How To Prevent Kitchen Knives From Dulling

I’m sure I’m not the only person to know that kitchen knives are some of the most important utensils in my kitchen.

But trying to prepare foods with blunt knives makes your job in the kitchen so much harder and less enjoyable!

However, it’s not always convenient to get knives sharpened professionally, never mind the costs associated.

Let’s get something straight. Knives will always dull – that’s a fact. Never believe anyone who tells you they’ve found a blade that will never become blunt. It’s practically impossible!

Knife blades are made from metal. With regular use on food, the sharp edge will wear away, causing dulling.

However, what you can control is dulling and microscopic dents that can happen from not looking after your knives correctly.

You can take preventative steps, so your blades are only becoming dull from standard use, and therefore will need fewer sharpening sessions.

Here are some steps I’ve taken to stop premature denting and dulling:

• Clean knives by hand washing, and NOT by throwing them into a dishwasher

The dishwasher will move your knives about, causing them to come into contact with other knives and utensils. This causes premature dulling.

Simply wash each blade with some water and detergent.

• Dry knives straight away before storing

Wet blades can develop mildew or mold. If you’re using carbon steel knives, water left on for extended periods can cause rusting too.

I always opt for stainless steel blades for all my knives, but I still make sure I dry them with a towel before I store them away.

• Store knives on a magnetic strip, NOT in a kitchen drawer or knife block

Storing knives where they can come into contact with each other and/or other utensils will cause premature dulling.

If you’re really organized, and have kitchen drawers where you place each knife into its own section, then great.

But, if you’re anything like me, or like most other people I suspect, and you just throw things into kitchen drawers, then storing knives this way is a bad idea.

They’ll bang against each other and other utensils, which can cause dents, and you will damage your blades over time.

I used to think a knife block was the answer. After all, each one of my knives could have its own slot – no interaction with each other or other utensils.

Wrong! It took a chef friend of mine to explain that drawing a blade from a knife block can cause serious dulling as the blade slides across the interior of the slot.

Regardless of whether your knife block is wooden, plastic, or some other material, each time you draw your knife out, you are dulling your blade.

The best solution is to use a magnetic knife holder. Simply attach your knives to the strip, making sure there is space between each blade.

If your knives can have no interaction with each other, or other materials or utensils, they’re not going to dull prematurely!

• Only use your knives with wooden cutting boards, NOT on stone, granite, glass or synthetic materials such as plastic, silicone etc

The only material that is kind to knife blades is wood. Even then, I don’t recommend sliding a blade across the length of the board! It’s why I choose not to use a wooden knife block.

But wooden surfaces are MUCH kinder to your blades, so use a wooden cutting board, and you’ll find that you won’t need to sharpen or hone your blades anywhere near as often.

• Use the correct knife for each task

Each knife is designed for different kitchen tasks. Using a paring knife to cut through bone is just asking for a dull and damaged blade!

Know what each knife you own is designed for. For example, a paring knife is for intricate, detailed deseeding, mincing or chopping.

A chef’s knife is for your bigger chopping, slicing and dicing tasks. A serrated bread knife is for cutting through bread, or for preparing soft, slippery food, such as tomatoes……and so on.

Another issue is using kitchen knives for non-kitchen tasks (something I’m guilty of in the past!)

I’ve used kitchen knives to scrape gunk of BBQ grill grates, break up big chunks of ice…… even pick a lock!

Don’t do this! The hint is in the name. They are kitchen knives, and should only be used for food preparation (no, removing nails from a wall that happens to be in the kitchen does not count!)

As I said previously, knives will dull. You knives are coming into contact with vegetables, fruit, meat…..and your cutting board.

But, by using the preventative measures above, your knives will remain sharp for a very long time before they need attention!

Our Chef Remi Cutting Board, made from sustainable, eco-friendly rubber wood, is the best cutting board for all your food prep tasks.

This wooden cutting board naturally kills surface bacteria, and will not harbor microbes inside knife scratches (unlike synthetic boards), so you can carve, slice and chop away, without worrying about germs or food poisoning!

Also, wood is much kinder to all your kitchen knives, so they won’t become prematurely dull.

Add this indispensable kitchen tool to your collection today.