Guide / Care
How to care for a chef knife
Wash it by hand, dry it right away, hone it often, sharpen it a few times a year, and never let the edge bang into other metal. That's the whole routine; the rest is detail.
01After every use
- Hand wash. Warm water, a drop of soap, the soft side of a sponge. Wipe from the spine toward the edge, never along the edge.
- Dry it now. Not in the rack. Water spots and rust start in minutes on some steels, even "stainless" ones.
- Got a hole in the blade? Push the sponge and then the towel through the hole. Food and water hide there.
- Wooden handle? Don't soak it. Rub a little food-safe mineral oil into it now and then if it looks dry.
02Never
- The dishwasher. Heat, harsh detergent and rattling dull the edge and crack wooden handles.
- Glass, stone or ceramic boards. They dull an edge in a few cuts. Use wood or plastic.
- Scraping food off the board with the edge. Flip the knife and use the spine.
- Loose in a drawer. The edge chips against other tools.
03Honing vs sharpening
| What it does | |
|---|---|
| Honing | Straightens the edge, which bends with use. A few light strokes on a honing rod before cooking. No metal removed to speak of. |
| Sharpening | Grinds a new edge on a whetstone or sharpener. Needed when honing stops bringing the bite back: for most home cooks, a few times a year. |
Quick test: a sharp knife slides into a tomato skin without pressing. If it skids, hone. If honing doesn't fix it, sharpen.
04Storage
A knife block, a magnetic wall strip (put the spine on first, then roll the blade flat), or a plastic edge guard if it has to live in a drawer.
··Quick answers
Can you put a chef knife in the dishwasher?
Better not. The heat, detergent and knocking dull the edge and can crack a wooden handle. Hand wash and dry it right away.
How often should I sharpen a chef knife?
Hone it every time or two you cook; sharpen it when honing no longer brings the edge back. For most home cooks that's a few times a year.
Why is my stainless steel knife getting rust spots?
Stainless means it resists rust, not that it can't rust. Leaving it wet, in the dishwasher, or with acidic food on it causes spots. Dry it right after washing.