Having a few good kitchen knives is essential for most cooking needs. Whether you’re chopping onions for a nice meatloaf, dicing tomatoes or slicing cucumbers for a salad, you want quality knives that get the job done.
There are many styles and sizes of kitchen knives to choose from. You can find a lot of good information on sites including Kitchenitemsreview and other websites about the different models that are available on the market today, as well as consumer reviews, recommendations and pricing.
Sharp knives are good but, you need to handle them carefully. They’re not something you can play around with or use casually without precaution. Many people have been injured by either using knives carelessly or inattentively. In this case, you have to pick the best knife or best dishwasher safe knife set at first. Then you can go ahead for the next procedure.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks on how to use a knife safely.
1. Cut away from your hands
When slicing meat or vegetables on a cutting board or other flat surface, make sure that you are cutting away from your hands and fingers. The last thing you want to do is cut your hand or accidentally slice off a fingertip. NEVER use your hand as a cutting board or chopping block.
2. Hold food with your fingers when chopping
You can curl your fingers down and hold the food onto the chopping block while cutting. Just be sure that you move your fingers carefully when chopping. Pay attention to your chopping to avoid any possible injuries.
3. Keep the tip of the knife on the cutting surface when mincing
This keeps the knife blade on the cutting board, so it won’t move around as you’re cutting. Again, make sure that you move your fingers carefully when cutting.
4. Wash knives carefully
If you are washing knives, don’t let them sit in dishwater, especially if you can’t see them underneath dish soap that’s in the water. Wash all knives with the blade facing away from you.
5. Don’t lick a knife
It doesn’t matter how sharp or how dull the blade is, you can still risk cutting your tongue by licking a knife. Wipe or clean the blade carefully with a towel instead.
6. Handle knives carefully
Pick up all knives by the handle. NEVER pick up a knife by the blade. When you are handing a knife off for another person to use, just lay it down on a cutting board or flat surface so that person can pick it up by the handle.
7. A knife is NOT a can opener!
Using a knife as a can opener or to open a bag can just be asking for trouble at times. If the knife slips or sticks, you could seriously hurt yourself. Use can openers and scissors for their intended purposes in those situations. Even if you’re out camping and only have a pocket knife, I would not recommend using it to cut open a can.
8. Store knives properly
Keep those sharp knives in a tray or block when they are not in use. This protects you and anyone else who could come into contact with them, and it helps preserve the blade sharpness. Good knives, like quality handmade knives, are an investment that can last for decades if cared for properly.
These are just a few tips for handling knives properly. Most of them are common sense knowledge. Just practice safety and don’t forget to sharpen your knives periodically. If you do a lot of cooking regularly, you’ll need a dependable set of knives to create your culinary masterpieces.
