Daily Tip - Knife Storage

Perhaps more than any other item - a cook's most important tool is a properly sharpened knife. One of the biggest mistakes that people make, which can seriously damage the knives and unintentionally hurt someone is improperly storing kitchen knives. 

You have a few different options on how to store (and transport - should it be necessary) your knives. 

1.  Plastic sheaths - often used by people who store knives in a drawer, or for transport purposes. To use these, simply insert the end of the knife into the notch as if you were slicing and then ease the rest of the knife into the sheath. These help keep knives sharper longer. 

2.  In-drawer storage - typically made of wood or high density plastic - this is a great option if you have an extra kitchen drawer to set aside for this purpose. Unfortunately, I don't have the drawer space, so I can't use this option. 

3.  Counter blocks - typically made of resin or wood, they keep knives within arm's reach on the countertop and sorted. So you bought your knives separately and not as a set? No worries - a knife block can be purchased on it's own (and hold up to 20+ knives, plus room for a sharpener, kitchen shears, etc.). This is what we use, and an extra tip - if there are vertical slots in the block, store the knives blade side up, so you don't dull the knife while it's just sitting in the block. 

4.  Wall mounted block - these can be a great option depending on your storage space. You'll need to measure carefully with your longest knife to make sure that removing that knife won't be impeded by cabinets or other equipment. 

5.  Under cabinet storage - great for small kitchens. In my first apartment, I had ONE drawer (that was about six inches wide, tops) and a measly bit of countertop that was at most a foot square. This would've been ideal for that place. 

6.  Knife rolls - although these are generally used only by professionals and hunters transporting their knives to and from work.  When I was taking the brown line on the el everyday to and from work, there must have been a culinary school close by - as there would be numerous people on the train in their houndstooth chef pants and with their knife rolls. I always tried to ride in the car with them, as I figured at least if trouble broke out - someone would be well equipped to defend themselves! In the interest of safety, the best option is to transport your knives individually sheathed. 

The old adage is definitely true - a dull knife is a lot more dangerous in the kitchen than a sharp one.  If you're lamenting how dull your kitchen knives are, fret not. You can sharpen them at home using a sharpening steel, a sharpening device or a whetstone. If you're worried about improperly sharpening your knife - many kitchen specialty stores will do it for you, or can recommend someone in your area. For those of you in the Chicago area - on Saturdays at the Naperville farmer's market "Tony" does an excellent job.  At the entrance, you'll see him with his giant whetstone wheel.