SHARPENING KNIVES LIKE THE PROS – ALL THINGS KNIFE CARE

Sharpening knives and keeping them sharp

In the kitchen, knives are indispensable tools in almost every culinary project. However, even high-quality knives are utensils you will enjoy more the more carefully they are handled and cared for. We have compiled a brief overview of exactly that here: How to knives.

Why do I need sharp knives at all?

The sharper your knife, the lower the risk of injury when using it. This is because you need far less pressure to cut with a sharp knife and are, therefore, less likely to slip. Cutting is simply easier!

How do I protect my knives?

• Wash your knives by hand to protect them from aggressive cleaning agents and the high temperatures of the dishwasher.


• Use a suitable cutting surface: wood or plastic is ideal and protects your blades.


• Store your knives in a knife block or magnetic strip – not in the drawer, where they often bump into other cooking utensils.

How do you make dull knives sharp again?

There are now countless knife-sharpening tools on the market – there is something here for everyone. Here are three methods for sharpening knives:

• Sharpening steel: If you sharpen your knife with a sharpening steel, you ensure that the knife edge is aligned (i.e. small bends are levelled out), which means your knife cuts better. This also means that no material is removed. Sharpening steels are available in different materials – and, therefore, various degrees of hardness. It is best to find out which material is suitable for your knives in advance.


• Sharpening stone: Here, too, you will find products made from different materials – and not every material is suitable for every knife. There are also whetstones in a variety of various grit sizes. You work your way from lower to higher grits during the sharpening process. This constantly removes material and makes the knife edge sharp again.


• Professional: If you prefer not to do it yourself, you can always entrust your knives to a professional knife sharpener.
  By the way, sharpening a serrated knife (such as a bread knife) is rather tricky for non-professionals. In those cases, it’s usually worth visiting a professional knife sharpener.