A sharp kitchen knife is a must!

There’s no doubt in the fact that a sharp kitchen knife will cut better than a dull one. That’s already obvious. But is there more to that advantage? Yes, there is.

If you’re a chef or a home cook, you know how important it is to keep a sharp kitchen knife. Because it is not just some random kitchen item. It’s more than that. A kitchen knife is a tool, a workhorse, and one of the most versatile items in your kitchen’s arsenal. So, you must get yourself a good version of this. One that has good ergonomics, is well-made, has the right balance, and can retain a sharp edge for a long time. This is because you’ll be holding and using a kitchen knife for the majority of your time in the kitchen. You will be handling different cuts of meat, and different vegetables, both soft and robust.

So, getting a good kitchen knife and making sure it is kept sharp is important. Here’s why.

Using a sharp kitchen knife is faster and safer

Why keep a kitchen knife sharp? Because using a sharp knife for cooking is both more efficient and safer. It’s a lot faster and smoother to do prep work with a sharp kitchen knife. Because you don’t have to apply brute force just to cut through meat or vegetables. It’s also safer because a dull knife can slip while you are trying to cut something and end up cutting your finger instead. Meanwhile, a sharp kitchen knife will cut through meat and vegetables easily, sinking through right away without the need for much effort.

What this does is help you have more control of your knife, helping you have more confidence and improvement on your knife skills.

You won’t cry as much!

Do you ever wonder why you cry whenever you’re cutting an onion? The probable reason is that your knife is dull. This is because whenever you cut an onion using a dull knife, a large amount of cell breakage happens and a lot of the juices from the onions come running out. These sulfoxide cell walls that you break release the tear-causing gas that makes you cry. But with a sharp knife, there is a significantly less cellular damage on the onion when you slice it because it just cuts right through instead of crushing the cell walls.

That’s not all. A sharp kitchen knife is also better for chopping up herbs because you retain more nutrients. Just like what a dull knife does to an onion, a dull knife will damage herbs, leaving that green pigment on your chopping board. The green pigment is nutrients that should be in your food instead of on the chopping board. So, with a sharp knife, this happens less. You can slice through and chop herbs without causing too much damage consequently leading to the loss of some nutrients.

A sharp kitchen knife makes cooking fun

As we said, using a sharp kitchen knife for cooking is fast and efficient. This is also the very reason why it’s also enjoyable. A sharp kitchen knife makes prep work not feel like a boring chore that takes forever. With a sharp knife, you can enjoy making precise cuts effortlessly.

Now, suddenly the most boring and supposedly tedious part of your cooking is now easy and enjoyable.

So, now that you have an idea of why it’s important and much better for you if you keep your kitchen knife sharp, you might be keener on maintaining its edge now! Keeping a knife sharp is simple and easy. You can purchase honing steel or a wet stone, and these items can last you a lifetime. You can sharpen your knife regularly using these items. Oh, and don’t be intimidated by the process of sharpening a knife, it’s fairly simple and therapeutic at the same time. There are a lot of video tutorials that will teach you how to do it!

There’s no better time for you to get to work and sharpen your favorite kitchen knife. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can enjoy cooking and doing prep work in the kitchen. Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore, it should be an enjoyable task. So, make it a habit to maintain the sharpness of your knife!