Of course you are always using a very sharp knife and working to keep it sharp throughout your work. This means you use less effort for each cut and the work overall is a lot less strenuous. Developing speed slowly while using proper technique all the time means not giving yourself a nasty cut with your very sharp knife. 
As Someday points out, do each step for every vegetable before moving on to the next step. So with onions, all the onions get cut in half. Then all the onions get peeled. Then all the peels get cleaned up. Your work surface is cleaned and ready for knife work. The peeled, uncut onions are in a container on one side of the cutting board and the empty storage container is on the other side. 
First I make sure the entire work area is clean and clear and free of clutter. So nothing else is near the work or able to intrude on my movements. I make a constant practice of having the food I am preparing in one container and an empty container on the other side of my cutting board for the finished product. As the cut product fills the board and begins to restrict my cutting, I put the cut food in the container. This keeps it all organized as i work. If necessary, I can move my work on a moment's notice. When finished, or if interrupted, I can wrap, label and put it away quickly. When I am done with the onions, I put the first container in the dish area right away, wrap, label and date the cut onions, put them away. Then I follow the same process with the next prep item. While working, cleanliness and organization is of the utmost importance for maintaining focus on the task at hand. 
Do one thing at a time, focus on doing it well, move on to the next thing.


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## alaminute (Aug 22, 2013)

Practice.


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## efesto (Jan 10, 2017)

Have a knife that you're so comfortable with and sharp that it becomes an extension of your hand. Get a bunch of cheap veggies that you can use at home. I'd get some standard mirepoix ingredients and start practicing different cuts at home and then use the veggies you cut. More you practice, more efficient you will get. Get used to the knife and after a while the hand motions become automatic, you will eventually chop, slice, dice fast and efficiently, it'll be second nature. 
and DO NOT be embarrassed, no one is born a Chef! its all hard work and time. 
Michael Jordan was cut off his highschool basketball team, he was not athletic enough  LOLOL
He never quit and he practiced.. 
Repetition + discipline + consciousness + pride + time


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

peachcreek said:


> Hi Peter. Welcome to ChefTalk!
> What can I say? We all have to learn. And that means beginning at the bottom and learning how to do the basics. You're fortunate to have a chef you work for who is supportive of your desire (and need!) to improve your skills. Ask the chef to show you exactly how to cut each vegetable. Ask him for 5 minutes of his time to save you an hour or more of your time. I'm certain he will do it. As for any other skills? Shadow people who do them well. Ask them questions (at the appropriate times!) and be engaged and curious about what the operation does. Understand how what you do fits in the larger picture of how the place operates. If you focus on those types of thoughts you won't have time to go over the same mental hamster wheel that also seems to be keeping you from being more present in your tasks.
> Good luck!
> Peachcreek


Thanks Peachcreek! 
I am delighted to have this opportunity, it really means the world to me and I totally agree with you that I am extremely lucky to have a head chef that willing to help me.  Ah he has been showing me how to do the tasks. Each new task, he would show me how to do one and then let me carry on the task. That's a good idea to ask them questions, as obvious as that is. I never thought of that! I suppose it's more to do with the fact that I get sucked into my own work and don't think to ask the questions. So I must start asking questions and I understand what you're saying. However, something that I am currently doing is writing up exactly what I done at work each day. This as helped me to remember particular cuts and methods. Thanks very much for the reply. Very much appreciated!


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

linecookliz said:


> I am a visual learner, and had to learn the different types of cuts on my own. I went to bookstores and read books on cooking techniques. I also went on youtube to learn how the different types of cuts. Then at work I practice and apply. Knowing how to hold a knife correctly is important also, and makes a big difference. It has helped with my prep a lot, and practicing brings speed. I'm a beginner also, but working on my plating right now.


That's good advice. To be honest I viewed alot of YouTube videos as well before my trial at this current job. Now that you mention that, I think I'm gripping my knife too hard. After just checking there, yes. I am.  I suppose alot of it is practice. Best of luck! Thanks for the reply.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

someday said:


> There is no substitute for experience. You need practice, just like any skill set you would develop over time. We were all slow, awkward and inefficient starting out. It is just how it is.
> 
> Big picture thinking helps. Consolidating your steps helps...don't grab an onion, take it back to your station, chop it, then go back and get a carrot. Get everything you need in your first few minutes, then spend minimal amount of time away from your station while you do your cuts.
> 
> ...


I see what you're saying someday! But I just feel like I'm not much of a help. You know I was just looking at the other chefs today at work and for every job I done. They done about four or five.

