A uniform cut is not decoration. Pieces of the same size cook at the same speed, look clean on the plate, and make prep faster and safer. This guide covers the 15 cuts every serious cook should know: what each one looks like, what it is used for, how to make it, the mistakes to avoid, and which knife helps most.
A note on dimensions: the sizes below are typical, rounded figures. Culinary schools, countries and kitchens use slightly different standards, and the right size always depends on the dish. Treat them as a reference, not a rule.
Before You Cut: Safety and Setup
- Stable board. Place a damp towel under the cutting board so it cannot slide.
- Pinch grip. Hold the blade where it meets the handle, thumb and index finger on the sides, other fingers around the handle.
- Claw grip. Curl the fingertips of your guiding hand inward and let your knuckles guide the side of the blade.
- Make a flat side first. Trim a thin slice off round vegetables like carrots or potatoes so they cannot roll.
- Keep the edge sharp. A dull knife slips and needs more force. See Honing vs Sharpening and Chef Knife Care 101.
Geometric Cuts vs Preparations
Most cuts in this guide are geometric cuts: they have a defined shape and size, such as julienne or brunoise. A few items, like mirepoix and concassé, are better described as preparations: they describe what the ingredient is and how it is prepared, not an exact geometry. We separate them below so the terms stay clear.
Slices and Ribbons
Émincé (thin slices)
Size: about 1–3 mm thick. Best for: onions, shallots, mushrooms, bell peppers. Technique: halve the onion pole to pole, lay it flat and slice across with a smooth push cut. Common mistake: sawing back and forth, which tears the layers. Knife: an 8-inch chef's knife, or a Japanese-style chef knife for thinner slices.
Rondelles (rounds)
Size: usually 2–5 mm thick. Best for: carrots, zucchini, cucumber, leeks. Technique: hold the vegetable steady and cut straight down with the blade square to the board. Common mistake: uneven thickness because the guiding hand moves too far each time. Knife: chef's knife, or a utility knife for small vegetables.
Sifflets (diagonal slices)
Size: oval slices, about 3–5 mm thick, cut at roughly 45°. Best for: carrots, celery, green onions, asparagus. Technique: angle the vegetable (or the blade) and keep the same angle for every cut. Common mistake: changing the angle midway. Knife: chef's knife or utility knife.
Chiffonnade (ribbons)
Size: thin ribbons, about 2–3 mm wide. Best for: basil, mint, spinach, lettuce, sage. Technique: stack the leaves, roll them tightly like a cigar, then slice across. Common mistake: bruising the leaves with a dull blade. Knife: a sharp chef's knife, utility knife or paring knife.
Strips and Sticks
Julienne
Size: about 3 mm × 3 mm × 5–6 cm (1/8 × 1/8 × 2 in). Best for: carrots, celery, peppers, zucchini; stir-fries, salads, garnishes. Technique: square off the vegetable, cut it into thin planks, stack the planks, then cut them into strips. Common mistake: skipping the squaring step, which gives strips of different widths. Knife: chef's knife.
Fine julienne
Size: about 1.5–2 mm × 1.5–2 mm × 5–6 cm. Best for: delicate garnishes, leeks, ginger, citrus zest. Technique: the same as julienne, with thinner planks. Common mistake: rushing; this cut rewards slow, even strokes. Knife: a very sharp chef's knife or a compact knife such as a Bunka.
Allumettes (matchsticks)
Size: about 3 mm × 3 mm × 5–6 cm. Best for: potatoes, carrots, apples. Some schools treat allumettes and julienne as the same cut; others make julienne finer. Follow the standard your kitchen uses. Common mistake: uneven planks, which lead to uneven cooking when frying. Knife: chef's knife.
Bâtonnets (sticks)
Size: about 6 mm × 6 mm × 5–6 cm (1/4 × 1/4 × 2 in). Best for: potatoes for fries, carrots, celery, cucumber for crudités. Technique: square off, cut 6 mm planks, then 6 mm sticks. Common mistake: sticks of different lengths. Trim the ends first. Knife: chef's knife.
Dice and Cubes
Brunoise
Size: about 3 mm (1/8 in) cubes. Best for: carrots, celery, onions, peppers; sauces, soups, garnishes. Technique: cut a julienne, gather the strips and cut across at 3 mm. Common mistake: starting from uneven strips. Knife: chef's knife, or a smaller knife for control.
Fine brunoise
Size: about 1.5–2 mm cubes. Best for: shallots, garnishes, fine sauces. Technique: cut a fine julienne, then cut across. Common mistake: losing the claw grip when the pieces get small. Knife: a compact, sharp knife such as a Bunka or utility knife.
Macédoine
Size: about 5–6 mm (1/4 in) dice. Best for: mixed vegetable garnishes, salads, fruit. Technique: cut bâtonnets, then cut across at 6 mm. Common mistake: mixing vegetables of very different firmness, which cook unevenly. Knife: chef's knife.
Paysanne
Size: thin, flat pieces about 1 cm × 1 cm × 2–3 mm; the shape can be square, round or triangular. Best for: rustic soups and stews, potatoes, carrots, turnips. Technique: cut planks, then strips, then slice thin. Common mistake: pieces too thick, so they never cook through in time. Knife: chef's knife.
