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Caring for Knives

Knife Handling

Using the knife you've chosen correctly is important for keeping the knife in good condition. I wouldn't recommend using a paring knife to bone a chicken, and I wouldn't recommend a cleaver to filet a fish. Using the knives improperly can lead to edge chipping, blade warping, tips being broken, etc., not to mention you'll probably have a hard time using the knives to say the least.

Here are some things to avoid doing with your knife. These are mostly common sense, but there's no harm in saying it anyways:

  • Stabbing things: You'll break the tip of most knives right off if they get stuck in something like a bone or your cutting board.
  • Chopping/slicing too hard: At best you'll be dulling your blade, and at worst you can chip the edge of the blade. If you feel like you're not cutting easily enough, you should consider picking a different knife or sharpening the one you're using. If you're cutting meat or fruits that contain a pit, you could be hitting bone.
  • Cutting bone: Trying to cut bone with anything other than a very sturdy chef's knife or butcher's cleaver is a bad idea.

Cleaning

To clean a knife for storage, do the following right away:

  1. Run the knife under warm water.
  2. Apply a small amount of dish soap to the knife.
  3. Use a sponge or rag to scrub any leftover food from the knife, paying extra attention to the edge of the blade.
  4. Rinse the knife until all of the soapy water is gone.
  5. Dry the knife as thoroughly as possible. I would even go as far as to get a paper towel to make sure the knife is completely dry with nicer knives.
  6. Store the knife.

If you're switching between cutting raw meats and anything else, you should always wash the knife with hot, soapy water to prevent bacterial cross contamination.

If you're switching between foods you're cutting that aren't bacterial cross contamination threats, I recommend keeping a damp towel and a dry towel to wipe your blade down between foods. You'll avoid accidentally getting flavors where they shouldn't be - you probably don't want the apple you're about to cut flavored with the garlic that you just finished mincing.

Another note to keep in mind when cleaning your knives (chef's knives, utility knives, paring knives, steak knives) -- never put them in the dishwasher. Putting knives through a dishwasher can result in damaged edges from being knocked around by water jets, increased rust formation from long exposure to moisture, damaged handle scales from high heat and moisture, etc. If you've spent even a small amount of money on a decent knife, I cannot recommend washing it by hand enough. It would be better to let the knife stay on the counter, dirty, overnight than to put it in the dishwasher.

While you should clean your knife as soon as you're done with it, we're not machines and we sometimes can't immediately clean the knife, or we're just lazy. Either way, if you don't clean the knife right away, you at least shouldn't put it in the sink. The sink is an excellent way to break the tip off of a knife, especially longer knives like chef's knives, carving knives, etc.

Storage

Don't store knives loosely in drawers or on the counter. You could damage the knives, or worse, cut yourself, very easily this way.

Store knives in a dedicated place, like a magnetic knife rack, or in a knife block. I recommend the magnetic knife rack - knife blocks, especially ones made of wood, can trap moisture and allow bacteria to grow and can cause your knives to rust. If you do have a knife block, it's okay to use, just make sure the knives are completely dry before storing them.

Transport

If you intend to travel with your knives, you should roll the knives in a sturdy cloth (like a towel) or dedicated knife roll, which is usually made of something like leather. Avoid placing multiple knives too close together before rolling as they could damage each other in transit. Finally, if not using a dedicated knife roll with pouches and other ways to secure the knives, be very careful to roll the knives relatively tightly - the knife could slip out and get damaged or hurt something or someone.

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