This, I do try to do. it's more the speed that I chop at is the major problem.

I like this idea. I tried timing myself before on the clock in the kitchen. Every minute goes like 5 minutes though. But I am sure that the stop watch will provide a more accurate analysis!

I also get what you're getting at here also. It makes sense to do it in stages. But today for example, I had was required to prep 30 bell peppers. So I hand to top and tall them. I had to dice the top and tail and put it into a mix for mushroom sauce. So I had to finely dice the top and tale I then had to clean out the seeds and the white parts. The the remainder I had to julienne.

So the way I used to do it was.
Top and tail the pepper > Dice the top and tail > clean it out and julienne the remainder.

All the above steps was carried out on each pepper. The I moved onto the next pepper etc.

But today I...
Top and tailed the pepper> dice the top and tail> Cleaned it out> I then set the remainder of the bell pepper aside and when I had a full ice cream container full I julienne all the sections of pepper which I had. I then repeated this process.

What I found by doing this was that it was a bit faster, but not alot.

EDIT: Thanks very much for your reply!


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> I'll add that correct knife technique is the most important. Practice does indeed bring speed eventually. Proper technique is awkward and uncomfortable at first for everyone but that should not mean you change it for any reason. Using proper technique means you will start off slow but as you practice, you get faster, but all the time using good technique. This means that eventually, you are able to blaze through prep without cutting your finger. Eventually. Of course you are always using a very sharp knife and working to keep it sharp throughout your work. This means you use less effort for each cut and the work overall is a lot less strenuous. Developing speed slowly while using proper technique all the time means not giving yourself a nasty cut with your very sharp knife.
> As Someday points out, do each step for every vegetable before moving on to the next step. So with onions, all the onions get cut in half. Then all the onions get peeled. Then all the peels get cleaned up. Your work surface is cleaned and ready for knife work. The peeled, uncut onions are in a container on one side of the cutting board and the empty storage container is on the other side.


Hi Chefwriter! By techniques do you mean the way you hold the knife? As I previously mentioned. I was gripping the knife like a hammer. So I hadn't my index finger or thumb on the blade. I assume this is effecting my chopping.



chefwriter said:


> First I make sure the entire work area is clean and clear and free of clutter. So nothing else is near the work or able to intrude on my movements. I make a constant practice of having the food I am preparing in one container and an empty container on the other side of my cutting board for the finished product. As the cut product fills the board and begins to restrict my cutting, I put the cut food in the container. This keeps it all organized as i work. If necessary, I can move my work on a moment's notice. When finished, or if interrupted, I can wrap, label and put it away quickly. When I am done with the onions, I put the first container in the dish area right away, wrap, label and date the cut onions, put them away. Then I follow the same process with the next prep item. While working, cleanliness and organization is of the utmost importance for maintaining focus on the task at hand.
> Do one thing at a time, focus on doing it well, move on to the next thing.


I do try and do this alright and I find it beneficial! But as I mentioned to someday, I was unsure the correct way to prep the bell pepper and didn't notice much difference between two different methods.

Thanks for the reply though, much appreciated.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

alaminute said:


> Practice.


Cheers for the advice.  Much appreciated!


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

efesto said:


> Have a knife that you're so comfortable with and sharp that it becomes an extension of your hand. Get a bunch of cheap veggies that you can use at home. I'd get some standard mirepoix ingredients and start practicing different cuts at home and then use the veggies you cut. More you practice, more efficient you will get. Get used to the knife and after a while the hand motions become automatic, you will eventually chop, slice, dice fast and efficiently, it'll be second nature.
> and DO NOT be embarrassed, no one is born a Chef! its all hard work and time.
> Michael Jordan was cut off his highschool basketball team, he was not athletic enough  LOLOL
> He never quit and he practiced..
> Repetition + discipline + consciousness + pride + time


I have a set of victorinox knifes, I find the good enough for the task but I really need to buy a stone to sharpen them. The chefs at work are very good to me as they sharpen my knifes for me. However, I never considered practising at home before though. It seems like a very good idea. I just can't wait to get good. I didn't know that about Micheal Jordan, it makes sense though..


