I love a good knife. My favorite knife is the santoku, which is why I have 5 of them (4 in the photo, 1 is in one of the blocks). My Wusthof chef’s knife (far left on the magnetic strip) is also on my favorites list. So you might be asking why the heck I have two knife blocks and the magnetic strip. Well, it started out when my dad bought me my first block set about 8 years ago. He told me, “Be careful, they’re really sharp!” I thought to myself, “well, duh!” But I just nodded and said, “Ok, Dad.”
I quickly outgrew the block when he bought me more knives the next year, so he bought me the magnetic hanger, too. Since then, my favorite go-to knives hang on the strip for easy access, and I’ve continued to build my knife collection. (Word of caution on magnetic strips in the top 10 list below.) Everything else goes in one of the blocks. We actually got the Wusthof block (on the left) yesterday on clearance at Williams-Sonoma. I desperately needed a block space for steak knives, so I’m glad I found it. I was planning to sell or give away the block on the right, but I realized I should probably keep it for my ever-expanding knife collection.
If you’re in the market for some knives, make sure you actually get to hold and feel them before you buy. There is one higher-end brand that makes an amazing knife, but they’ve never felt quite right when I’ve used them. I was eyeing them for a long time, but once I finally was able to use one, I crossed them off of my wish list. I’m sure there are loads of people who think they’re great, but they just don’t work well with my hands I guess.
If you’re knife shopping on a budget, you have a couple of options. Honestly the only knives that I think are essential are a chef’s knife and paring knife. Some say a serrated knife is also essential, but I hardly ever use mine. Let’s be serious, nobody actually needs 5 santoku knives (says the person who owns 5 santoku knives). It’s usually more expensive to buy knives individually rather than part of a set, but if you’re looking to save money and get just the essentials, you can get by just fine with a chef’s knife and a paring knife. The other option is to look for a block set. You can get sets for a good value, but keep searching clearance and sales. If I had a choice, I’d get a high quality chef’s knife and paring knife over a mediocre block set.
You probably understand by now how much I love my collection of knives. I’m kind of obsessive about how they’re cared for. I want them to last! Here are my kitchen knife top 10 rules.
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Don’t let them sit in the sink or soak in water. Knives in my kitchen should never actually enter a sink unless they’re being held and washed. If I can’t wash a knife right away, I place it next to the sink. I always wash them once I’m finished cooking.
No dishwasher! I’ll admit I’m a little lax with what should go in the dishwasher, but not with my knives.
Never put a wet knife back in the block. You don’t want the inside of your block to get wet and grow all kinds of science experiments. Some people will say to dry knives right away. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. When I don’t, I have them sitting on a drying mat or in a drying rack.
Use a magnetic strip carefully. Some say that magnetic strips are bad for knives. But I like to use one, so I do it carefully. Put the knife on the strip blade side last. You should hear two clicks if you do it right – one when the first edge makes contact, one when the blade makes contact. Pull it off blade side first. Like the two click concept when putting the knife on, you should feel two releases when you take it off – one for the blade side, then one for the other side.
Choose your cutting surface wisely. No glass cutting boards! I usually use an Epicurean cutting board, cutting mat, or wooden board. Speaking of wooden boards, don’t leave them in the sink, soak them, or put them in the dishwasher either. And take care of any wooden boards with some Boos Board Cream (also great for wooden spoons and such).
Never scrape ingredients across the board with the blade. Please, I am begging you, flip the knife over and move your ingredients around using the non-blade/top edge. Seeing or hearing someone scrape ingredients across a board with the blade side of a knife makes me cringe more than fingernails on a chalkboard. Why is this such a big deal? It’s better for the health of the blade.
Hone regularly. This doesn’t sharpen the knife, but it realigns the blade to keep it performing at its best.
Get your knives professionally sharpened once per year, or more often depending on use. Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table both offer this service. There are other options, but do your research before selecting someone. I don’t recommend DIY sharpening. I don’t mind sharpening knives that aren’t super nice myself, but I take the nicest ones in for sharpening. Also, a well-maintained knife will also be easier to sharpen.
Use good knife skills. Watch some YouTube videos on this if you need to learn more. Good knife skills are essential for good cooking. Your ingredients cook evenly if they’re close in size and shape. Good knife skills are also a good safety skill; cutting your finger is no fun!
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