How do I keep a kitchen knife sharp?

A knife edge is a very thin piece of steel that folds over with use before it wears away. Honing straightens it; sharpening grinds a new one. Confusing the two is why many people believe their knives will not take an edge.

Safety

What you'll need

• Honing steel
• Whetstone or sharpener
• Wooden board (optional)
• Knife block or magnetic strip (optional)

Step by step

1. Understand the difference between honing and sharpening.Honing realigns a folded edge and takes seconds. Sharpening removes metal to form a new edge and takes minutes. They are not interchangeable.
2. Hone every few uses.A few light strokes each side on a steel, maintaining a consistent angle. It keeps a sharp knife sharp and takes twenty seconds.
3. Sharpen when honing no longer helps.Typically every few months with regular use. The test: a sharp knife slices through paper cleanly; a blunt one tears or slides.
4. Maintain a consistent angle.Around 20 degrees per side for most Western knives, less for Japanese. Consistency matters more than the exact figure — a varying angle rounds the edge.
5. Use a whetstone for the best results.Coarse to remove metal and form the edge, fine to refine it. Pull-through sharpeners are quicker and remove more metal less precisely.
6. Use a wooden or plastic board, never glass or stone.Hard surfaces blunt a knife within a few uses. This is the fastest way to destroy an edge and it happens invisibly.
7. Wash and dry knives by hand immediately.Dishwashers damage edges and handles, and knives left in a sink are dangerous and corrode. Thirty seconds by hand.
8. Store them protected.A block, a magnetic strip or blade guards. Loose in a drawer, edges knock against everything and blunt quickly.

Tips

• One good sharp knife is more useful than a set of blunt ones. A chef's knife and a small paring knife handle almost everything.
• Professional sharpening is inexpensive and worth it for good knives, particularly the first time if the edge is badly damaged.
• The paper test is the quickest check: hold a sheet and slice down. A sharp knife glides through; a blunt one tears or slips off.

Common mistakes

• Honing a genuinely blunt knife — There is no edge left to realign. It needs sharpening — metal removed to form a new edge — which honing cannot do.
• Using a glass or stone chopping board — It blunts an edge within a few uses. Wood or plastic is the only sensible option for a knife you care about.
• Putting knives in the dishwasher — Detergent and heat damage the edge and handle, and knives knock against other items. Hand washing takes thirty seconds.

Questions people ask