Knife Care at Home
I went to talk with some friends and owners of a local Sharpening Service here in Knoxville called Kinney Sharpening. I was wanting to ask some questions about Knife Care at Home so that maybe we could dispel some myths for each of us. Sean Kinney was kind enough to sit down with me and answer a few of my questions. I hope you find this as helpful as I did.
Cutting Boards
First, I asked Sean Kinney his thoughts on the best kind of cutting board. This is in regard to keeping your knife sharp. You will see, if you watch the video to the end, we did discuss keeping the board clean and free from bacteria. The vote was, wood is best for keeping your knives sharp. Glass and tile are THE WORST. These hard surfaces create flat places on your blades that no longer cut properly. Below you will see a photo of the Original John Boos wood cutting board often seen on @FoodNetwork. Amazon has the 24″ x 18″ size for $68.95.
Nylon or some type of plastic is best for cutting raw meats so that you can disinfect properly. I will link all of these so you know what we are discussing. I love this set of three nylon cutting boards from Gorilla Grip. They have the juice grooves so you don’t have the mess on your counter and the non-slip rubber to keep them from sliding all over while you work. All three for $16.79!
The Dishwasher
Secondly, when discussing Knife Care at Home, you have to ask, “Can you put your knives in the dishwasher?” “Does the dishwasher itself actually make your knives dull?” The short answer is NO! The long answer is, it is how you place your knife in the dishwasher that could make it dull.
And the dishwasher can damage your knives over time. Knives are an investment most often. So, this is something to consider if you plan to put them in your dishwasher. They will most likely not last as long. I will link some choices below as to dishwasher worthy and not dishwasher worthy knives.
Knives to Consider
I wanted to share a few knife sets for you to consider, in case your kitchen is in need of a new set. Especially now that you have some new care instructions. Some of the sets below will come with built in sharpeners. That is a wonderful feature for maintenance at home between professional sharpening. They do not replace regular visits to your local sharpening service like Kinney Sharpening.
Amazon has a great 15-piece set from Emjoy. It has stainless steel handles that will tolerate the dishwasher quite nicely. And at $62.99 is a great Economy set.
This Now for the luxury set. Hezhen makes a 5-piece, Damascus Steel-Japaanese Knife Set. This is definitely a knife you want to hand wash. They are an investment piece that will last a lifetime is you care for them properly. They really are priced well at $299.99 for the set of 5.
