Knives are tools that all kitchen workers use frequently. Whether you are in a home kitchen or a professional one, knife safety should always be prioritized. Kitchen knives need to be handled with care and given the attention they need. Also, knife safety should never be compromised no matter the urgency of the task at hand.
Whether you are a professional chef or a home cook, being able to handle a knife will help greatly. Also, it is important to buy your knives from the right seller as well. There are many misconceptions going around that make using kitchen knives rather less safe. So, here are some of the most important kitchen knife safety tips to know:
Regular Honing and Sharpening Are Necessary
Contrary to popular belief, sharper knives are actually safer to use. Regular honing and sharpening will keep your knives sharp. Dull knives will require excessive force behind them. This brings the risk of the knife blade slipping and cutting where it is not supposed to. So, to maintain kitchen safety, make sure to keep your knives sharp. Honing before every use and sharpening every couple of weeks are good practices.
Always Pay Attention to the Non-Cutting Hand
One aspect of cutting ingredients that often gets overlooked is the non-cutting hand. Surprisingly, most injuries occur on the non-cutting hand. Use your guiding hand with care. When cutting or slicing, move the knife away from the non-cutting hand. This will avoid knife slips ending up on your non-cutting hand.
If a Knife Is Falling, Let It Fall
Never attempt to catch a knife when it is falling. Let it fall to the ground and then pick it up from the handle. Sharp knives can cause deep cuts when you accidentally catch them on the blade. Also, knives are durable. A small fall will not cause much damage to them. Even if the knife gets damaged, it will not be an injury concern.
Keep Your Guiding Fingers Protected
Professional chefs always have their knuckles out in from of the tip of the guiding fingers. This is because nicking a knuckle is far less painful than slicing through a fingertip. Curl your guiding fingers so that the knife rests against the knuckles and not the fingertips.
Ensure Cutting Board Stability When in Use
A lot of the cutting and dicing will occur on the cutting board. Stability is key for these cutting boards. Rest them on a fully flat surface with no rocking at all. Rocking cutting boards can encourage knife slips that can end up with the blade on your fingers and hands. So, maintain cutting board stability at all times for safety.
Hand Sharp Knives to Someone Else with Care
In shared kitchens where tasks get divided, it is important to follow knife safety procedures. Hand sharp knives to someone else with care. Never point the tip of the knife towards them. Grab the handle at its end and turn the knife to the side with the dull side facing outwards when passing to someone else. They should be able to grab the handle without having to touch the blade.
Don’t Be Distracted While Cutting
Cutting ingredients of all kinds is critical. Never compromise your attention while on the knife. If there are any distractions, make sure to get rid of them before commencing cutting. Your eyes should be on the ingredients with both hands in the eyeline at all times.
Efficient Storage Will Keep Sharpness for Longer
Maintaining knife sharpness is key to a safe kitchen. Storing your Damascus chef knife or any other kitchen knife efficiently will maintain sharpness for longer. So, make sure to not throw the knife in an unorganized drawer. Use drawer organizers or magnetic knife holders. Also, wooden knife stands are great options for knife storage.
Do Not Leave Knives Close to the Edge of Any Surface
One of the most important knife safety tips is to place it responsibly. Do not leave your kitchen knives near the edge of any surface. When near the edge, you can nick your hand on the blade or it can fall down on your foot. So, move it away from the edge and at the back of the surface for safety.
Use the Right Knife for the Right Job
You cannot go through bones with a chef’s knife. A cleaver will be the best blade for this job. Also, serrated bread knives will cut soft crusty breads best. So, there is the right knife for every cutting and dicing job. Using the right knife will make cutting much safer for all requirements.
Use a Sheath When Not in Use
Knives get dull when not in use. Storing them in a sheath can go a long way into maintaining sharpness. If you have expensive stainless steel or Damascus knives, use a sheath on them when not in use. Use leather sheaths to prolong the life of your blade while keeping it rust-free as well.
Always Slice Food Ingredients on a Cutting Board
Many people will attempt to slice and dice food ingredients on other surfaces. However, this is not safe at all. Get a large enough cutting board that will fit all your ingredients perfectly. Always use a soft cutting board that will prolong knife sharpness as well.
Keep the Knife Tip on the Board When Dicing and Mincing
Dicing and mincing are some of the most challenging tasks for chefs and home cooks. So, this is where you need to be extra careful. Knife slippage can cause a lot of harm. Keep the tip of your knife on the cutting board and move the rest of the body in order to slice and dice ingredients.
Do Not Submerge a Knife in Water
It is so easy to submerge your knife when washing it. However, this is not good for knife safety. When washing, if there are knives in the tub, you can easily cut your hand while grabbing it. Also, fully dunking the knife in water can cause rust in different places. The screws and rivets can rust up even if you have a stainless-steel rust-free blade.