10 ways to permanently ruin your favorite knife

Each of those who cook constantly, and not from time to time, has his own favorite knife. It fits perfectly in your hand, cuts flawlessly, you have a complete understanding and it seems that it will last forever … Yes, a kitchen knife can serve you for a long time, especially if it is a good and high-quality knife – but it can happen the other way around. A new knife, created especially for me by a hereditary Japanese blacksmith, came to me not so long ago, only six months ago.

At first, I could not stop looking at it and literally blew off the dust particles, and then a small chip appeared on the blade. Of course, sometimes it is not so, this chip does not interfere so much, and after several sharpening cycles it will completely disappear, only this knife will no longer be the same perfect knife of my dreams as I first took it out of the box. And all because I broke one of the rules, which I will write about below. Remember it and at the same time 9 others, so that your favorite knife will serve you as long as possible.

Do not cut on glass or stone

The nasty noises that come out when you cut something on a glass or marble cutting board are more than just metal scraping against glass. It is your knife that screams in horror and pain, because it is at this moment that you take it to the grave with your own hands. Use only wooden or plastic boards, and never glass or stone. And do not ask yourself what, in this case, the companies that produce them think: about anything, but not about the safety of your knife and thousands of others that they have already sent to the landfill.

Don’t leave the knife in the kitchen drawer

If your knife dangles freely among other kitchen tools and utensils, it will inevitably lead to chips and nicks (as well as a cut if you stick your hand into the drawer without looking). You can use a tabletop stand to store the knife, but if you have there is not much space in the kitchen, it is not very convenient. In this case, the simplest solution would be to get protective plastic cases that keep the knife blades intact.

Don’t throw your knife into the sink

Sinks are made of metal or ceramics, they are slippery, after eating, they put plates and dirty dishes in them. And yes, your knife, once in the sink, will dangle along it, bumping into the walls of the sink and the edges of the plates. Or worse, it will hide in soapy water, where it will wait for your unsuspecting hand to stumble upon it. Never leave a knife in the sink. It is best to wash the knife immediately after use, before you start cleaning the rest of the dishes.

Do not wash your knife in the dishwasher

A kitchen knife has no place in the dishwasher, no matter if you put it on the wire rack or insert it into the cutlery holder. The high pressure water flow will swing the knife from side to side, it will hit the grate and inevitably become dull. Always wash your knife with your hands only.

Do not put your knife in a dish drainer

A dish drainer is another place that is dangerous for any knife. In theory, it is possible that every time you carefully put the knife on a specially designated drying place for it, it is made of high-quality stainless steel and you take good care of it, so you can not be afraid of rust. In reality, a knife that gets into a dish drainer will bump into other kitchen utensils and plates with a blade, microscopic cracks and scratches appear on it, and under the influence of rust they grow and grow. The moral of the three previous tips is simple – always wash the knife with your hands, and always dry it with a towel immediately after washing.

Do not scrape the cutting board with a knife.

You just chopped the onion into small pieces, the pieces are scattered all over the board, you run the blade over the surface of the board to put them together and transfer to the pan. I know, I know, it’s very convenient, I do it myself all the time. The problem is that the blade of the knife is pretty strong as long as you push it from the top perpendicular to the board – but if you push it from the side, it can easily bend. And this will happen immediately, after which your knife will no longer be as sharp as before. If you cannot get rid of this habit, keep the knife blade at a sharp angle, almost parallel to the board, or do the same, but with the opposite side of the knife. … Better yet, get a special kitchen scraper designed specifically for this purpose.

Do not cut frozen food with a knife

A piece of frozen meat or fish can be as hard as a block of ice, and if you are trying to slice food that is not yet completely thawed, the blade will chip. If you really need to cut meat straight from the freezer, use a kitchen hatchet that does the job much better; for the same reason, you shouldn’t use a kitchen knife to chop bones with it.

Do not use a dull knife

A dull knife requires more force, and this increases the chance that your knife will slip and injure you – and the result can be much worse than a small cut that will leave a sharp knife if used carefully. In short, keeping the knife sharp is beneficial not only for your convenience, but also for your safety. In general, there are two types of knife bluntness. The first is when the knife blade gradually bends due to the fact that it is subjected to pressure from one side or the other, and instead of a straight line it begins to resemble a wavy one.

To see this difference, however, will not work, but to notice that your knife began to cut more slowly – completely. Regular use of musat will straighten the blade and cut more comfortably. Besides this gradual curvature, the blade also wears out a little, and there will come a time when musat alone will no longer be enough. For these purposes, it is worth having a set of water stones to sharpen the knife yourself, or take it to a professional sharpener.

Do not leave the knife close to the edge of the table

The dumbest thing to do with a knife is to put it so that the handle hangs over the edge of the table. An awkward movement could result in someone missing a toe, or, equally terribly, a knife edge breaking off. Place the knife so that it cannot fall, even if accidentally brushed away. And if the knife does fall, do not try to catch it, but jump to the side and lift the knife only after it freezes on the floor.

Do not use the knife for other purposes

Everyone, or almost everyone, has done this at least once in their life, and this is another habit that we must get rid of. Your knife is not a screwdriver or a bottle opener, and you shouldn’t try to use it for any other purpose. Never misuse a knife. I hope this article, inspired by material from Serious Eats, will help you keep your knives safe and sound. safety. Do you have a favorite kitchen knife, and if so, what brand?