Knives are the most valuable tools in a kitchen because they help you be fast and thorough, thus a better cook. Low-quality knives can slow you down since they’re usually either too flimsy or too heavy. Conversely, high-quality knives make cutting easy and satisfying. But after investing in knives that you know you can count on, learning how to take care of them properly is equally important. With proper care, knives can last a lifetime.
Read on to learn how to keep your kitchen knives in perfect condition.
Sharpen Them Regularly
To keep your knives in perfect condition, you need to sharpen them regularly. Even quality knives dull in time because the blade edge gets in contact with different materials and surfaces. And when cutting with a dull knife, you have to use more pressure to get through your food. By putting more pressure on the blade, you risk damaging it. Even worse, you can accidentally hurt yourself. Thankfully, sharpening your kitchen knives is easy. Although some people prefer to use a knife sharpening service, you can do it yourself at home with a whetstone. This simple tool can restore the sharpness of your knives quickly. Plus, you can use it to sharpen other utensils too.
Hand Wash Them Immediately After Use
Knives are among those kitchen utensils you should never put in the dishwater because the high-pressure water may toss them around, damaging or dulling the blade. A good maintenance tip to remember is to hand wash your knives gently with mild dish soap. However, don’t leave your knives in the sink to wash later. They might slide around the slippery surface. Or they might bang into the metal or ceramic walls of the sink. Worse, they can get hidden under a pile of dishes, and leaving knives wet and dirty long after use will cause dark spots. A good way to prolong the life of your knives is to hand wash them immediately after cooking.
Store Them Properly
You may think you can only damage your knives while using them, but things are more complicated than that. Any hard material or surface can chip the blade edge in case of contact. To keep the knives in good condition, you have to store them in a safe place. And a utensil drawer is not necessarily a safe space. When you put them in a drawer with other utensils or tools, they may clash with each other as you move them around, searching for a specific item. A magnetic knife rack is a good storage solution. If you prefer to keep your knives in a drawer, consider purchasing plastic blade protectors.
A set of high-quality knives can be costly, so proper maintenance is a must. If you take good care of your kitchen knives, they can reliably serve you for decades. Sharpen them regularly. Wash them gently after use, dry them with a towel or soft cloth, and store them properly. These simple rules will be enough to maintain the integrity of the blade and protect it from rust.
