As a cook, you need to know ways to maintain your knife. When you invest in quality kitchen block sets, you want to last it long. If you maintain your knife well, it is likely to last a lifetime. Although expensive kitchen knives come with their maintenance requirements, you will find the process of caring for them easier. The process is not time-consuming. In fact, changing your habits on how you take care of them can help. The following are some of the tips to help you take care of your knives.
Sharpening
It does not matter whether your knife is expensive, it eventually becomes blunt. Thus, there is a need to keep your knife sharp always. Honing is fast and easy. You can use steel rods or electronic kits. However, sharpening is quite complicated and it needs a lot of patience. When you hone the knife often, you do not need to sharpen it always.
Washing
It is advisable to wash your knife after use. The quality knives you get are made of high-carbon or stainless steel. The good thing about this material is that it is less prone to corrosion and rusting. However, if you leave your knife dirty most of the time, the water, acid, and chemicals can destroy it. Therefore, you should always wash your knife immediately after use.
It does not matter whether the manufacturer indicates the knife to be dishwasher safe. You should make it the habit of washing it by hand. Make sure you use a cloth and soap to avoid making the blade get chipped. Moreover, handwashing makes it possible to check whether there are dirt or food particles left behind.
Drying
After washing your kitchen knives, you should dry them. You can use a dish rack to dry them. This helps prevent the chance of the knife rusting. You can wipe it dry with the cloth after using it. Moreover, you get to put the knives in a safe place as they await their use.
Storage
You should consider having sturdy and clean wood to store your knives. It helps protect the blade from dirt. In addition, it minimizes clashing among knives or with other objects. The block is helpful when you have multiple knives or a full set. Another option is to have a magnetic strip that displays the blades to tell the ones that you require. Although it does not provide a lot of protection against dirt, it helps keep the kitchen knives in place.
Use Cutting Boards
If you want your knives to be sharp, then they need to have thin edges. No matter how strong your material is, it is prone to damage. Thus, if the edge comes into contact with other tough materials, such as metals and ceramics, it can get damaged. It is advisable to acquire wooden cutting boards. Although a plastic cutting board is great, it can be challenging to sanitize it.
There are certain things you should avoid as you take care of your knives. For instance, leaving your knives dirty is a sure way of inviting rust.