Knife Care

Whether you need to mince meat for your pies and stuffing, or storm up a quick crunchy vegetable salad, your kitchen blades are something that you cannot really do without. Kitchen knives are indeed the most coveted pieces of your kitchenware, but quite sadly, they are the most misunderstood tools as well. Most people barely appreciate the role of different knives and bet on just one serrated or a paring knife to chop, mince, cut, trim, slice and more. Well, before you get a kitchen blade to suit your needs, just know that there is no one kitchen knife that fits all the needs. However, that doesn’t mean that you stack your top drawer with a dozen knives to pull off a decent meal. Just include the five kitchen basics and you are good to go. Well, it doesn’t really matter if you have a covetable collection of cleavers, slicers, steak and butcher knives, unless you know how to keep your blades in top-notch condition, you are likely to find yourself battling with a blunt knife blade every on and off. If you wish to know more on how to care for knives and keep them on the ‘cutting edge’, read on.

If you don’t want your blade to go blunt ever so often, then you better use your favorite piece of kitchen metal to chop garlic, julienne ginger, slice onions and hack meat alone, rather than using it to snip the string or cut paper.  Also never ever use your kitchen or tabletop to cut veggies, as it might just make your knife blunt. Use a wooden chopping board with end grains to keep your blades razor sharp always. It is best to avoid using any ceramic, plastic or hardwood chopping boards as they might just as well blunt your steel.

 

If you want your favorite kitchen tool to be on the ‘cutting edge’ for good, never dunk them in your dishwasher or rinse them with water. Soaking the knives in water will only cause them to rust and lose their sharpness in due course. Always use warm soapy water to clean your knives. Just make sure you rinse and dry it well after every wash.

 

Whether you are the prized possessor of the much-coveted ‘Victorinox’ or own a ‘Gaucho Knife’, know that your suave wooden knife handle is likely to lose its sheen and natural oils over the years. To keep your wooden knife handles looking as good as new, don’t forget to oil the handles and blades occasionally for a sleek effect. Just take some regular cooking or vegetable oil, dab it on the handles and blades, and see your classic piece of kitchen gear steal the show.

 

Another important aspect where most knife owners tend to hit a slack is storing their kitchen blades appropriately. Never put away your knives with other pieces of cutlery. Always store your knives in a knife block or on a hanging magnetized rack. You can also store your knives in hard-shell storage cases for maximum protection and longevity.

 

How often have you tried cutting a tomato into thin slices, but landed up with uneven chunks of the vegetable instead? Well, dealing with a blunt knife can throw your gumption out of the window for good. However, with a little sharpening and honing, your blades can turn your salad into a culinary delight. You can bet on several home knife-sharpening tools like whetstone, sharpening steel, electric sharpeners and more. However, be careful when sharpening your knives or else you might end up injuring yourself. Just remember, never cut toward yourself, and you will never get cut.