Preparations
Mirepoix
What it is: a flavor base of onion, carrot and celery, classically in a ratio of about 2:1:1 by weight. Size: rough cut; the longer the cooking time, the larger the pieces. Best for: stocks, braises, soups. Common mistake: cutting it too fine for a long cook, so it disintegrates. Knife: chef's knife.
Concassé
What it is: most often tomatoes that are peeled, seeded and roughly diced, about 1 cm. Technique: score an X on the base, blanch for a few seconds, cool in ice water, peel, quarter, remove seeds, then dice. Common mistake: leaving the seeds, which makes the sauce watery. Knife: paring knife to score, serrated or sharp chef's knife to cut.
Haché (finely chopped)
Size: no fixed size, usually 1–3 mm. Best for: garlic, shallots, onions, parsley. Technique: rock the blade over the ingredient with the tip on the board, guiding hand holding the spine. Common mistake: crushing herbs instead of cutting them. Knife: chef's knife.
Chef's Tip: Practice on a cheap, firm vegetable such as a carrot or potato. Speed comes from consistent, relaxed repetition, not from rushing.
Watch a Chef at the Cutting Board
Two short clips filmed by our chef: the first shows a knife cutting a carrot and fresh herbs on a cutting board, and the second shows knife work in the kitchen. Use them to see grip, posture and cutting rhythm. They are not a step-by-step demonstration of each cut in this guide.
Professional Reference Table
| Cut | Approx. size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Émincé | 1–3 mm slices | Onions, mushrooms |
| Rondelles | 2–5 mm rounds | Carrots, zucchini |
| Sifflets | 3–5 mm, ~45° bias | Celery, green onion |
| Chiffonnade | 2–3 mm ribbons | Basil, spinach |
| Julienne | 3 × 3 × 50–60 mm | Salads, stir-fries |
| Fine julienne | 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 × 50–60 mm | Garnishes |
| Allumettes | 3 × 3 × 50–60 mm | Potatoes, apples |
| Bâtonnets | 6 × 6 × 50–60 mm | Fries, crudités |
| Brunoise | 3 mm cubes | Sauces, soups |
| Fine brunoise | 1.5–2 mm cubes | Shallots, garnishes |
| Macédoine | 5–6 mm dice | Mixed vegetables |
| Paysanne | ~10 × 10 × 2–3 mm | Rustic soups |
| Mirepoix (preparation) | Rough; depends on cook time | Stocks, braises |
| Concassé (preparation) | ~10 mm dice, peeled and seeded | Tomato sauces |
| Haché | 1–3 mm, no fixed size | Garlic, herbs |
Sizes are approximate and vary by culinary school and recipe.
Which Knife for Which Cut
No cut belongs to a single knife. Blade shape, your technique, the size of the ingredient and your own preference all matter. This table shows common choices, not strict rules.
| Knife | Where it helps |
|---|---|
| Chef's knife | The all-rounder: julienne, brunoise, mirepoix, haché, chiffonnade. |
| Gyuto | A Japanese-style chef's knife, usually thinner and lighter than a Western one; good for fine slicing and precise cuts. |
| Santoku | Shorter, flat-edged; comfortable for vegetables, dice and bâtonnets with a push or chop motion. |
| Nakiri | Rectangular, flat-edged vegetable knife; very good for rondelles, julienne and repeated vegetable cutting. |
| Paring knife | Small and controlled; trimming, peeling, scoring tomatoes, small garnishes. |
| Utility knife | Between a paring and a chef's knife; small produce, shallots, precise slicing. |
| Serrated knife | Soft or slippery skins such as ripe tomatoes, plus bread. |
Choosing a Knife for Your Cutting Style
If you cut a lot of vegetables
For julienne, bâtonnets, paysanne and repetitive vegetable work, a well-balanced 8-inch chef's knife is the most flexible starting point. Our 8-Inch Damascus VG10 Chef Knife and 8.2-Inch Damascus Olive Wood Chef Knife are built for this kind of everyday prep. Explore the Damascus and Japanese-style knife collection to find the right knife for precise vegetable cuts.
If you do precision and small cuts
Fine brunoise, garnishes and trimming reward a shorter blade. The 6-Inch Kiritsuke Bunka Knife has a compact shape for detail work, and the AUS-10 Utility Knife suits small jobs that need control. For more on the Bunka, read our Bunka Knife Guide.
If you want one versatile knife
If you only want one blade for everything, choose a chef's knife and learn it well. A 20.5 cm Japanese-style chef knife is another option for cooks who prefer a Japanese profile. To understand Gyuto and other Japanese shapes, see our Japanese Chef Knife Guide.
Keep Learning
- Damascus Chef Knife Technique: push cut, slice and rock chop.
- The Complete Guide to Chef Knives: shapes, steel and sizing.
- Damascus vs VG10 vs AUS-10: how blade steels differ in practice.
- How a Chef Chooses a Professional Knife.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between julienne and bâtonnet?
Both are strips, but a bâtonnet is thicker (about 6 mm) and a julienne is thinner (about 3 mm). Fine julienne is thinner still.
Is brunoise just a very small dice?
It is a small, precise cube (about 3 mm), traditionally made from julienne strips so every piece is even.
Do I need a special knife for these cuts?
No. A sharp, well-balanced chef's knife can make all of them. Other knives can make specific cuts easier, but technique and sharpness matter most.
How can I make my cuts more even?
Square off the vegetable first, use a claw grip, keep the knife sharp and slow down until the motion feels consistent.