How to Properly Take Care of Your Knives – a Quick Guide
High quality knives can cost quite a lot of money, but anyway professionals invest a lot in purchasing the best ones for their needs. The high quality knives can definitely turn out to be an excellent long term investment which pays itself back, but it is essential that proper care is taken of the knives so that they last longer and serve you properly and safely.
Here are several tips on how to ensure that your knives are taken care of correctly:
- Storing your knives
Ensure that your knives are stored properly, so that they stay sharp and at the same time are safely put away when not in use. There is a wide variety of excellent knife storage options available on the market, including: canvas wallets, different knife racks as well as blade guards, which you can choose from.
- Knife washing
Remember to wash your knife immediately after use to prevent staining by acidic foods. Remove the grease with a good quality dishwashing solution and never leave them to dry naturally. Use a towel or dry cloth to dry the blade and handle in order to prevent corrosion.
- Knife sharpening
Naturally after using your knife for some time, its blade will get dulled and the slicing ability of your knife will decrease and it will become harder regular honing with steel can realign the blade and keep the knives in excellent form. Sharpening should be performed at least twice a year. You can leave the sharpening to professionals or you can get your own sharpener, steel or whetstone. There are various good quality brands to pick from, such as: Hygiplas, Buffalo, Dick and Vogue.
- The chopping board
It may seem non-essential, but the truth is that using the appropriate chopping board is of great importance for the proper maintenance and care for your knife. Glass, ceramic and stone boards will damage the blade of your knife, so stay away from these no matter how cool they look. Stick to the wooden or plastic chopping boards instead. They will cause less dulling and present no risk to the blade of your precious knife. You can get a set of chopping boards which are of different colours for the different type of food products you use them for, which will help prevent cross contamination in the kitchen. One excellent set is the Hygiplas standard low density chopping board set of 6 various cutting boards.
- Engraving and marking your knife
If you carry your knife around and use it in a commercial kitchen, it is a good idea to engrave it, so it doesn’t get misplaced. There are various knife engraving services you can rely to get the engraving done safely and professionally.