You’ve got the sharpest knife in the kitchen - which is great. As they say, a sharp knife is safer to use than a dull knife which requires using more force and is thus more likely to slip. Even then, it is important to handle your razor sharp knife with care to avoid accidents. Here are 5 kitchen knife tips designed to keep yourself, your surroundings, and your knife in safety and top notch condition.
1. Cut the outer edge off your fruit, vegetables, and other uneven ingredients in a manner so they get a flat side. Flip the ingredient over with the flat side down and voila, now you can enjoy easy, safe, and stable cutting.
2: You’ve chopped and sliced a bunch of ingredients on your cutting board, and now you need to move them over into the pan. You already have the knife in your hand, so why not use that to scrape off all the ingredients? We all do it - but did you know there’s a right way and a wrong way? We tend to just use the sharp edge of our knife to scrape off the food, but a much better method is to flip the knife upside-down so that the knife’s spine faces towards the cutting board. Now simply use the spine to scrape off any ingredients. Scraping with the sharp edge of your knife is a fastlane ticket to dull-town.
3. Never put a knife in the sink - whether it’s full of water or not. The hard materials of the sink can dull or damage the knife. Furthermore, even the smallest drop of water is one of your knife’s worst enemies, so never leave a knife in contact with water for prolonged periods of time or you risk getting rust stains. Consider washing your knife under running water (with the blade facing away from you) as soon as you are done using it and then fully dry it with a kitchen towel.
4. Never, ever attempt catching a falling knife. Yes, that sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes instinct gets the better of us. Resist any reflex that urges to grab a knife that is falling. Better a damaged knife or floor than you getting hurt.
5. When you are handing someone else your knife, either lay it down on a flat surface for the other person pick up or hold the blade in your hand with the spine-side facing down towards your palm and the handle pointing towards the recipient.
6. If you need to walk through the kitchen with a knife, always hold your knife straight down your side with its sharp edge facing behind you. This position is less likely to cause accidents should someone bump into you or should you make a sudden unintentional movement.
7. You’ve just cut the most delicious and spongy chocolate cake into perfect little squares. Now you see all the gooey chocolatey goodness sticking to your blade. You know you want it - BUT! Never, ever lick a knife. We know, we know - it sounds obvious but it can also be tempting. We’re here to tell you it’s just a bad idea. Teach this one to your kids early. That’s an important lesson.
Always remember that the key to good knife habits is practice, patience, and following proper safety guidelines. Doing this and with a razor sharp kitchen knife in your possession makes cooking way more fun and exciting. Enjoy yourself - and happy cooking!
Click here to see our Top 3 Knife Grips here for proper safety guidelines.
Want more tips? Click here to read up on 5 Common Kitchen Knife Tips.