If you've spent the money on a high quality set of chef's knives, you know that you've just made a significant investment.
Good quality knives are meant to last for decades or more, and the price usually reflects that. However, it's worth it because you know you have good knives that you'll likely never have to replace. But since you've spent so much money on them, you'll want to keep them looking as nice as possible. Here's what you need to do to keep your knives pretty.
1. Keep Them Dry and Free of Food Debris
This means that you need to always wash your knives immediately after using them, and also dry them right away. This will help them stay sharp and germ-free. They'll also stay shiny this way, and more pleasant to look at.
2. Sharpen Your Knives Every Time You Use Them
Your knife set probably came with a steel, which is a long, round piece of metal that is used to sharpen knives. After cleaning and drying your knives, run them once along the steel, just to give their sharpness a quick boost before putting them away.
3. Only Cut Food With the Knives, and Nothing Else
It's a bad, bad idea to cut things like boxes, paper, and string with your chef's knives. This can cause the blades to become dull, and may even break the blade, since non-food materials are harder and tougher than what the knife was meant to cut. Use lesser quality knives or scissors to cut non-food items.
4. Keep Your Knives Out of the Dishwasher
Dishwashers are not kind to chef's knives of good quality. Detergents can scratch the metal and dull the blade, and the knives can even get broken by being jostled around in the dishwasher while it's running. Always wash your knives by hand even if your knife states that it is is dishwasher safe.
5. Sharpen Your Knives Properly at Least Two Times a Year
This type of sharpening means more than just a quick once-over on the steel. You'll want to get all the knives in the set out a couple of times a year and sharpen them thoroughly and properly with a real professional knife sharpening tool. Some times when you purchase an expensive set of Chef Knives you will receive information on where you can send your knives out for a professional sharpening. Some people disregard this information because it may cost $15+ however, professional sharpening (if you don't know how to do it yourself properly) can help your knife last a lifetime and that is much less expensive than having to purchase knives over and over again.
Thank you for visiting Chef Knife Set
Related posts: