How to handle a new knife before use?

Kitchen knives are very important things in our daily life. They are used for cooking or other purposes. Most people have a misunderstanding when using new kitchen knives. Many people use the newly bought kitchen knives directly. In fact, the newly bought kitchen knives need to be sharpened by professional knife sharpeners. They can be used after sharpening. If they are used directly, it is easy to reduce the service life of the kitchen knives.

Maintenance of kitchen knives:

(1) "Small cracks" look like sawtooth notches and should be "bent blades". This may be caused by the blade not being sharpened properly during "sharpening", resulting in uneven force on the blade after use.

(2) Sharpening kitchen knives is a manual labor and requires certain skills: Use an oil stone to grind both sides symmetrically and ensure that the angles of both sides are consistent (meat cutting knives: 8-10 degrees, boning knives: 10-15 degrees). The same blade must be ground at the same angle (the knife sharpener's experience in holding the knife). After sharpening, use a natural fine stone to finely grind both sides of the blade. Otherwise, the meat will stick to the knife and cannot be removed. Finally, use your thumb to "test (the knife sharpener's experience)" the blade to see if it is consistently sharp.

(3) A vegetable cutting knife should not be used as a bone chopping knife to chop pork bones or frozen meat. Don't try to save time and use the cutting knife as a chopping knife.

(4) Never use a grinding wheel to sharpen the knife just for the sake of speed, otherwise it will heat up and "anneal" the blade, making it soft and ruining the knife! This is especially true for common stainless steel kitchen knives. Stainless steel is highly heat sensitive!

How to extend the life of your kitchen knives

Put your knife away

A kitchen wall mounted cutter is one option. This keeps the knives within easy reach and makes it easy for you to grab the knife you want. However, for a household with young children, cutting utensils are not a good idea unless they are mounted high on the counter.

A knife block is another option. Get a knife block to place your knives on so they aren't lying on the blade, or a material to keep the blade from dulling. One option is a corundum knife block, which is filled with tiny plastic rods that can accommodate a large number of knives and a variety of blade shapes.

Finally, you can also look for knife storage in a dedicated drawer that has slots to keep your knives securely placed. The downside to a knife block is that unless you memorize which knife goes where and make sure to put each knife back where it belongs, it may take several attempts before you pull out the knife you want.

Be sure to keep your blades sharp and polished

Culinary students learn this on their first day: A dull knife is a dangerous knife because the extra force required to cut food could mean the knife slips and cuts you. Regular sharpening of the knife will ensure its safe and effective use.

First, know the difference between honing and sharpening: Honing straightens the microscopic "teeth" that make up a blade's edge, which can bend to one side over time, while sharpening actually grinds ultrafine particles out of the metal blade to recreate the blade. A honing steel can help recondition the blade to keep it in optimal cutting condition, while knife sharpening will restore the blade's like-new sharpness. Pencil sharpeners are available on handheld sticks, or in manual or electric versions. When the knife passes through a slot, you scuff the blade and keep it at the correct angle. If your knives are dull, or you're just nervous yourself, you can also get them professionally sharpened.

Don't wash your knives in the dishwasher

Even if manufacturers tout their knives as being safe, you’re better off hand-cleaning your knives. Rough agitation from a dishwasher can damage the blade by knocking it against other utensils or dishes. What’s more, the detergents and high temperatures used in dishwashers can deteriorate your blades. Finally, it is not safe to place sharp knives in the dishwasher.

Wash the knife immediately after use

Knives are easiest to clean after use, before juices or food particles have a chance to dry on the blade. If you use a knife to cut through acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus, the juices may corrode the metal or cause spotting. Leaving knives sitting in the sink or basin is a bad idea.

Wash the knife carefully

This is not difficult to do. Simply use a sponge or rag and warm, soapy water to wash the blade by folding over the back of the sponge and working from the handle end to the tip of the blade. Then wash the handle carefully. Then rinse with warm water and immediately dry the knife with a dry rag.

Use a knife-friendly cutting board

The right cutting board can keep your knives sharper longer. Avoid cutting boards made of glass, ceramic, or marble, as they can dull your knives, not to mention cause them to slip onto hard, shiny surfaces.