Did you know that taking care of your knives increases their lifespan, as well as cutting edge retention?
1. Packaging
Knives should preferably be stored in a knife block, or hung on a magnetic bar
Why? Keeping your knives loose in a drawer can damage their edge when they touch each other and is dangerous because you are more likely to cut yourself when looking for one.
2. Use
It is important that you use the knife suitable for the operation you intend to carry out.
Why? The knife was thought and designed with a specific purpose in mind, so using it for other purposes puts its performance and durability into question.
Example: If you are going to bone a chicken, do not use a carving knife. It will damage the thread of the same, jeopardizing its performance when you want to carve a loin with it. If, for example, you need to break bones or cartilage you should use a cleaver.
3. Cut
Cut food on a wooden or plastic board.
Why? Using knives on hard bases, such as stone, artificial stone, glass, or directly on the kitchen countertop, results in a rapid loss of edge and, consequently, cutting ability.
4. Washing and cleaning
Hand wash: You should wash your knives after use, under running water, using a mildly abrasive mop and soap and finally dry them with a soft cloth.You must immediately dry your knives to avoid corrosion;
Why? Leaving your knives with food scraps containing salt or acid, or exposed to water and moisture, leads to staining and corrosion on the blades.
Machine wash: Only knives with a plastic handle can be machine washed. However, they must be previously rinsed in running water and removed from the machine immediately after the end of the washing cycle, thus avoiding stains on the blades and corrosion. It is also important to keep them separate from other objects to avoid knocks that could damage the knives.
Why? Knives with wooden handles should not be subjected to high temperatures and plenty of water, as they tend to swell and fade, making them look bad and have damaged handles.
Curiosity: The stainless steel used in the knives contains a small percentage of carbon, which will provide them with greater cutting capacity and facilitate their recovery. Steels with these characteristics are more susceptible to corrosion.
Note: Regardless of the steel type of your knife, after use it is always advisable to clean and dry your knives.
Tips: It is possible to remove light stains and traces of corrosion with metal cleaner (eg Duraglit, etc.); To conserve the wooden handles you can use domestic oil, cold (ex. Linseed oil, etc.); In carbon steel or Damascus steel knives, you can use camellia oil on the blade;
5. Sharpening
Keep your knives sharp. It is very important to keep the edge of your knife sharp in order to make perfect and safe cuts.
Why? A knife that is not sharp is a dangerous knife! Using a knife with a damaged or “blind” edge requires applying more pressure and effort in the cut, which can result in minor domestic accidents. Still, the fatigue will be greater.
As the knife is used, its edge loses its edge and it is necessary to restore it to regain maximum cutting power. With the exception of serrated knives, all knives can recover the original edge.