Professional kitchen terms, recipe conversions, and knife techniques explained in plain English. Learn why pastry chefs use weight measurements and master the cuts that ensure even cooking.
These are the terms that matter when buying professional-quality equipment for your home kitchen.
Equipment approved by NSF International for commercial food service use. NSF certification means the item meets strict standards for durability, cleanability, and food safety required in professional kitchens.
NSF-certified equipment is built to withstand the abuse of commercial kitchens - if it can survive a restaurant, it'll last decades in your home.
A knife construction where the metal blade extends fully through the handle, providing maximum strength and balance. You can see the metal edges along the top and bottom of the handle.
Full tang knives are virtually indestructible and perfectly balanced. They won't break at the handle junction like cheaper knives.
Forged knives are heated and hammered into shape, creating stronger, more durable blades. Stamped knives are cut from flat steel sheets like a cookie cutter.
Forged knives hold their edge longer, feel more substantial, and perform better under heavy use. Stamped knives are lighter but less durable.
Cookware with three layers: aluminum core sandwiched between stainless steel. The aluminum conducts heat evenly while stainless steel provides durability and non-reactive cooking surface.
Eliminates hot spots that burn food. Heats evenly from edge to edge, just like professional restaurant cookware.
Cast iron cookware coated with a glass-like enamel surface. Combines cast iron's heat retention with a non-reactive, easy-to-clean surface that doesn't require seasoning.
Gets the benefits of cast iron (even heating, heat retention) without the maintenance. Perfect for acidic foods like tomato sauces.
A scale measuring steel hardness. Kitchen knives typically range from 54-62 HRC. Higher numbers mean harder steel that holds a sharper edge longer but is more difficult to sharpen.
Helps you understand edge retention vs. ease of sharpening. German knives (~58 HRC) balance both, Japanese knives (~60-62 HRC) prioritize sharpness.
Equipment built to NSF standards for continuous restaurant use. Typically features heavier construction, more powerful motors, and materials that withstand constant cleaning.
Commercial-grade equipment lasts 3-5x longer than consumer versions. Worth the investment for serious home cooks.
Restaurant industry term for the number of meals served per evening. A busy restaurant might do 200+ covers per night, meaning equipment gets extreme use.
When I test equipment through 200+ covers nightly, it reveals durability issues that home use would never expose.
Creating a natural non-stick surface on cast iron by heating oil until it polymerizes into a hard coating. Requires multiple applications and ongoing maintenance.
Proper seasoning makes cast iron perform like non-stick while lasting generations. Enameled cast iron eliminates this requirement.
The browned bits that stick to the bottom of a pan when searing meat or vegetables. These concentrated flavors form the base of restaurant-quality sauces and gravies.
Good cookware develops fond without burning. Cheap pans create hot spots that burn rather than brown, ruining the fond.
Master the measurements and conversions that professional bakers and chefs use for consistent, reproducible results every time.
In 21+ years of restaurant work, I've learned this fundamental truth: Weight is the only way to ensure consistent results in baking. Here's why professional kitchens always use scales:
Professional Kitchen Reality:
When making 50 batches of pizza dough nightly, a 10% flour variation means some pizzas are dense, others are thin. Weight eliminates this variable completely.
Restaurant Reality: We constantly scale recipes from 6 portions to 60. Here's how to do it safely:
Master these fundamental cuts to cook like a professional. Uniform cuts ensure even cooking and professional presentation.
Large stick cuts, 3/4" x 3/4" x 2.5" long. Thicker than bâtonnet, used for vegetables that need longer cooking times.
Square off the vegetable, cut into 2-3" planks, then cut planks into 3/4" thick sticks.
1/4" x 1/4" x 2.5" sticks. Slightly thicker than julienne, perfect for French fries and crudités.
Similar to julienne but with 1/4" thickness instead of 1/8".
Thin matchstick cuts, typically 1/8" x 1/8" x 2.5" long. Used for vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and potatoes.
Square off the vegetable, cut into 2-3" planks, stack planks and cut into thin strips.
Ultra-thin matchstick cuts, 1/8" x 1/8" x 2.5" long. More delicate than standard julienne.
Same as julienne but with more precise, thinner cuts requiring sharp knife and steady hand.
3/4" x 3/4" x 3/4" cubes. Used when you want distinct vegetable pieces in the final dish.
Same technique as other dices, just larger spacing between cuts.
1/2" x 1/2" x 1/2" cubes. Good for heartier dishes with longer cooking times.
Same as small dice but with 1/2" spacing between cuts.
1/4" x 1/4" x 1/4" cubes. Most common dice size for home cooking.
Make parallel cuts 1/4" apart, turn 90°, repeat, then slice perpendicular.
Fine dice, 1/8" x 1/8" x 1/8" cubes. The smallest standard dice cut used in professional kitchens.
Start with julienne cuts, then cut perpendicular to create tiny, uniform cubes.
Extremely fine dice, 1/16" x 1/16" x 1/16" cubes. The finest precision cut in professional kitchens.
Start with fine julienne, then cut perpendicular with razor-sharp knife and extreme precision.
Thin ribbon cuts for leafy herbs and vegetables. Creates delicate strips perfect for garnishing.
Stack leaves, roll tightly like a cigar, then slice perpendicular to create ribbons.
Used mostly for caramelized or pickled onions. Some people refer to this cut of onions as julienne.
Cut onion in half from root to tip, then slice parallel to the cutting board to create half-moon shapes.
Somewhat vague but commonly used. For onions would be cutting into thin rings or half rings.
Cut straight down through the ingredient, creating thin, even pieces of desired thickness.
Think wedged tomatoes for a salad, or wedged limes for tacos.
Cut ingredient into triangular pieces, usually by cutting in half, then cutting each half into 3-4 triangular pieces.
Generally used for garlic or onions. Technically a fine brunoise but hard to achieve perfect squares with certain ingredients.
Chop repeatedly with rocking motion until very fine, almost paste-like consistency.
Very thin cut for onions or shallots, think almost shaved.
Using very sharp knife, slice as thinly as possible, creating paper-thin slices.
Round slices of cylindrical vegetables. Thickness varies by cooking method and preference.
Slice straight down through round vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, or zucchini.
Diagonal cuts that create oval-shaped pieces with more surface area for faster, even cooking.
Hold knife at 45° angle to the ingredient and slice through.
Diagonal cut used to make evenly sized pieces out of uneven vegetables like carrots. Allows them to cook evenly.
Cut at an angle, then roll the vegetable 1/4 turn and cut again, creating triangular pieces of uniform size.
Seven-sided oblong shape. Traditional French cut creating football-shaped vegetables.
Using a turning knife, carefully carve seven equal sides around the vegetable to create uniform barrel shape.
More rustic cut for round vegetables (basically a rondelle) and for other vegetables, think red pepper cut into thinner square pieces.
For round vegetables, cut into thick coins. For other vegetables, cut into roughly uniform 1/2" squares or triangles.
Informal, uneven cuts about 1/4" to 3/4" pieces. Used when appearance doesn't matter.
Quick, informal chopping without focus on uniformity.
Uniform cuts aren't just about looks - they ensure everything cooks at the same rate. A mix of large and small pieces means some will be overcooked while others are still raw. Take the extra time to make cuts consistent, especially for sautéing and roasting.
Now that you understand the terminology, check out our reviews of equipment that actually meets these professional standards.