Owning a great set of kitchen knives is very important when it comes to preparing a meal properly. Some would even say that your knives are direct reflection of your skill as a cook. The better condition your knives are in, the more capable of a cook you are. This is very understandable, as the condition of your knives can mean the difference between a great meal and a horrible one.

One of the first things you should know is that the price of the knife is no indication of quality. Whether you have top line stainless steel knives, or discount ones from your local department store, what matters more is the condition you keep them in. Keeping your kitchen knives sharp might seem difficult, but by following these simple steps you can maintain your knives for a very long time.

First off, when doing any work with your knives, make sure to cut on a relatively soft surface. Surfaces such as wood and plastic are ideal. Never use your kitchen knives on hard surfaces such as metal or ceramic. The repetitive cutting motion on a hard surface will cause your kitchen knives to become dull and that’s something that none of us want. While it may take longer for these hard surfaces to dull a stainless steel or ceramic knife, it will happen regardless. So try to avoid them if possible.

Another tip that’ll let you preserve the quality of your kitchen knives, is to never use your kitchen knives outside of the kitchen. While it’s super tempting to use your kitchen knives as a screwdriver when you need one, this is not what they were designed to do. By using it in this fashion you’re not only damaging your knives, you’re insuring that your knives will be dulled beyond repair. Only use your knives to do tasks that it was designed to do, this will preserve your knives and ensure that you’ll have them when you need them.

The next tip in insuring the longevity of your kitchen knives is to avoid gritty materials when using them. Gritty materials wear down to the edge of your knives and cause nicks and blemishes on its blade. Keep your guard up when using your knives during outdoor activities. If it’s exposed to any moisture, make sure to immediately dry it off.

When you’re washing your kitchen knives, make sure to use just a mild dishwashing soap and make sure to hand dry them. By allowing the blade to drip dry, you can degrade the condition of your kitchen knife’s handle. When you allow your knife to drip dry, you can also cause your knife’s blade to become stained.

Another tip that’ll help you preserve the quality of your knives, is to be very careful when dealing with knives that have wooden handles. Never soak knives that have wooden handles, for any extended period of time. The water will cause the handle to swell and in the process destroy your knife. Instead hand wash them and rub mineral oil on the handle to preserve its shining finish.

If you use these tips properly, your kitchen knives might even outlast you.

Image : flickr.com

Owning a set of kitchen knives, regardless of their type, requires certain use and maintenance in order to keep them sharp and working correctly. whether you invested in quality kitchen knives or own a set of discount knives, you will want to keep them sharp and handling well.

The first rule of use for your kitchen knife is to be sure that your blade lands on a soft surface, such as wood or plastic, instead of a hard surface like ceramic or metal. Striking your kitchen cutlery against hard surfaces will rapidly dull the blade and hinder the performance of your kitchen knife, even if you are using high quality ceramic or stainless steel cutlery.

It’s sometimes tempting to use the kitchen knife to pry something, use it as a screwdriver or chisel and many other actions for which the kitchen cutlery is not intended. even using the handle of your knife as a hammer is not recommended, unless it is specifically built for that task. the pins, springs and handle can loosen or break, rendering your kitchen knife useless.

You should keep your kitchen cutlery away from sand and gritty materials. Be especially aware when you are using your knives outside, for instance if you are camping, fishing or just barbequing outdoors. Be aware of your kitchen knife and if it gets wet, you should immediately dry it. when you are washing your kitchen cutlery, do so in mild, soapy water and then dry it completely with a towel, instead of allowing it to drip dry. You should always wash your kitchen cutlery by hand and dry it immediately after.

Wood tends to swell, so it you have wooden handled knives, it is best not to immerse them in water for any period of time. You can rub mineral oil on wooden knife handles to help them keep their luster. You can also increase the lifetime of your wooden handled kitchen knives by rubbing lemon oil or furniture polish into the wood handle occasionally.

Stainless steel cutlery should not rust in the humidity and it can withstand acids that it is exposed to in daily use. however, stainless steel does not mean 100 percent rust proof. the coarser the stainless steel surface is, the more likely it is to corrode. to ensure your stainless steel cutlery is corrosion resistant, you want to purchase knives with finely ground or polished surfaces.

Another option for kitchen cutlery is ceramic knives which are durable and long lasting. however, ceramic knives should also not be put in the dishwasher. They are very easy to clean; a wipe and a rinse is all that is needed to keep them in great condition for years to come.

When storing your knives, it is best to choose a knife block to protect the blades. never put your knife into the wooden knife block wet – wood absorbs water and you could introduce mold and mildew into your knife block which could effectually ruin your kitchen knives. If you are going to keep them in a drawer, be sure that they are not tossed around too much. Jostling against other knives or instruments could cause your knife blades to chip or dull unnecessarily. It is fine to keep them in a drawer, but they should be sleeved or in compartments to avoid colliding with other utensils or inadvertently cutting you as you search in the drawer for the knife you need. Forged cutlery or stainless steel cutlery should be properly stored to ensure it lasts a long time.

Taking care of your kitchen knives is quite easy if you follow the steps outlined above:

- Keep knives out of the dishwasher

- Wash kitchen knives right after use and dry them immediately after washing

- Store them in a wooden knife block, in sleeves or in a compartmentalized drawer

Taking good care of your knives and using them properly will ensure that you will have great kitchen knives for years to come.

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Tags: Caring, Kitchen, knives, sharpening

this entry was posted on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 1:42 pm and is filed under Cutlery Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.