3 Great Tips to Ensure Your Knives Are in Tip-Top Shape

While you might come to believe that a good home chef should have ten, maybe twenty knives at one's disposal, that isn't actually true. In fact, you can get away with five or even less, depending on what you generally do. Some people may even find that one is enough for all their needs, but of course, a general knife will not match a knife specifically meant to do a job. For instance, using a cleaver to fillet a fish will be harder than actually using a fillet knife.

That being said, whether you have one, two, or ten knives, you need to know how to care for them. Otherwise, none of them is going to do the job they're meant to do! Let us share with you some top knife maintenance tips to keep your knives in tip-top shape:

1. Cleaning the Knives

One of the most important ways to keep your knives sharp and in good working order is to clean them after every use. You should manual clean the knives with warm water using a damp cloth and soap. Once you've done that, dry it using a clean towel and place them back where they belong.

With clean knives, not only do you ensure no bacteria starts growing on them, but it also ensures that nothing is going to damage the metal itself that could lead to a dull or weaker knife!

2. Sharpening the Knives

Sharpening a knife is as easy as running it through a sharpening stone or using a sharpener that you place on a counter. Both of these types of sharpening tools will ensure your blade is as sharp as it can possibly be.

Of course, there are other ways to sharpen a knife, too, such as using a rotating blade sharpener that you can put in your washing machine. However, if you don't know how to sharpen your knives, then it is vital that you look for tutorials on how to do so. This way, you know how to sharpen in such a way that doesn't only damage the knife but leaves them sharper for longer.

3. Storing the Knives

There are a few ways that you can store your knives, depending on where you have them. If you have them on a magnetic strip, it is best to store them in a single layer and not have one stuck to another. This way, you prevent the one from sharpening against the other and dulling the blade. If you have knives in a block or on a wall, ensure that the block is sturdy and does not move around, as well as prevent the knives from touching each other.

Either way, make sure the knives aren't touching each other when you're storing them. Also, make sure not to accidentally hit the sharp side of the knife against any surface, as this can dull them quickly.

Conclusion

By taking care of your knives, you are ensuring that they are in good working order and able to do any job you put in front of them properly. On the other hand, without taking on proper knife maintenance, your perfectly sharp knife won't be able to cut through anything. Worse, it can even injure you! Remember, a dull knife is way more dangerous than a sharp knife, so keep your knives in great condition!

Bronx Homewares is a small Australian-owned business offering cookware, home decor, and more. If you are looking for chef's knives and more, check out what we offer!