Silverware

How to keep your knives sharp A sharp knife edge is very thin and because it's so thin it is very fragile. By taking a little care with your knives you can maintain their sharpness for a long time.

Use a wood or soft plastic cutting board.

Modern stainless knife steel is hard, but some surfaces that people cut on are even harder. Slicing or chopping against a harder surface flattens that sharp knife edge and dulls it. The two most common problem surfaces are glass and ceramic. Though a granite counter top is just as bad. Glass cutting boards are easy to clean, but they will dull knives. Avoid them. Cutting directly on a plate or platter is just as bad. Ceramics are also harder than steel. Except when cutting meat with a steak knife, you should never cut directly on a plate or serving platter. Stainless steel platters or work surfaces are bad for your knives, too. To maintain a knife's sharpness only cut on a soft cutting board.

Wood is the traditional cutting board surface and is an excellent choice. It's softer than steel and attractive. At one time we were warned against wood cutting boards as they are hard to disinfect. Later it was found that woods contain enzymes that inhibit bacterial growth and that butcher block wood cutting boards are safe to use.

If you are still concerned about working on a sanitary surface, then a soft plastic cutting board is a good option. The opaque soft cutting boards are much better than the harder glassy looking ones. Plastic cutting boards, if small enough, can be cleaned in a dishwasher. Larger ones can be cleaned in a large sink and disinfected with a mild bleach solution, which will rinse off. Do not use bleach on a wood cutting board as it will soak into the surface and contaminate your food. Flexible plastic cutting surfaces are cheap and can be used over a wooden board to separate food types, like chicken and onions. They also allow you to pick the cutting surface up and pour the food into a pan.

Avoid the dishwasher.

The high pressure water jets in dishwashers bang the contents of the washer around. With knives, that means the edges get dulled. Ideally, you should hand wash your knives carefully. Avoid dropping them into a full sink. If you lose site of a sharp knife, it's easy to grab it by the blade and cut yourself. Also don't place the clean knife in a drainer with other silverware. As with cutting surfaces avoid placing your knife in a stainless drying rack. If you clean your knives immediately, food won't crust on and a few *careful* swipes with a sponge or brush will make the sparkle. You can use a dishwasher if it has a plastic, not stainless, silverware tray and you place the knives point down and alone in a silverware compartment. Placing other silverware in the same compartment will dull your knife. As using a separate silverware compartment for each knife wastes a lot of space, it's easy to get impatient and throw other silverware in with the knife. Don't do it. Be careful with drawers. It's easy for knives thrown into a drawer to bang together. If you do choose to store your sharp knives in a drawer, use a plastic separator. Keep each knife in its own compartment. And avoid separators that place the knife edge down.

Use good knife blocks.

You can store your knives on the counter in a knife block, however all knife blocks are not created equal. Vertically oriented blocks that let the knives hang straight up and down cause the least wear on edges. They also take less space on the counter. Unfortunately, few knife sets come packaged with vertical blocks. More common are the blocks that place the knives at an angle. Absolutely, avoid knife blocks that cause your knives to rest on their edges. While not as good as vertically oriented ones, blocks that lay knifes on their flat sides will dull knives at a much slower pace than ones that store knives on their edge.

Magnetic knife holders.

A magnetic knife holder attached to a wall does not dull knife edges if you are careful with knife placement. Slightly angle the back of the knife to the magnets so that grabs first and your knives will stay sharper. Get the longest magnet that will fit in your space. The farther apart that knives are stored the less likely they are to bang on each other and the less likely you are to cut yourself.

Use your knives for cutting and chopping only

Since knives are often the handiest tool to grab, it's tempting to use them for banging or prying, or as a screw driver. Don't. Knives are delicate and should only be used for in their proper role of cutting.

Don't use your knife like a hatchet.

Even the relatively soft surface of a cutting board can dull knives. So will bones. You shouldn't need to use forceful chopping hacks at your food to cut it. Use smooth slicing motions to cut. Use only as much force as necessary. If you hear banging sounds as your knife hits the cutting board you are using too much force, or your knives are already dull.

Use a sharpening steel each time you use your knife.

Running your knife on a sharpening steel when it starts to feel dull will help maintain its edge for months and if you are careful, up to a year. A steel doesn't really put an edge on a knife but it does a good job of maintaining one. Hold the steel point down and vertical on a cutting board. Draw the knife edge over the steel starting with the blade edge closest to the handle. Pull the knife towards you and down with an even and moderate pressure until the tip of the blade just clears the steel. Alternate sides, holding the knife at a 20 degree angle to the steel. 3-5 repetitions on each side should suffice. There are a number of YouTube instructional videos that will demonstrate the proper technique. Search for "knife sharpening steel."

Dealing with a dull knife.

It is relatively difficult to sharpen a knife with a sharpening stone and will require a bit of practice before you will get consistent results. There are a number of other sharpening tools that you can use. The motorized ones can work but its very easy to remove too much metal with them, vastly shortening the life of your knives. Non-motorized ones like the Wusthof 2 Stage Knife Sharpener, the AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener, or the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Pro Knife Sharpener will put an okay edge on a knife. The Furi sharpener is a bit more expensive but will work longer.

Professional sharpening.

A professional knife sharpening service can put a great edge on your knives. With care, that edge can last 6 months to a year on a frequently used, good quality knife. A carving knife that you only pull out of its box a couple of times a year will stay sharp indefinitely. Many supermarkets that have in-store butcher shops will sharpen your knives for a small fee, sometimes even at no charge. Ask around. You may find a good deal. Or, search the yellow pages for knife sharpening. Real pros can put an amazing edge on a good knife. Some still work out of mobile vans and will even do house calls. Those often require a minimum charge but will sharpen your knives immediately.