Maintaining Your Knives
Knives are the workhorse of the kitchen, so of course they will see a lot of grime. Here are a few tips for safely cleaning and storing those blades.
The best way to clean a knife of any material is with a sponge, soap, hot water, and some elbow grease. For food that just won’t budge, you can use a scour or scrub pad, but be judicious as it can eventually damage the finish.
Don’t soak knives—reaching into a soapy sink with knives on the bottom can lead to some serious cuts.
What about using a dishwasher? We don’t recommend it—knives can easily be knocked around and eventually nicked, and the caustic detergent can dull and eventually damage the edges of the blade.
If using a carbon steel knife, make sure the blade is completely dry before storing away, otherwise the blade can blacken or rust. As an added measure of protection, you can wipe the blades with a little mineral oil before storing.
STORING KNIVES
Storing knives safely and securely can keep their blades sharper longer, and out of harm’s reach. We don’t recommend storing knives in a drawer; as knives are moved about they can nick each other, not to mention you, too. Here are some better options.
Universal Knife Block
Keeping your knives in any knife block is a big step up from a kitchen drawer, but we’ve often found that our collected knives don’t always fit into the preformed slots. A universal knife block (our winner also happens to be magnetic) will hold any combination of knives in a very small space.
Knife Guard
These individual covers completely and securely store the knife. Made of polypropolene, they are a good choice if you must keep your knives in a drawer.
Magnetic Knife Strip
Hang a magnetic knife strip on the wall and you’ve freed up both counter and drawer space. The long strip will hold any length of knife, and keep them handily in sight.
