Many home cooks only need a few knives to accomplish their cutting tasks in the kitchen. Even those with a collection of different brands and types often rarely use all of them. Regardless of the number of kitchen knives you have or use, you want to be sure that you know how to care for them to serve you for long.

Furthermore, you will reduce the chances and incidences of injuries in the kitchen if you get the dos and don’ts of caring for your blades right. The following basics put together by our experts will help you have your favorite knife around for longer than you anticipated. Read on.

Keep Your Kitchen Knives Sharp

Undoubtedly, the first and most essential caring routine you can have for your knives is making sure they are sharp and fit for purpose. The fact that you will need to put in more force for the blunt blades to work make them more dangerous to use, arguable more than the sharp knives. Moreover, who wants to spend a lot of time on a cutting or chopping task because the blade is blunt?

The good news is that you don’t need any prior experience to start using an effective knife sharpener. You can learn as you go, and with the right tool, you can have your blades ready for use in minutes! Better yet, the KnifePlanet’s Knife Sharpening Stone is designed to eradicate accidents and will leave your knife sharp for a long time. As if that is not enough, you get a free user guide with every purchase.

Use the Appropriate Cleaning Method

While cleaning a knife may seem a trivial job that doesn’t require a mention in this post, you will be interested to know that many people abuse it all the time. You want to keep your kitchen knife away from the dishwasher if you have not confirmed whether it is cleared for this kind of washing.

Most manufacturers will give instructions on how the knife should be washed. So, if it is not dishwasher safe, you will be damaging the knife’s structure. The rattling going on in the machine would weaken your knife, but the blade will likely lose its sharp edges. It is advisable to hand-wash your knife and oil the blade after drying. This helps prevent rusting and corrosion. The exact instructions would, however, be in the manufacturer’s manual.

Cutting Surface

The cutting surface choice is another important consideration if you want to enjoy the durability of your kitchen knives. To ensure proper care for your knife, you should not use any cutting surface as hard or harder than your blade. These include marble or granite countertops, glass chopping boards, or any countertop for that matter.

Get yourself a cutting board. Most come made of wood, plastic, or bamboo. You will notice among the three that bamboo is the hardest of them all. Most knives will not do well on a bamboo cutting board, so you want that to be your last option. Plastic boards are easy to clean and are cheaper, but some experts warn of the ease with which they can store germs if not cleaned well.

The last standing option is, therefore, wood cutting boards. If you can get softwood, the better, but hardwoods will promise to serve you for long – most of which keep the promise. If you are debating ensuring the knife’s blade or the board’s durability, the cheaper of the two seems to be the cutting board. This means you need to go for the longevity of the knife instead. Don’t you think?

Proper Storage

Proper storage after using your knife contributes a lot to minimizing accidents and the blade’s durability. After cleaning the knife and properly drying, it is advisable to keep it away from areas you are likely to bump into, such as drawers.

One of the recommended methods is to use a magnetic strip that will have your knives neatly stuck on the wall. However, for some, this option will, one, impact their kitchen’s interiors and may not be the safest of options, especially since the blades can fly off the wall with a strong enough bump.

Knife blocks are many cooks’ favorites. Most of them are compact, and some come in stylish and elegant finishes that would complement their kitchen’s interiors. What is more, they keep the sharp blades hidden away from the hassles in the kitchen and offer added safety.

If none of the above methods of storing your knife is workable for you, then a knife guard into which you can slide your kitchen knife would be an option worth considering. Some guards come with a sharpening interior to sharpen your knife every time you insert or remove it from the sheath.

Conclusion

You want to maintain your kitchen knives in the best condition possible, and starting with these basics will put you on the right track. The benefits range from cutting replacement costs to reducing injuries and ensuring your favorite blades’ durability. The good part is that most of these tips, if not all, as easy to follow.