How To Use A Fork And Knife Properly

The Right Way to Eat with a Fork & Knife

For the European style, hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand during the entire meal. Make sure the tines (prongs of the fork) are facing down. For the American style, hold your fork in your dominant hand with the tines facing up. After cutting your food, put the knife down before eating.

European (Continental) Style

Set the fork on the left side of the plate and the knife on the right side.If you have more than one fork, the inner one will be your salad fork and the outer one will be for your main dish. This is because salad is usually served after the entrée in Europe. The fork for your main dish will also be larger than your salad fork.

• Always start with silverware that is on the outside and work your way in.

• The European style is considered more efficient than the American style because you don’t have to switch your fork to your other hand or set it down until you are finished eating.

Hold the knife in your right hand throughout the entire meal.

Keep your index finger straight and rest it over the top, blunt side of the blade. Wrap your other 4 fingers around the handle of the knife. While your index finger is resting on top, the end of the knife handle should touch the center of your palm.

• You can use your knife to push food onto the back of your fork (prior to bringing your fork to your mouth).

Hold the fork in your left hand throughout the entire meal.

Hold the handle between your thumb and your middle, ring, and pinky fingers. Place your index finger at the end of the handle where it meets the base of the tines (or prongs at the end of the fork). The handle should rest in the crease of your palm, and the tines should face downward and away from you.

• The lower you place your index finger on the fork handle, the more leverage you'll have picking up your food and eating it.

• This is often referred to as the “scalpel method” because the fork is facing down toward the plate, similar to how you would hold a surgeon’s scalpel.

Bend your wrists so your index fingers point down towards the plate.

This causes the tip of your knife and fork to point towards the plate too. When you’re not cutting food or pushing it onto your fork, you can hold your knife steady by resting your wrist on the edge of the table.

• Relax your elbows and keep them off of the table at all times. If you’re taking a break from using your cutlery in an informal setting, don’t stress about it.

To cut food, pierce it with the fork and gently saw it with the knife.

Hold the food in place using the tines of your fork, making sure the tines are facing downward. Position your knife as close to the base of the fork as possible, then use a gentle sawing motion to cut through the food. Foods like pasta will cut easily, while tougher meats will take a bit of work.

• Always cut your food with the tines facing down, and only cut 1-2 bites of food at a time.

• Make sure your knife is further away from you than your fork. This ensures you can see your knife clearly so you know where you’re cutting.

Bring small bites of food to your mouth with the fork.

According to etiquette coach Tami Claytor, you should “not bend over” the table while eating. Always bring the fork to your mouth with the tines curving downward, and with the back of the fork facing you.

• Keep the fork in your left hand, even if you're right-handed. You may find that this method is the more efficient of the two if you experiment with both.

American Style

Hold the fork like a pencil, with the tines facing upward.

Americans hold forks in their dominant hand, whether it’s on the right or left. According to Claytor, the correct way to hold a fork is to “hold it by your index finger and your thumb, and then rest it on your third finger.” The end of the fork should rest on the webbing of your hand (the space connecting your index finger and thumb).

• Most Americans don’t pay attention to the direction of the tines when eating, so feel free to hold the fork with the tines down if it’s more comfortable for you.

Cut food with the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left.

Use your left hand to hold the food in place with the tines of your fork, then use a sawing motion to slice the food with your knife. The tines of your fork should face down, and your fork should be closer to you than your knife. Claytor says you should “cut four to five small bites” of food and “never cut the whole [thing] at one time.”

• This is the same technique as the European (or Continental) method.

Switch the fork to your right hand before taking a bite.

After cutting a piece of food, put your knife down on the edge of your plate (blade at 12 o'clock, handle at 3 o'clock) and transfer your fork from your left hand to your right.Turn your fork so the tines are curving upward and take a bite!

• Switch the fork back over to your left hand when you’re ready to cut another piece of food, and continue switching hands every time you need to cut more pieces.

Eat with the fork in your right hand, with the tines facing upward.

If you are eating a dish that doesn't require cutting, keep your fork in your right hand at all times with this method. The tines can face downward if you're taking a bite, but will generally return upward for the majority of the time.

• Your silverware should never touch the table. If you're only using your fork, be sure your knife is resting along the edge of your plate. When you put your fork down, rest the handle on the edge, tines near the center of the plate.