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## efesto (Jan 10, 2017)

yeah brotha get a variety of veg and chop chop chopppp


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

By proper technique I meant both how you grip the knife and how you hold your other hand. You can hold the knife by what is known as a pinch grip. This means just over the end of the handle so you are gripping a bit of the blade. That's half the technique. 
Your other hand is equally important. I'm afraid my description might not translate well but if you've watched videos by chefs, then you know how to hold the food you are cutting with fingers curled, so the knuckle is foremost, not your fingertips with the fingertips slightly receded and pressing on the food item. I would hope you have observed at least one other cook at work doing this. 
When you move the knife to make another cut, your other hand moves back to gauge the thickness of the cut. Because you are keeping your fingers curled and your thumb back and the knife never rises above the knuckle, the knife can not cut you. With everyone I show this to, there is always the comment that it feels awkward and that may be true but it is also a failsafe way to insure you never cut your finger. When getting accustomed to this technique, speed of work is not important. Constantly using the correct technique is. Speed comes with practice. As you may already know, there are videos to show you this. Pay close attention to the non knife hand. 
As for your peppers, top and tail all the peppers all at once. (Alternatively, you can cut them in half top to bottom and pry out the top with your thumb.) Set All the tops and tails aside. Then clean out All the peppers at once. Then julienne all of them at once. Then cut the tops and tails all at once. Whatever the prep item, do each step to All of the vegetable, Then the second step to All of the vegetable and so on. The time difference may not become apparent immediately but it is unquestionably the fastest way to prep large amounts of vegetables. .


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Peter_Commis_Chef said:


> I see what you're saying someday! But I just feel like I'm not much of a help. You know I was just looking at the other chefs today at work and for every job I done. They done about four or five.


This is everyone when they are first starting out. It just takes time and practice. It's just like any skill. Try to watch what they do and learn from them too. Have them show you. Ask questions, learn. If you are better today than you were yesterday, that's is mots of the battle.


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## kevin oliver (Feb 26, 2006)

someday said:


> Big picture thinking helps. Consolidating your steps helps...don't grab an onion, take it back to your station, chop it, then go back and get a carrot. Get everything you need in your first few minutes, then spend minimal amount of time away from your station while you do your cuts.


^^ -- also, the same can be said about the method/steps of your technique. For example, halve all the onions, peel all the onions, then slice them all. Instead of say, halve, peel and cut each onion.

Having enough space is important (also the placement of the garbage). Get organized the first few times and it will become second nature. Think efficiency before you start.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

efesto said:


> yeah brotha get a variety of veg and chop chop chopppp


I'll start doing this at home. Thanks very much for your reply. I suppose chopping as fast as I can will help me increase my speed.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Concentrate more on being comfortable, rather than speed. Comfort comes with repetition. Speed comes with comfort. Mis en place is not just about ingredients and equipment, it is also about technique.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> By proper technique I meant both how you grip the knife and how you hold your other hand. You can hold the knife by what is known as a pinch grip. This means just over the end of the handle so you are gripping a bit of the blade. That's half the technique.
> Your other hand is equally important. I'm afraid my description might not translate well but if you've watched videos by chefs, then you know how to hold the food you are cutting with fingers curled, so the knuckle is foremost, not your fingertips with the fingertips slightly receded and pressing on the food item. I would hope you have observed at least one other cook at work doing this.
> When you move the knife to make another cut, your other hand moves back to gauge the thickness of the cut. Because you are keeping your fingers curled and your thumb back and the knife never rises above the knuckle, the knife can not cut you. With everyone I show this to, there is always the comment that it feels awkward and that may be true but it is also a failsafe way to insure you never cut your finger. When getting accustomed to this technique, speed of work is not important. Constantly using the correct technique is. Speed comes with practice. As you may already know, there are videos to show you this. Pay close attention to the non knife hand.
> As for your peppers, top and tail all the peppers all at once. (Alternatively, you can cut them in half top to bottom and pry out the top with your thumb.) Set All the tops and tails aside. Then clean out All the peppers at once. Then julienne all of them at once. Then cut the tops and tails all at once. Whatever the prep item, do each step to All of the vegetable, Then the second step to All of the vegetable and so on. The time difference may not become apparent immediately but it is unquestionably the fastest way to prep large amounts of vegetables. .


Hi again Chefwriter.

I totally see what you mean. I used to grip the handle of the knife with my right hand. So it was only this week that I realised that the pinch grip was the proper method. As for the other hand, I do bring my fingers back to avoid chopping them off. But I need to learn how to move my left hand at a steady speed, to help me chop faster.

That's the way I was thinking with the peppers. Out of curiosity why is it the fastest way though? What makes it fast like? Is it just that you are picking up and leaving down the knife every few minutes?

