Cooking Knife Storage Safety and Maintenance

Caring for your cutlery

Many people assume that the only reason to keep kitchen knives stored is because of the pain they may inflict on the user. And while that's certainly true, there's another important reason for storing and maintaining knives: the life of the knife itself.

Here are some tips that will help keep your knives safe and in good working order.

Store knives in a block. There are several reasons for this, and one of them involves proper kitchen knife maintenance. The individual slots in blocks keep knives separated from other knives, which helps to keep them sharp. It also eliminates the possibility of nicks or gouges in the blade that can occur when knives bang around in a drawer.

Clean and dry knives thoroughly. Removing food and bacteria from knives is important, but there is another reason why cleaning knives immediately after use is essential.

Cooking knives made out of carbon rust easily. That means that a knife left in water or one that isn't thoroughly dried has a huge chance of forming rust. Always clean knives by hand, avoiding dishwashers.

Use knives for their intended purpose. Have you ever tried to open a can with a cooking knife or used a knife to cut string or paper? Although it may seem innocent enough, improper use of knives can cause a lot of damage. Kitchen knives were made for a specific purpose; there are other instruments and devices for cutting paper or opening that bottle of beer.

Hone knives regularly. You don't have to sharpen kitchen knives before every use, but you should hone them. Honing helps keep and maintain a sharp edge (remember, the safest knife is a sharp knife)! If you own a cutlery set, it probably came with a steel rod for honing. If not, you can purchase one online or at a kitchen store.

Not all knives are treated the same. Knives with serrated edges, such as steak knives, are not honed and sharpened the same way as knifes with a flat edge. If you own a serrated knife, read the instructions that came with it for proper maintenance.

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