Popular Chef Knife Accessories

Cutting It Up

Having a chef's knife is one of the most important cooking utensils you can own. They make chopping and cutting a cinch, helping you to do kitchen prep work quickly and effectively. There are a few things that you'll need, however, to go with your chef's knife.

The Cutting Edge

Owning a chef's knife without owning a cutting board is like owning a desk without a chair. Sure, you can still use the desk, but are you comfortable or able to get your work done efficiently? Is it really that health smart to stand hunched over a desk hour after hour? You get the point. A cutting board should always accompany a chef’s knife.

A cutting board keeps food off of counters (where bacteria tends to grow), but it also acts as a great stopping device for your knife, protecting your knife (and your counter top) from gouges and nicks. Cutting boards can be made out of wood, plastic, or glass. Many experts recommend a wood cutting board, which can help keep chef knives sharper for longer periods of time.

Block It

Another important thing you'll need is something to protect your chef's knife–this is when a protective case or knife block comes in. Knives and kitchen drawers are a dangerous combination. Not only do you run the risk of cutting your fingers as they reach in unassumingly, but knives is at risk of running into other knives. Chips, nicks, and other damage to knife blades occurs must frequently when knives are thrown into drawers.

Knife storage blocks were intended to eliminate these uncertainties. A storage block, which includes an insert, or slot, to fit your knife, keeps both you and the knife safe. Consider it the knife's clothing (or protective armor). You wouldn't want your knife running around naked, would you?

A Sharp Bunch

The last thing you'll need that goes hand in hand with your chef knife is a knife sharpener. Even the best chef's knife gets dull with use, so that's why having both a sharpener and a honing rod is a smart idea. Experts don’t agree on the best sharpening device, but wet stones, electric sharpeners, steel and ceramic rods, and diamond coated rods all have excellent reputations. Sharpen the chef knife as needed: at least once every couple of weeks.