Storing Your Kitchen Knives

It’s important to store your knives properly for safety reason and to prevent damage and premature dulling of your the blades.

It’s not a good idea to store knives loosely in a kitchen drawer because it can be dangerous to unwary cooks and the blades can easily be nicked as they slide around with the other kitchen gadgets. If you want to store your knives in a drawer, there a couple of safe options. Knife sheaths or guards wrap around the knife blade and prevent the blade from coming into contact with other utensils or, worse yet, fingers. If you like this option, try to avoid the sleeve type sheath that opens only enough to slide the blade in. These can be very difficult to clean and can harbor dirt, germs and even moisture. The better option in knife guards is a knife safe. Knife safes are made of durable, food grade plastic and come in a number of different sizes to fit different size blades. The safe opens flat and then closes over your knife, completely covering the blade, with tabs and rubber pads that hold it in place, allowing safe storage and transportation. These work well because, since the hinge allows them to open completely, they are easy to wash. In fact, many are dishwasher safe.

Another drawer storage option is a drawer block. This is basically a thin wooden block with slots to keep the knives in place. Because drawer blocks can tend to be limited in both the number and types of knives it will hold, a drawer block is best for people who don’t plan on owning a large number of blades and for those who don’t have limited drawer space.

Another storage option for knives is a wall-mounted magnetic strip. This alternative has several advantages. The magnetic strips are sanitary and can hold a large number of knives and, as long as the magnet is strong enough to handle the weight, there’s no restrictions relative to the size and shape of the knives you can store there. However, this option is probably best for someone who has an area in their kitchen that is very low-traffic so as to avoid the strip being bumped accidentally. Along the same reasoning, it’s probably best not to use this storage method in a household where there are small children, rowdy pets or clumsy cooks. In addition, keep in mind that ceramic knives are not magnetic. So if you plan on owning ceramic blades, this storage option won’t work for you.

The most popular way to store knives is with a knife block and for good reason. Knife blocks are a safe and convenient way to store your knives and are great if you have more countertop space than drawer space. But, knife blocks are not without their problems. In particular, knife blocks can be tough to keep clean. Dirt and moisture can get stuck in the slots and can be difficult to get out. Even with this issue, I use a block to store my knives because I haven’t found a better alternative that works for me. But, I make sure that my knives are clean and dry when I put them into the block. (Really, no matter how you store them, knives should always be completely dry before putting them away.) And, I use canned air like they use to clean computer keyboards to remove dust from inside the knife slots.

Knife blocks used to be available only as a part of a knife set. But now they can be purchased alone, and are available in all shapes and sizes. Look for one that is large enough for all your knives and consider getting a block that includes a place for your kitchen shears and for your honing steel.