Want Your Kitchen Knives to Stay Sharp for Longer? This Simple Trick Will Help

Kitchen knives play an outsized function in cooking, however many house cooks deal with them with blatant disregard. My personal mother and father take nice care in seasoning cast-iron and oiling wood reducing boards, solely to toss their greatest blades loosely in a drawer after washing. This unholy act causes even essentially the most well-crafted cutlery to endure untimely dulling and irreparable injury as edges clink towards each other and the rest saved inside. 

So how must you retailer knives in order that they keep sharp, last more and do not endure additional put on and tear? I turned to Nina Dols, founder and CEO of mail-order knife-sharpening service Knifeassist. Dols, a passionate knife care skilled, shared her ideas about correctly storing kitchen knives and the largest errors to keep away from.

One genius hack Dols instructed me includes storing your knives in the other way up in case you use a wood block. This will hold the blades from rubbing towards wooden when sliding them out and in.

Here’s the whole lot I discovered about correctly storing knives. 

What’s one of the best ways to retailer kitchen knives?

“A countertop knife block, an in-drawer insert or a knife roll. Anything that retains the knives separated and the perimeters protected. If you will need to hold your knives in a drawer and haven’t got an insert, be sure to place a sleeve on every of them.”

Dols notes that she retains hers in a drawer. “We have little kids and plenty and many knives. Therefore we have now a drawer with three inserts that has a child-lock on it. The knives we use much less continuously we hold in rolls.”

The worst errors folks make when storing knives

“Throwing the knives in a drawer and placing them away soiled and/or moist,” in accordance with Dols. “And it’s best to all the time hand wash your knives and dry them fully earlier than storing them in a secure block, sheath or on a magnetic bar.”

“While we’re at it, by no means put knives within the dishwasher. If you see a tiny little bit of rust in your knives, be sure to take away it instantly with a scrubbing sponge.”

Are magnetic knife bars secure to make use of?

Dols stresses that magnetic knife bars are positive to make use of so long as they’re used appropriately. However, when the knives are eliminated the incorrect means, the blades can scratch or bend, the latter being the commonest challenge. 

“When placing the knives on a magnetic bar, begin [by] inserting the backbone on the bar and roll the remainder of the blade onto the magnet ending with the sting. When eradicating knives, raise off the sting first and roll off the remainder of the blade, ending with the backbone,” reversing the movement of inserting the knives on the bar.

Considering the additional effort and care that goes into correct use of magnetic knife blocks, this may not be one of the best methodology for everybody. Using a wood knife bar as an alternative of a steel model may help mitigate dings to your knife’s edge.

If you are utilizing a knife block, retailer them blades up

“Wooden blocks are nice for storing knives,” Dols explains. The greatest knife blocks enable knives to relaxation suspended with out the blade rubbing towards any machine materials. If you wish to be additional mild in your knives and your block has vertical slots, put the knives in with the backbone down and leading edge dealing with up.”

Do completely different knives require completely different storage?

Most knives ought to be saved as outlined above, however in case you personal high-carbon knives, it is much more vital to retailer them in a dry setting so they do not rust or tarnish.

For extra, see our listing of 7 frequent errors that individuals make when caring for knives and the greatest chef’s knives to purchase in 2024.