5 Ways to Care for Your Kitchen Knives

5 Ways to Care for Your Kitchen Knives

The finest knives come with a high price tag, offering a better cutting experience, but this does not guarantee resistance to bluntness and damage. Knives need to be taken care of properly for them to last long. In order to maintain the shine, and sharpness of kitchen knives, certain precautionary measures need to be adopted. Each knife is comprised of different materials with varying applications requiring specific care and cleaning after usage. Here are 5 ways to care for your kitchen knives:

1.Sharpen Knives Regularly 

Kitchen knives go through a lot of cutting resulting in blunt blades that become worse if not honed and sharpened. Knives can be sharpened by professionals but using a knife stone at home makes the process easy and time-saving. If you hone the edges often with a steel rod then sharpening frequently is not required. With several electronic sharpening tools, you can get the job done more precisely.

2. Use a Cutting Board 

Avoid using your kitchen knives on solid surfaces regardless of how tough you think they are. The pressure and friction that comes off using your knives against marble or granite countertops make the blades blunt after a while. Ensure that you make use of a wooden or a plastic cutting-board to prolong the sharpness of your knives.

3. Do not leave Knives in the Kitchen Sink

Leaving dirty knives in the sink can cause immense damage to the blades. Water from the sink can cause corrosion resulting in patchy rust all over the blades of the knife diminishing its sharpness. The blades can develop rusty brown spots and might also bend or break the tip.

4. Hang the Knives in a Block or over a Magnetic Strip

Do not keep your kitchen knives with other utensils in the same drawer. The knives, along with other appliances can brush against each other every time you open the drawer resulting in scratches over the blades. A hardy wooden block keeps your knives safe from dirt and dust ensuring that they stay erect. A magnetic strip is also convenient and handy as you can see the blades so you know which knife you’re picking up.

5. Clean The Knives By Hand

Putting the dirty knives into the dishwasher might reduce your work but it can damage knives from the blade to tip. Washing the knives by hand can seem risky but with a bit of patience, it can prove to be beneficial for your kitchen knives. Cleaning by hand gives them a gentle wash allowing you to check if any food particle or dirt is still stuck on the edge, bolster or handle.

Since the 1990s bmerrystudio.com has been producing 20 models of must-have kitchen knives including ulu knives which are traditional tools for Alaskan natives. The blades of their knives are made of 440 Stainless steel and Damascus steel along with Moose antler, Musk Ox bone, Dymondwood, and many other elements making the final products exclusive.

David Lockhart