Chef Dominique Crenn's Simple Tip To Keep Your Knives Sharp
It's crucial to attend to your kitchen cutlery, especially your knives, routinely. A common misconception is that the sharper the knife, the more dangerous, but it's the opposite that poses a threat. Dull knives are a sneaky culprit that brings more harm than good since they "require more pressure to cut, increasing the chance that the knife will slip with great force behind it" (via University of Rochester Medical Center). Otherwise, you'll struggle to cut your food and risk hurting yourself in the process.
When covering all your cutting bases, make sure you're using the right knife. There are various types of knives, each with distinct blades, sizes, and functions. You'll want to curate your sharpening technique to the specifics of the knives in your kitchen. According to CNET, kitchen knives of all kinds require the occasional honing and sharpening. Honing helps straighten a blade back into its standard form. With usage, knives gradually bend and curve, so you'll want to preserve your knife's structure. Meanwhile, sharpening is exactly what it sounds like. Knives only call for sharpening sporadically, though you can prolong sharpening your knives all the more with a simple fix.
Chef Dominique Crenn recommends one knife-preserving technique that requires little additional work — only more speed.
Clean your knives immediately after usage to preserve their sharp edge
Dominique Crenn offers various cooking suggestions, from how to use everyday appliances to creative culinary recipes. After all, she's the one who swears by pairing Nutella with blue cheese for a funky but delicious sandwich. While that recommendation is surely out-there, Crenn has various other cooking tips and tricks, each certain to make your time in the kitchen all the easier.
A video Crenn posted to Instagram outlines one cleaning suggestion that will keep your knives sharper for longer. After cutting vegetables or fruit, "we tend to throw our knives in the sink and just leave them there," says Crenn. It's not always common to wash knives immediately.
However, this lag time can actually damage your blade with rust. So, rather than wait to put away your knives, you should attend to them immediately after usage. Crenn recommends wiping the blade with a wet towel and letting it dry immediately. This tip is particularly useful because it doesn't require any extra effort on your part, saves your blade in the long run, and cuts down on the amount of sharpening in the future.