Thanks again for the reply.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

cheflayne said:


> Concentrate more on being comfortable, rather than speed. Comfort comes with repetition. Speed comes with comfort. Mis en place is not just about ingredients and equipment, it is also about technique.


Hi Cheflayne,

Interesting you say this. I never looked at it this way. I asked my head chef what he thought of me so far, as in. What I'm doing well/not so well and where I need to make improvements. What he said was that my attitude is good and I'm very eager to learn. But my speed is holding me back. He also said that I try to do the work to a high standard (chopping and other prep as well) but when I try to speed up, the quality drops of the final product. Which I totally agree.

Thanks for the reply.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

someday said:


> This is everyone when they are first starting out. It just takes time and practice. It's just like any skill. Try to watch what they do and learn from them too. Have them show you. Ask questions, learn. If you are better today than you were yesterday, that's is mots of the battle.


Oh, I've started asking questions and watching what the other chefs do. They really are good at showing me and helping me along. But I've still to make a lot of progress. In-terms of my speed.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

First, not just keeping your fingers back, but keeping them curled, not flat. The fingernails of your first three fingers should be holding the food down while your knuckles are the foremost part of your fingers. So as the knife moves, it hits your knuckles.
As for time concerns., Yes, the excessive knife handling is part of it. 
Essentially we are following henry fords' production principles, although I'm sure kitchen prep pre-dates his automobiles. 
When cars were first manufactured, a team of guys would assemble a car. So in a factory there were several teams assembling several cars. Ford figured out that it made more sense to put the chassis/frame on a conveyor and put each component on each car before adding the next component. So the first car gets the engine put it and moves down the line. The second car gets the engine put in and moves down the line and so on. In an actual factory there are workers at each station to add their part. 
But if you removed the conveyor and simply had all the cars lined up in a row, the team would install all the engines, then the all the wheels, then all the fenders, etc. So in not much more time than it takes to put one car together, you can put multiple cars together. 
Years ago I picked up a very old book at the local library that related how time-motion studies began. (Prisoners shoveling was the first concern). It was a fascinating read. If I can find it again, I'll pass on the title but the subject can be applied to just about anything, certainly commercial kitchen work. When you begin to think about this at work, you'll begin to notice the various ways you can shorten the movements needed to perform different tasks and begin to realize how you are using too many motions and wasting time. Eventually, you begin applying this to every job you do anywhere. 
I'll get back to the library on my next day off and get back to you.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

kevin oliver said:


> ^^ -- also, the same can be said about the method/steps of your technique. For example, halve all the onions, peel all the onions, then slice them all. Instead of say, halve, peel and cut each onion.
> 
> Having enough space is important (also the placement of the garbage). Get organized the first few times and it will become second nature. Think efficiency before you start.
> 
> Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.


I totally see what you're saying Kevin! That's the way I chop onions. But I find the peppers the most time consuming veg to prep. The sous chef at work showed me that if I am prepping cauliflower, if I chop it in half I can cut out the florets without having to waste time removing the leaves. He also showed me that when I am prepping courgettes and celery that if I cut it in half and chop both sides at once I am literally cutting my chopping time in half, which was a very helpful tip.

As for the space aspect and placement of rubbish/garbage, I do have a bucket about 1.5 feet tall, which I leave on the floor beside me on the grown standing up. As it's a tad high to have up on the work bench. Furthermore, as previously user suggested I do have my whole veg on the left side, prep it and store it in plastic ice-cream containers on the right side of the chopping board.

Thanks for the reply!


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> First, not just keeping your fingers back, but keeping them curled, not flat. The fingernails of your first three fingers should be holding the food down while your knuckles are the foremost part of your fingers. So as the knife moves, it hits your knuckles.
> As for time concerns., Yes, the excessive knife handling is part of it.
> Essentially we are following henry fords' production principles, although I'm sure kitchen prep pre-dates his automobiles.
> When cars were first manufactured, a team of guys would assemble a car. So in a factory there were several teams assembling several cars. Ford figured out that it made more sense to put the chassis/frame on a conveyor and put each component on each car before adding the next component. So the first car gets the engine put it and moves down the line. The second car gets the engine put in and moves down the line and so on. In an actual factory there are workers at each station to add their part.
> ...


Ah yes, I get you. Keeping them curled ensures that they are out of the knifes chopping line at all times.

That's very interesting that we are still using that same principle today. I see the logic behind it now.

