The complete guide to maintaining your kitchen knives.
Experts share their best tips.
When you invest in a high-quality kitchen knife, it’s natural to want it to remain sharp and functional for many years – ideally for a lifetime. Fortunately, this is not difficult to achieve if you take good care of it. Professional chefs are known for maintaining their tools, especially their knives, and you should do the same. Often, it’s a matter of changing a few old habits and introducing some simple routines into your daily use.
In this guide, experts Mikkel Maarbjerg and Nikolaj Kirk share their best tips on how to keep your knives in top condition for years to come. With their professional insights, you’ll get the tools you need to ensure your knives stay sharp and functional for many years ahead.
Tip 1: Proper Storage – Avoid Damage.
Do you store your knives in the kitchen drawer? That’s a bad idea. When knives are left there, they are exposed to bumps and scratches, which can quickly dull them. To protect your knives from unnecessary wear, you should either choose a magnetic knife holder in fiber or store your knives in a bamboo knife block that stands freely on the kitchen counter.
Both solutions help preserve both the blade and handle in good condition while providing easy access to your knives. It’s not only a practical storage solution but also a beautiful way to display your elegant knives so they are always within reach.
Tip 2: Avoid Washing Your Knives in the Dishwasher.
This is undoubtedly one of the most important tips we can give you. Quality knives – especially those made from Japanese VG10 gold steel – should never be washed in the dishwasher. The dishwasher can cause serious damage to both the steel and the handle. The harsh soaps and salts the knives are exposed to during washing can break down the steel and ruin the sharpness of the blade.
While it may be tempting to throw the knives in the dishwasher, it’s a bad idea. The machine is tough on the knife's edge and exposes it to unnecessary chemical exposure, which can lead to corrosion, even on stainless steel knives. To ensure your knives remain in good condition, you should always wash them by hand.
Use a soft brush and mild soapy water to clean the knives, and make sure to dry both the blade and handle thoroughly after washing. By following this method, you can ensure your knives stay sharp and in good condition for many years.
Tip 3: Use a High-Quality Ceramic Sharpening Rod.
To keep your kitchen knives sharp, it’s a good idea to give them a few strokes with a ceramic sharpening rod each time you use them. It’s important to choose a ceramic sharpening rod, as it is much more effective in maintaining the sharpness of quality knives.
Quality knives like our Discovery Pro knives, forged from Japanese VG10 gold steel, are made of very hard steel. A regular steel sharpening rod doesn’t have the necessary hardness to fine-tune the edge of such knives. On the other hand, a ceramic sharpening rod has the right hardness, making it ideal for preserving the knife's sharpness and functionality for a long time. So, make sure to use your sharpening rod.
Tip 4: Invest in Quality Knives with Proper Craftsmanship.
If you want knives that last for many years and maintain their sharpness, it’s important to choose knives made from hard steel and undergo a proper hardening process. This process, which involves both heat treatment and cooling, is costly and time-consuming but essential to ensure the steel becomes strong without becoming brittle. A properly hardened knife can withstand intensive use without chipping or losing its edge.
It’s also important to understand that quality knives are not cheap. The choice of steel, the precision in manufacturing, and the design development are factors reflected in the price. If you want a knife that will last a lifetime, you should choose one made from good steel and treated with care. Remember, the knife is the tool you use most in the kitchen – so it’s worth investing in the best.