Tips For Keeping Kitchen Knives Sharp

It only makes sense that people who cook would usually rather use sharp kitchen knives rather than needing to use those that are dull. Sharp knives simplify food cutting. They are also much less likely to slip off food that is being cut, so they are safer to use. There is the need for occasionally sharpening the knives, but this is a small price to pay for the benefit that is gained.

It seems almost second nature that the best thing to do would be to keep the knives as sharp as possible, as long as possible, after they are sharpened. People might not believe it, but this is actually a lot easier than it sounds.

Using the knives on food only

It might sound like it is common sense that knives should only be used to cut food, and it is. However, a lot of people use their knives to cut through cardboard, various kinds of plastic and even to open metal cans. Cutting through these materials will cause the blade to get dull in a hurry. In many cases, such as using the knife on a can, will often cause major damage to the blade and could easily cause damage to assorted body parts, too.

Kitchen knives are made to cut food. Use scissors or shears to cut plastic and cardboard if it is needed, and use a can opener to open cans. If you want to keep your kitchen knives sharp, only use them for cutting food.

This also means disregarding the occasional silly television commercial where someone cuts through a nail with a knife, then uses the knife to slice a tomato. Such commercials only show stupidity in action and truthfully don’t show how long the knife will keep its edge.

Properly washing a knife

It might come as a surprise, but if a knife isn’t properly washed, it can become dull faster. This is true of stainless steel knives, but it is even more true of a knife that isn’t stainless. Make no mistake, just from washing, the blade is gradually going to get duller. It is a good idea to do it the right way.

This means to wash or at least rinse the knives as soon after they are used as possible. Acids and enzymes in food can chew into the metal if they aren’t removed. This is especially true of foods that contain a lot of acids, like tomatoes, oranges, lemons, onions and the like. Stainless steel isn’t immune from the effects of acid and other substances in food.

Wash the knife by hand

If you want to keep kitchen knives sharp as long as you can, it isn’t a good idea to simply pop them into a dish machine to wash them. While most dish-washing machines do a fair job of cleaning and sanitizing the blade, they can also lead to dulling. Instead, wash the knives by hand.

Some excellent cooks who know the value of a sharp knife even make this easier by having a container or sink of hot, soapy water available when they are using their knives. This makes it a simple matter to clean the blade immediately after use.

After hand washing, the knife should be dried using a clean cloth or paper towel. This is far better than leaving water on the blade. If it isn’t possible for the knife to be dried immediately, put it in an upright position with the point facing down and the handle up. This allows the knife blade to dry faster and helps prevent accidents when someone grabs the knife.

Storage of knives

Quite a few people simply place their kitchen knives in a ‘knife drawer’. This may make them easy to find, but it isn’t good for the knives. Other knives or utensils that hit the blade can quickly cause the knives to become dull. It is a much better idea to use a wooden or magnetic knife holder. This also makes it even easier to find the blade you want, when you want it.

Invest in a good sharpening steel

A sharpening steel is designed to put an edge on a knife blade. It doesn’t really sharpen the knife, but simply passing the blade over a steel a few times each time the knife is used will go a long way toward keeping the knife sharp. It isn’t necessary to use the steel every single time, but it is a good habit to get into. It is also important to learn how to use a sharpening steel properly, but this isn’t a skill that requires an advanced degree in physics.

Keeping knives sharp makes the task of cutting, slicing and dicing much easier. This means that less effort needs to be put into preparing a culinary delight or even a simple snack. Sharp knives are also safer.

More people get cut with dull knives than sharp ones because a person doesn’t need to apply as much force to slice through the food when they are using a sharp knife. It is worthwhile to do anything you can, within reason, to keep the blades sharp as long as possible.

Keeping a knife blade sharp isn’t hard to do, it is common sense and once you make these simple things into habits, you won’t even need to think about them.