Taking Care of Kitchen Knives

To keep your knives sharp and working effectively, you will need to take good care of them.

Cleaning

Always wash your knives as soon as possible in hot, soapy water, and then dry them immediately. Those made from carbon steel will tend to rust quickly, so make sure that they are completely dry before putting them away. You may also want to give them a light coating of vegetable oil to prevent oxidation. However, if they do rust or become stained, simply scrub them with a plastic scouring pad and a scouring cream.

It is not usually a good idea to put kitchen knives in the dishwasher; the high temperature and harsh detergents can loosen, warp and split the handles.

Sharpening

Strange as it might sound, the sharper the knife, the safer it will be. A blunt knife can be dangerous - it requires a great deal more force to perform the same tasks and it can all too easily slip out of control.

Keep blades razor-sharp by using a hand-held steel; draw the blade lightly down the steel at a shallow angle, then repeat, putting the knife first to the front of the steel, then to the back. A very dull blade may be re-sharpened using a sharpening stone. There are also many other devices available for sharpening knives, however, these usually grind down the blade very quickly and are not to be recommended.

Storage

Never keep kitchen knives in a drawer; the blades will clash together, dulling their edges and bending their tips. Instead, use a wooden knife block or a wall-fixed rack so that each knife is stored separately and in quick and easy reach of the cook. It's worth bearing in mind that although magnetic racks can be useful, they may not be strong enough to hold some of the heavier knives.