8 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Kitchen Knives, According to Chefs

Knives are a chef’s most important tool. And if you’re mistreating your knives, you’re missing out on valuable culinary potential. Keeping knives in top condition and maintaining them is an important factor in any kitchen, and no one knows this better than chefs. We checked in with professional chefs to share the most common mistakes they see home cooks making with kitchen knives, and how to easily course correct for plenty of smooth, sharp chopping ahead. Here are eight mistakes you’re making with your kitchen knives, as well as how to improve your knife routine:

Don’t Leave a Knife Wet

Have a dry towel or microfiber cloth at the ready after hand washing your knife. "Dry your knife right away after washing. Don't let it sit,” says Chaya Rappoport, Culinary Manager at Jewish Food Society. Leaving your knife to air dry can dull the blade more quickly or even cause rust. Of course, this also means don’t leave your knives soaking in the sink overnight either. Quickly wash and dry ‘em for the best results.

Keep Knives Out of the Dishwasher

The well-known dull Airbnb knife is notorious for a reason—it’s often been through the dishwasher far too many times. As a general rule, any tool that needs to be sharp shouldn’t go through a dishwashing cycle, which can dull and damage blades. "One of the biggest mistakes I see people make at home is letting your kitchen knife go through the dishwasher,” says Christopher Weathered, chef and co-owner, Mill and Main in Kerhonkson, NY. “Always handwash to make sure it's properly scrubbed with soapy water and dry it immediately. Too often knives are left out to air dry and they can easily rust and ruin.”

The Blade Isn’t a Scraper 

"Don't scrape things off cutting boards with the sharp side of your knife, use the backside so you don't dull your knife,” says Rappoport. You can also break this bad habit by using a bench scraper—a tool designed to lift and transport ingredients—and simply use your knife for cutting, not carrying.

Picking the Wrong Knife

"Most people get suckered into a knife that is above their skill set, or they'll just buy a knife that's too cheap,” says Dale Talde, chef and owner of Goosefeather in Tarrytown, NY. “The fancy Japanese knives are for professionals and highly skilled cooks who know how to take care of them and sharpen them. If you go with something super cheap, it's like a crappy knife that'll get dull after a few uses. For the home cook, I recommend going with a Forschner or a Victorinox. They are easy to sharpen, they stay sharp, and they're affordable. Once you get more comfortable with using and taking care of your knives, then level up."

Sharpen Your Knives

Knives need sharpening to do their job. "Most people don't sharpen their knives enough,” says Rappoport. “I recommend sharpening [them] at least twice a year." Learn how to sharpen your own knives, or take them to a professional for a quick tune-up. 

If You Can’t Commit to Sharpening, Pick Serrated

"I’ve noticed a lot of home cooks with incredibly expensive dull knives. At the end of the day, the quality of the knife doesn’t matter if you’re not going to hone and sharpen it,” says Chase Devitt, executive chef and partner of BriDer in Denver. “I recommend learning how to use a whetstone properly before upgrading to anything nice. Also, when in doubt, serrated knives stay sharper for longer and can be used for far more than just bread."

Store Your Knives Correctly

“One mistake I see often is people slamming their knives onto their magnetic knife holders. This can still damage your edge,” says Jon Kung, Chinese American chef and cookbook author. “The proper way to place a knife on their holder is to let the spine (the edge that you don’t cut with) of the knife attach to the magnetic knife holder first, and then gently rock or close the knife until the edge (the part you do cut with) is not connected to the holder. There should be no sound when the edge meets the block.” 

Keeping your knives on a magnetic strip is, however, recommended, as long as you do it right.
“Don't store your knives in a utensil holder tip down, as you could bend or dull the point,” adds Clarice Lam, pastry chef and upcoming author of Breaking Bao.  Instead, store them on a magnetic strip, in a cork-lined knife drawer, or flat with a knife cover. 

Serrated Blades Are Best For Acidic Foods

“One of the biggest mistakes is using a good knife to cut and slice acidic foods, such as tomatoes, lemons and citrus fruits,” says Andrea Conguista, Executive Chef of Pasta Beach Boston, Newport, Providence, and Mr. R. “The acidity can corrode the blade edge. This can cause faster deterioration of the knife. It is preferable, therefore, to use serrated knives with acid-prone foods. The grooves present between the knife blade do not need to be extremely sharp to cut, thus preserving the blades of your knives for other uses.”