When we invest in a kitchen knife, we naturally want it to serve us well for a long time. We should therefore follow these seven principles to extend its lifespan:
- Choose a high-quality kitchen knife.
- Cut only on a cutting board designed for that purpose. The ideal cutting board for food is made of wood cut along the grain, or a plastic cutting board. Never use glass or marble cutting boards, as they will definitely dull the knife.
- Wash your kitchen knife immediately after use. Fruits and vegetables in particular (such as tomatoes or lemons) contain high levels of acid. If their residues dry on the blade, the acid will corrode the edge and may also cause stains on the blade.
- Do not use a dishwasher to wash your knife. Even though the blades of our Ruby kitchen knives, for example, can withstand dishwasher use, the chemical and physical reactions that occur in the dishwasher can affect the handle. Specifically, these include the effects of salt, sudden temperature changes, and microparticles released from other dishes.
- Store your knives properly. Kitchen knives should not simply be placed in a drawer where their blades come into contact with other metal. Solutions include either magnetic wall mounts or special wooden knife blocks.
- Sharpen the knife regularly with a sharpening steel. A proper sharpening steel does not grind the knife but only straightens the fine edge that has become wavy during cutting.
- Sharpen your knives regularly. Sharpening creates the correct blade angle. Depending on how often they’re used, kitchen knives should be sharpened once or twice a year. If you really care about your knives, you should have them sharpened by professionals.