They way you store your knives can damage your knives. Improper knife storage can dull your knives. Let’s look at how to keep your most frequently used kitchen tool sharp and safe.
Should you just throw your knife into a drawer? Nope. This can cause your knife to bang around. It will dull faster and it could chip the blade.
Is there a way to store your knife in a drawer? Yup.
In-drawer knife storage
If you simply must throw that knife in a drawer, pick up an in-drawer knife organizer. It keeps them from bouncing around your drawer.
Lots of companies make them. You can find ones to take up a full, standard sized kitchen drawer or ones that will take up half. They also come in plastic or wood.
Make sure to measure your drawer before you buy one so you’ll know if it will fit.
This is a great storage option for any kitchen with spare drawers.
Knife blocks
Ah, the traditional old knife block. They’re a pain to clean, so find some counter space away from the inevitable stove splatters associated with cooking.
These come in so many colours, shapes, and materials I’m sure you can find one to fit your kitchen decor.
Try to find one with horizontal slots like this one:
Even though some are made of wood, simply sliding your knife in blade down can dull your knife’s edge. If that perfect colour and style of knife block has vertical slots, it’s OK. Just store your knives with the spine facing down. What’s the spine? I’m glad you asked.
Knife magnets
These are great if you have the space for them. You’ll have to consider everything about space here. You might think, “My knife magnet will go great in that spot where I always place my cutting board!” But if that spot has a beautiful ceramic tile back splash, it might not be a viable option.
Consider the fact that you’ll have to drill some holes and other handy-person things I know nothing about.
I’ve heard of people putting knife magnets on the inside of cupboards. It could be a great space-saving technique, but you need to make sure there’s enough clearance in your cupboard, the cupboard can handle the added weight, and you’re willing to have to open your cupboard every time you need another knife.
Be careful not to crowd your knives on your knife magnet. If you have this many knives, you might consider keeping some of the frequently used knives on the magnet, and some in a block.
As you can see from this picture, they’re a great option if you have a variety of shapes and sizes of knives.
BE CAREFUL:
When using a knife magnet, always place the spine of the knife against the magnet first. If you place your knife on the magnet flat, you could end up chipping the cutting edge. So spine first, then once it hits the magnet, slowly tilt it until the blade is fully connected with the magnet.
Keep your knife in sharp shape with proper storing techniques.
