Home chefs don’t need to have loads and loads of knives. Just a couple is enough to do all of the basic cooking that you require as well as the fancy dinners you may treat yourself to. However, in order to only have a couple you do need to take care of them so that they continue to last into the future and more importantly don’t cause you any injuries. There is a list of do’s and do not’s that you can take a look at but here are just a few things you can do to keep your knives at their best.
Sharp Knives
One of the most important things about caring for your kitchen knives is to ensure that they are sharp and ready for action. A dull knife in your kitchen makes your life more difficult and more dangerous. A dull knife requires you to apply more pressure to an object which means it can slip from underneath you and cause you serious injury. It is worthwhile investing in a to prevent this. They are quick and easy to use and are really effective at keeping a blade on your knife.
Honing your blades
This is different from sharpening your knife. Sharpening is where you take away tiny amounts of metal to reshape the edge of it. on the other hand is aligning the edge of the knife. This is effectively uncurling the edge of the knife that has curled over with continued use. It is simple enough to do at home and only requires a honing rod that can realign the edge in a few lashes. You can hone before each use of the knife whereas you may only sharpen once in a blue moon.
Cutting boards
Once you have a sharp and honed edge then you can start getting to work. Regardless of what you are cutting or the amount of it, you should always . This can be made from wood or plastic as long as you use one. Never chop directly onto your countertop. You should look for a softwood cutting board if you want to look after your knife. Plastic ones, however, are much cheaper and can be easily replaced when they look worse for wear.
Cleaning your knives
Knives are subject to terrible abuse when they are not . You should never wash them in a dishwasher. The blade will bang off other pieces of cutlery or crockery. You should stick to handwashing them. Keep it simple with warm water and soap. Also, they last much longer if you dry them immediately rather than letting them dry in the air.
Looking after your knives
Knives are more important than you may think if you want to be proficient in the kitchen. You need to make sure that you look after them by maintaining their edges and keeping them sharp. Also, make sure to use them correctly. Otherwise not only will you damage your knives but maybe yourself as well.
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