Mistakes to Avoid That Will Destroy Your Knives

Everyone who has ever cooked at home or professionally should know these techniques and life hacks to keep your knife blade as sharp as possible and having a long life.

We have listed the most common knife cleaning and maintenance mistakes to help you avoid them.

Letting Your Knives Get Blunt

Always keep your knife sharp. You are more likely to cut your fingers with a blunt knife; it's a common mistake for people to make.

The biggest being that they think using honing steel sharpens your knife when all it really does is hone the knife. The best way to keep your kitchen blades sharp is with a sharpening stone, such as the whetstone.

Cutting Hard Surfaces or Materials

Never what so ever cut with a knife on steel, marble granite, aluminium, or any hard surface; it will make your knife blunt in the blink of an eye. There is a scientific explanation, but we won't get into that. Just don't do it, please.

Washing in Cold Water

Never wash your knife in cold water as this also makes your knife blunt; always wash in hot soapy water and never leave a knife in a sink that has water in it; you or someone might not know that there is a knife in the sink, and someone will get cut.

Make sure to wash your knife by hand, as dishwashing can also dull the blade.

Rushing the Sharpening Process

It's another common mistake to think that the faster you use steel to sharpen a knife, the quicker it will get done. This action is a massive mistake.

Make sure you hold the steel firmly and tightly while holding your knife at an angle of 17 to 20 degrees.

Push down onto the steel as hard as you can without putting too much pressure so that you slip. Start at the base of your knife and slowly and firmly push the knife until the tip touches the end of the steel.

There is a magnet at the end of any well-made steel to help guide you.

Incorrect Storage

You can use the rough part at the bottom of a mug or plate to home your knife. Storing your knives can also play a significant role in maintaining the sharpness of your blade.

Try to avoid mixing your knives with other utensils, as this can also dull the blade. Keep them in a separate area in the drawer to get a knife bag if you are serious.

Many people might disagree, but storing your knife in a wooden block can be a health hazard as you can't clean the slots that the blades are stored in and can be a breeding ground for germs.

We might sometimes not dry our knives correctly, and they might still be wet, and bacteria love's dark, warm, and moist places so try to avoid knife blocks.

With all these hacks to follow, it might seem like a lot of work, but it doesn't make a habit of proper knife care, and you will see that having a sharp knife is already almost half of the job done.