A novel phase unwrapping method guided by a new kind of branch cut called "quality cut" is proposed after analysis of the many existing path-following methods. The quality cut is defined by means of double thresholds and non-maximum suppression with predefined phase quality factor and phase orientation factor. Then the quality at is balanced through expansion, and the phase unwrapping procedure is conducted by the guidance of the quality cut. The perfect location of the quality cut makes the unwrapped phase more reliable and more accurate. Experiments demonstrate the comprehensive result with high accuracy, fast speed and great stability, indicating the practical applicability of the proposed method.