Oh I would be delighted if you could. Thanks very much. Also, thanks for taking the time on your day off. I understand that days off are essential due to long working hours etc. so thanks you.

Also thanks for the reply.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

I would also like to thank everyone for the help, advice and guidance you all are providing me with. It has really provided me with a clearer vision on my work and where I am going wrong. It's very much appreciated.


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## azenjoys (Jun 28, 2017)

Hi Peter, sounds like you've gotten some great advice..

You mentioned self confidence and said "I over think things and this also seems to slow me down as well" - what did you mean by that?

Also, have you sharpened your knife lately? Peppers, more than any other vegetable, always trip me up if I'm using a dull knife. This book is an awesome guide to all things knives, has solid sections on cutting technique, and even has recipes designed around practicing your knife skills:


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

azenjoys said:


> Hi Peter, sounds like you've gotten some great advice..
> 
> You mentioned self confidence and said "I over think things and this also seems to slow me down as well" - what did you mean by that?
> 
> Also, have you sharpened your knife lately? Peppers, more than any other vegetable, always trip me up if I'm using a dull knife. This book is an awesome guide to all things knives, has solid sections on cutting technique, and even has recipes designed around practicing your knife skills:


What I mean is that I am kinda thinking "am I getting the width of the veg perfect." So essentially just over analysing the situation too much.

Ya, my knife is sharp the chefs at work sharpen it for me.

Thanks for the book recommendation. But the picture isn't appearing for me. 

Thanks for the reply though!


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## galaxyfire (Jul 24, 2017)

Peter_Commis_Chef said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am a commis chef (Ya, that's a beginner chef in Ireland and the UK) I have worked rarely in a family run restaurant where I would be working when it was busy. I could have been put at plating up dishes or helping out in the wash up. I really didn't like this job at all, but at the time it was a bit of money while I was at college. I done 4 year in culinary arts college and to be honest, while I hold good knowledge in food, equipment and cooking techniques, my practical skills leave a lot to be desired. In fact my knife skills are very bad and I'm very slow during prep.
> 
> ...


Hello ,
you will gain confidence and speed as you learn your job ask your head chef to help you I learned through school and my job my chef was hands on not just telling me what to do but showing me and helping me. Once you get the basics down and hopefully your head chef will give positive feedback your confidence will get better.Repetition is key. Your speed will get better just by default of learning and confidence building. Ask for help ot shows you want to learn and are willing to learn


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## azenjoys (Jun 28, 2017)

Hmm.. not sure why you can't see the book..anyway, it's "An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use them Like a Pro".

I have a tendency towards overthinking that kind of thing as well.. For me, if I can get a concrete answer to whatever I'm worrying about then I can move forward more confidently..

Tricks for answering the question "am I getting the width of the veggies right?" 

- Keep one of the first pieces you cut (which should be the right size) just off the top of your board.. as you're cutting keep that piece in visual range so your size doesn't creep up or down.

- Use your knife as a measuring stick.. the spine on my knife is the width of a julienne, the rivet diameter is the same as a perfect small dice, the length of the butt is about what I want for a rustic potato salad.. so when chef shows you how he wants something cut, just right down in your notebook "carrots for stew = distance between 2 rivets" or whatever, and the next time he wants carrots for stew you're good to go with no questions or worries 

- Now that you're using the proper position for your hands, you don't need to worry about chopping your fingers off.. so when you're cutting, make sure you're looking on the opposite side of the knife (aka focusing on the piece you're about to cut off, not the main part of the veg you're holding)


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

galaxyfire said:


> Hello ,
> you will gain confidence and speed as you learn your job ask your head chef to help you I learned through school and my job my chef was hands on not just telling me what to do but showing me and helping me. Once you get the basics down and hopefully your head chef will give positive feedback your confidence will get better.Repetition is key. Your speed will get better just by default of learning and confidence building. Ask for help ot shows you want to learn and are willing to learn


Everyone here and my chefs at work are saying that, speed will come with confidence. But I want to be fast now.  Oh, he shows me one and then lets me continue on. I can't remember if I already said it here but, I asked the head chef and he said that I am doing good, but my lack of speed is just holding me back. When I try to go faster, then the quality falls of the chopping or what ever I am doing. I see what you mean when you say to ask for help. That's a good idea.

Cheers for the reply.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

azenjoys said:


> Hmm.. not sure why you can't see the book..anyway, it's "An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use them Like a Pro".
> 
> I have a tendency towards overthinking that kind of thing as well.. For me, if I can get a concrete answer to whatever I'm worrying about then I can move forward more confidently..
> 
> ...


