| The best thing you can do to keep your knives | | | | In addition to keeping your knives clean, it's a |
| sharp and to avoid wear and tear on the blade's | | | | good idea to keep them sharpened and in |
| edge is to make sure to use it on the proper | | | | alignment. A honing steel is an essential piece of |
| cutting surface. Using a cutting board made of | | | | equipment if you want to keep your knives in |
| glass, stone, stainless steel or ceramic will quickly | | | | tip-top shape. The honing steel is not a sharpener, |
| dull your knife. For this reason, it's advisable to | | | | but is used to re-align and straighten the blade's |
| avoid using your good kitchen knives to cut food | | | | edge. By pulling the knife's edge along the length |
| directly on ceramic or porcelain dinnerware or on | | | | of the honing steel, the blade can be brought back |
| granite or marble countertops. The better option | | | | to the correct angle. Manufacturers recommend |
| is using cutting boards made of wood, bamboo, | | | | using a honing steel every time you work with |
| plastic or synthetic because they won't dull your | | | | your knives. |
| blades. | | | | As far as sharpening your knives, there are a |
| It's also important to keep your knives clean. Ask | | | | number of home knife sharpeners on the market |
| any professional chef how to wash a good knife | | | | today and many of them do a good job at |
| and I would wager that 99 times out of 100 you | | | | returning a reasonably sharp edge to your blades. |
| will get the same answer and a stern one at that: | | | | The manual sharpeners are significantly less |
| A kitchen knife should always be washed by hand | | | | expensive than their electric counterparts, but |
| after each use using a mild liquid detergent and | | | | just don't seem to be able to manage a blade |
| then dried thoroughly with a towel. And, then that | | | | that is pretty dull. If you keep up with your |
| same chef will tell you, and with great emphasis, | | | | knives and the blades are only modestly dull, the |
| that a good knife should NEVER be washed in a | | | | manual knife sharpener is probably fine for you. |
| dishwasher because the heat and steam will ruin | | | | Otherwise, you'll probably want to invest in an |
| wood handles and the knife can be easily nicked | | | | electric sharpener. When shopping for an electric |
| by being tossed around in the dishwasher. | | | | knife sharpener, you may want to consider |
| All this being said, I have to admit (and I realize | | | | getting one that includes a non-motorized slot that |
| that I may be about to incur the disdain of many | | | | can be used like a honing steel. This will save you |
| amazing chefs by doing so), that I sometimes | | | | having to buy the steel in addition to the |
| wash my knives in the dishwasher, because, due | | | | sharpener. In addition, the honing mechanism on |
| to safety reasons, I don't like handling a sharp | | | | the electric sharpeners is much easier to use than |
| blade with wet hands. For this reason, I only buy | | | | the traditional honing steel. |
| plastic-or composite-handled knives because | | | | The other option for sharpening your knives is to |
| wooden handled knives really shouldn't go into the | | | | take them to a professional knife sharpener. This |
| dishwasher. And I've never had a problem with | | | | choice is certainly less convenient than running the |
| my knives getting nicked in there, although I'm | | | | blade through a sharpener at home, but nothing |
| very careful about how I load them. | | | | can give your blades a sharper edge than an |
| If you choose to wash your knives in the | | | | experienced professional can. In fact, many |
| dishwasher, make sure to place them securely in | | | | professional chefs say that having your knives |
| the top shelf of your dishwasher so that they | | | | sharpened by a professional knife sharpener is the |
| won't move around during the washing cycle and | | | | only way to go. |
| don't use the heated dry cycle. For safety sake, | | | | If you're interested, most good kitchenware |
| be careful unloading the dishwasher. And, remove | | | | shops can direct you to a qualified person. Or, you |
| the knives from the dishwasher immediately after | | | | can also look under 'Sharpening Services' in your |
| the washing cycle is complete. | | | | local Yellow Pages. |