Every home cook knows that the best chef knives are sharp knives. However, understanding how to keep knives in their best condition is not always obvious. If you keep your knives in a great shape, they will hold their edges for longer, meaning that you will not have to sharpen them as often.

Knife care is not always intuitive; however with a little practice, you can be able to keep your knives sharp and safe. But keep in mind that knives go dull in time even if you take most care. Thus try to buy the best knife sharpener for your needs in order to get your knives in propers shape. When your knives are properly sharpened you should concentrate on how to keep your knives in a great shape. Here are some valuable tips.

 

Tip 1: Do not Put Your Knives in the Dishwasher

Putting your knives in the dishwasher removes their protective coatings and dulls the cutting edge. Even worse, it can cause your knives to rust from the inside out. This may consequently cause your knife to crumble while sharpening it.

Instead, clean your best Damascus chef knife with warm soapy water. Be sure to use the softest washing sponge. Avoid scouring pumices or abrasive sponges as these can easily peel away the logo or eventually dull a high polished knife. Once it is clean, dry it thoroughly with a dishtowel and put it away immediately after use. This helps to prevent rusting and staining.

If you have high quality kitchen knives, you certainly want them to last for long. The best way to do this is to always wash them by hand. The last thing you want is to damage a beautiful wooden handle in your dishwasher.

 

Tip 2: Avoid Leaving Your Knife in the Kitchen Sink

Leaving a crusty knife to soak in your kitchen sink overnight may seem smart, but it’s actually not a good idea for two reasons. First, it is not safe for you. You might forget it and cut yourself as try to reach it. Second, it reduces the longevity of your kitchen knife. A knife left in water can rust and if it has a wooden that is not coated in resin, the wood would crack due to the moisture.

 

Tip 3: Use Your Honing Steel Carefully and Thoughtfully

Avoid honing Japanese knives using honing steels. Only use honing steels on the western style knives since they are made from softer steel than the steel used for Japanese knives that are harder and thinner.  If you use honing steel on a Japanese knife, it will chip the knife’s blade.

Similarly, it is recommendable that you only use honing steels for short-term sharpening of your western style knife. Prolonged use can make the blade to lose its set bevel, which is its sharp edge. On the western style knives, the intended bevel is about 50 – 50, while for the Japanese knife the bevel is asymmetrical, about 70 – 30.  Additionally, prolonged use of honing steels will only dull your blade and scratch the knife.

For an incredibly sharp edge, consider using a sharpening stone and take your knife to a professional knife sharpener once or a twice a year. A professional knife sharpener will ensure that your knives are sharpened at the recommended angles for long lasting razor-like sharpness.

 

Tip 4: Store Your Knives Correctly

After hand washing and drying your knives, you can store them in a magnetic strip or a wooden block.   A magnetic strip can be installed on a shelf or on a wall to save on space and make it easy for you to grab the knife.

One of the shortcomings of a magnetic strip is that knives are out in the open, meaning they are exposed to unwanted elements, such as dust.  The magnetic force that keeps the blades in place can also be too strong for cheap blades and can damage them when they’re pulled on to detach them from the trip.

A wooden block is another great way of putting your knives into it. Avoid throwing your knives in your wooden block as it could cause you to lose the tip of your knife. This is because the block has a hard surface that can cause the tip of your knife to chip or bend over time.

 

Tip 5: Use the Knife for Intended Purpose

There are many types of knives. Whether it is a bread knife, slicing knife, curving knife, peeling knife, pocket knife or your best chef knife, always use the knife for the intended purposes. Remember even an “all-purpose” knife isn’t really all purpose.

Similarly, if you have a chef knife in your arsenal, use for slicing, mincing, chopping for big jobs and small ones. However, it is wrong to use the knife to cut through bones unless the knife is designed for cutting through bones.

In addition, do not try to bend your knives – they are really not that flexible. Similarly, never twist your knives as doing this could snap the blade. This applies to both Western and Japanese styles knives.

 

Tip 6: Select the Right Cutting Board

If you really want to keep your knife in great shape, you need to choose the right cutting board. Most professional chefs recommend using a rubber cutting board. Wood cutting boards are good too, but they are usually hard to maintain.

Rubber cutting boards are a common option in restaurants for two major reasons. First, rubber cutting boards act like a shock absorber by absorbing impact from your knife and wrist. This is helps to prevent fatigue, especially if you are going to be using the knife for an extended period of time.

Rubber is softer when compared to wood, glass, or wood. That means you will not damage your knife while you are cutting. Glass cutting boards are the worst to use as they make the surface of your knife dull instantly.

 

Tip7: Use a Knife Cover

The best way to store your knives is to get knife covers. Knife covers can be made of either wood or plastic. Wooden covers are perfect and help to keep moisture off your knives and protect them from being banged around in a drawer, block or on a strip. More importantly, a knife cover makes you remember that you’ve to put it back.

These are just some of the most things you can do to keep your knives in great shape. If you are looking for the best kitchen knife on the market today, visit allknives.co