Maintaining and caring for your knives

The kitchen knife should be washed immediately after use. Be sure to use the soft part of the scourer, some soap, and warm water. Don’t forget to dry it immediately with a dry cloth.

Leaving it in the sink can rust the blade, cause damage to the knife when it comes in contact with the edges of other knives and utensils, as well as pose a danger in the kitchen, especially if someone comes in contact with a knife when trying to pick something up in a sink full of water.

It must be washed by hand because  the temperature and detergent used by the dishwasher can damage the knife.

The kitchen knife should be sharpened periodically with a set of sharpening stones. Contrary to popular belief, a honing steel does not sharpen properly. it only prepares the edge for cutting at a given moment. There will come a time when the honing steel will not work and then stones must be used to sharpen.

Also, remember that a sharp knife is less dangerous than a dull knife. It takes less force to cut with a sharp knife, therefore, there is more control over the cut. With a blunt or dull knife there is a higher risk of injury.

We recommend cutting boards of wood or of synthetic material such as plastic. Also, be sure to have at least a couple of them: one for meat and fish and another for vegetables, fruits and bread.

The kitchen knife should be stored in a place that protects the edge and the handle–a place where the knife does not come in contact with other edges.

We recommend using knife block, a magnetic bar or individual sleeves for the blades.

If you must move with your knives, there are plenty of bags and briefcases that care for knives during travel. In these cases, we recommend that each knife is placed in its individual cover and then placed inside the briefcase or bag, to avoid scratches.

There are different types of cases. At Naifuji, we recommend those that can be easily cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher, as they will prevent the accumulation of dust.

Although with the chef’s knife, the paring knife and the bread knife we can cut almost all other ingredients, if we really like to cook, we will want to have a variety of knives.

Each knife has a specific use. To fillet meat or fish, we will use a filleting knife. To cut a tomato, a universal knife, which is a cross between the chef’s knife and the paring knife, will facilitate the cut.

At Naifuji, we have a wide selection of European and Japanese professional kitchen knives that will make preparing delicious meals and add a decorative touch to your kitchen.