Ah Cheers, naw that seems to be a problem with my lap top or something. Anyway cheers for that. I'll order that book in the next day or two.  Thanks.

That's a good idea to keep one at the top of the chopping board to be able to refer back to it. I'll bare that in mind.  I suppose I over looked/never thought about that.

Again that's a very good tip. It's worth remembering. I also write everything down so I find that very beneficial. It helps me remember how I completed each task and the steps I go through again the next time.

Ah yes. that's a good idea to keep an eye on the other side of the veg to ensure that I'm getting a proper cut. 

Another thing, I seem to over think is the timing.. As in 5 minutes goes like 1 minute. But I suppose once I start to get faster this won't be as bad..

Thanks for the reply.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

The library no longer has the book I read. Of course, I read it thirty years ago so I wasn't surprised. But Frederick Winslow Taylor is the one whose work the book referred to. He is known as the Father of Industrial Engineering, Scientific Management and Efficiency movement. There's a Wiki page for him and other websites about his work.
The field of time/motion studies is a combination of his work and that of others so there are most likely other books on the topic. I have some old bookstores to check out in the next week or so. Now that I've been reminded of it, I want to read the book again.

(I keep a small metal 6" ruler in my knife bag for those rare times when tight, accurate cuts are important. Not a bad thing to have handy although as everyone has pointed out, practice, practice, practice.)


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> The library no longer has the book I read. Of course, I read it thirty years ago so I wasn't surprised. But Frederick Winslow Taylor is the one whose work the book referred to. He is known as the Father of Industrial Engineering, Scientific Management and Efficiency movement. There's a Wiki page for him and other websites about his work.
> The field of time/motion studies is a combination of his work and that of others so there are most likely other books on the topic. I have some old bookstores to check out in the next week or so. Now that I've been reminded of it, I want to read the book again.
> 
> (I keep a small metal 6" ruler in my knife bag for those rare times when tight, accurate cuts are important. Not a bad thing to have handy although as everyone has pointed out, practice, practice, practice.)


Ah no worries Chefwriter! I'll do that research on my next days off and look into this subject more.

Thanks for the suggestion none the less. Just doing a quick google there, a book apears titled "The Principles of Scientific Management" the author is in fact Frederick Winslow Taylor himself which may be the book? Either way I can get it for less than 10 Euro so it's probably worth a shot. 

That's a good tip. I've bought a metal rule there. Thanks. 

Also Thanks for the reply.


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## Loredana Canalis (Aug 3, 2017)

Speed is important, but is better the quality, so never decrease quality for speed.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

A Couple of things I've picked up and keep around, just because. 
First is a Classic Knife Cuts Visual Model Set IV. This comes in a small box with a plastic coated 4 page fold out of descriptions and photos of knife cuts and also a card with plastic 3 dimensional replicas of perfectly cut vegetables in dice, tourne, julienne, paysenne, etc. It wasn't too expensive as I remember but handy. 
The second thing is a stainless steel "Mercer Rules" ruler, about six inches wide, with metal cut outs for dice,, Julienne and other cuts and printed with other useful information on both sides. 
I'll try and post a link so you can see them but I'm not good at that so now you know in case you find them first. 
www.ardculinary.com is the Visual Model Set and Mercer Rules is on Amazon for $20.


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

Loredana Canalis said:


> Speed is important, but is better the quality, so never decrease quality for speed.


Thanks for your reply!


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## Peter_Commis_Chef (Jul 17, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> A Couple of things I've picked up and keep around, just because.
> First is a Classic Knife Cuts Visual Model Set IV. This comes in a small box with a plastic coated 4 page fold out of descriptions and photos of knife cuts and also a card with plastic 3 dimensional replicas of perfectly cut vegetables in dice, tourne, julienne, paysenne, etc. It wasn't too expensive as I remember but handy.
> The second thing is a stainless steel "Mercer Rules" ruler, about six inches wide, with metal cut outs for dice,, Julienne and other cuts and printed with other useful information on both sides.
> I'll try and post a link so you can see them but I'm not good at that so now you know in case you find them first.
> www.ardculinary.com is the Visual Model Set and Mercer Rules is on Amazon for $20.


Hi again Chefwriter! These look like extremely handy things to have! Thanks very much for the info. The visual model set is something I was actually looking for! But I just couldn't find it, as I didn't know the name of it! 

Thanks very for the reply.


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