Most people have a few kitchen knives that they cycle through, but as you grow more advanced in the kitchen, you may feel the need to grow your collection of knives, and that also means expanding your knowledge of kitchen knives.
After all, there are so many different knives out there that it can be quite overwhelming to know where to start. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of four important things that you should know about kitchen knives, so keep reading to learn more.
You need to keep them sharp
The sharper a knife, the more effective it is. High-quality knives will likely stay sharp for quite a long time, but even they will eventually lose their edge, especially with time and regular use.
However, you shouldn’t make the mistake of throwing out your knives once they become dull or blunt. Instead, you should invest in a sharpening stone. This way, you can sharpen your knives any time you need. It might take you a while to get the hang of using a sharpening stone, but once you do, you will be able to get your kitchen knives working like new.
You need to keep them clean
Keeping your knives clean is absolutely essential. Not only will this keep your knives in good condition by preventing rust, but it will also help keep you safe since clean dirty knives can lead to cross-contamination between food types.
You might be able to clean your knives in the dishwasher, but this post suggests that washing them by hand may be more effective. Either way, you need to make sure that your knives are always dried properly so that you can prevent rust. You should also store them separately from your other utensils to minimize damage.
You need to stay safe when using them
Knives may be an essential tool in the kitchen, and you may be familiar with using them, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying to be safe.
Even the most experienced chefs may have mishaps in the kitchen. As mentioned earlier, a sharper knife is always better to use, but one of the problems is that you are at greater risk of injuring yourself when using a sharp knife. You can always consider using gloves, or you can simply pay attention while chopping things so that you don’t accidentally cut yourself. That being said, it can still be helpful to know how to treat deep cuts in case of an emergency.
You need to understand the different types of knives
There are loads of different knives out there, and while you may not be able to learn everything about all of them, you should at least try to understand which knife to use for which purpose.
For example, if you are chopping vegetables to grill, you likely wouldn’t use the same knife as you would cut up a steak. There aren’t any strict rules when it comes to which knife to use for what, but as you grow more experienced with using kitchen knives, you will learn which ones work best depending on what you need them for.
