Knife Block

[rookies]

Ok Folks

I got a few Wusthof Knives now which I love. I been storing them in there Sleaves they came in.

I am wondering whether to buy a knife block for them but someone says it not a good idea as they tend to blunt the knives I find this silly what you all say?

 

[ChefToddMohr]

I've heard that myth also that a knife block dulls your knives. Unless your knife block is made from concrete, this shouldn't happen. A wooden knife block will not dull your knives any more than leaving them in a drawer to slide around and scrape against each other.

More importantly than the knife block is the type of cutting board you use. A glass or hard composite material cutting board will dull your knife quickly. I'd suggest the poly plastic boards. They inhibit bacterial growth better than a wooden board, are much less expensive, and treat your knives well.

 

[Andy M.]

If you use a knife block, the slots are often sideways so the cutting edge does not have to come in contact with the wood. If the slots are vertical, put the knives in cutting edge up rather than down.

I prefer a magnetic knife strip on the wall. It's easier to access the knives and frees up counter space.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've heard that myth also that a knife block dulls your knives. Unless your knife block is made from concrete, this shouldn't happen. A wooden knife block will not dull your knives any more than leaving them in a drawer to slide around and scrape against each other.

More importantly than the knife block is the type of cutting board you use. A glass or hard composite material cutting board will dull your knife quickly. I'd suggest the poly plastic boards. They inhibit bacterial growth better than a wooden board, are much less expensive, and treat your knives well.

Many tests have been done to determine which type of knife blocks were most sanitary. As the evidence came in, it turns out that hard maple, end-grain cutting boards/blocks are actually more sanitary than are plastic cutting boards. The wood has natural antiseptic qualities. As the cutting boards are used, the plastic will develop many knife marks that tend to give bacteria hiding places against cleaning agents. The wooden knife block does the same, except that the wood is hostile to the bacteria were the plastic isn't.

Do a little research on Google and you will find many references to this phenomenon

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North.

 

[Wyogal]

Yep, that's what I have heard as well, I use a wooden knife block to store my knives, and use wood cutting boards. and wooden spoons to stir.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

A quick bit of research turned up the following link - Epicurean Cutting Board Store which purports to have a baord that is superior to either plastic or wood. I have no experience with it and so offer it only to show that there are many option out there. The cutting boards and other products on the site do look interesting though.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Wyogal]

hahahaha! That's the other cutting board that I use, too!

 

[Saphellae]

I've always wanted one of those magnetic knife blocks for the wall. First I need to get some really nice knives though! I like my henkel knives (although I don't think I know how to sharpen them properly, as they get dull after a few uses on a wooden board, and they don't slice vegetables 'without effort'), but eventually I want a serious nice variation.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I have magnetic strips for my knives and I love them. The problem that I always had with knife blocks was that if they sit under the upper cabinets, they are too tall for easy insertion of knives. I tried an angled one, and thought it took up too much room on the counter. And the slots collected crumbs and dust.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I really shouldn't, and this has been posted before. But it's just so irreverent, and funny. Check out the following link. Scroll down and look for the knife set labled - The Ex.

Knife Block Search Results | Overstock.com

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Saphellae]

Goodweed...

Knife Thrower Knife Block

 

[rookies]

Thanks guys

Got myself a block and it awesome much better to get my knives to hand now

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Kapoosh anyone?

Kapoosh Universal Knife Block Review - GadgetScope.com Reviews

 

[Wyogal]

nice one, saphellae!!

 

[TheNoodleIncident]

though i dont have one, ive heard many more bad things about the kapoosh knife block that good...seems like a great idea, that just doesn't work in reality.... check out this review

Kapoosh Knife Block (not recommended) - Equipment & Gear - Cooking For Engineers

ive also seen plenty of people complain that the rods bend after a while, causing a real problem

and in regards to the epircurean boards (sorry to be such a kill-joy here, guys), i think they are a bit too hard for good knives....they claim they are knife safe, but from what ive heard it isnt totally true....also, for me personally, they have a bit of a "nails on a chalkboard" feel when using them that drives me crazy

the best way to go is with an end-grain wood board (or a Sani-Tuff board)....you can sometimes find cheaper ones, but if you spend the money on a decent one and treat it right, it will last a very long time....plastic is also ok, but not quite as gentle - i have one around for chicken and other raw meat, even though it's debatable that wood handles bacteria just as well or better

 

[thymeless]

I had a kapoosh. I liked it a lot except for one thing. It doesn't hold knives over 8" without leaving a lot of exposed edge sticking out.

If you have a mix and match set of knives, finding a block that fits them all is virtually impossible. Which leads to the knife slits in counters or wall mount that will hold various groupings of knives.

The wood sanitation issue is misapplied. It won't protect you from bad habits and poor washing. Do the job right and the bacterial effects are non-issue.

 

[Chipotle Tom]

I used to have a wooden block. It worked fine, but I had to clean it on a regular basis. I now have a magnetic strip mounted to the wall that holds my knives. I LOVE it. It was cheap, and it holds all my knives with no problem. It did take a few tries before I learned how to remove my knives from it safely, but hey, nobody got hurt.

 

[GrillingFool]

For anyone looking for cheap magnetic knife strips, Budk.com has 13 inch ones, 2 for $8.00. I have no idea of the quality or such, but I certainly hope to be able to tell you on Dec. 25!

Wife wouldn't let me order, but promised to do so... LOL

Display Magnet - BUDK

 

[chefsteve]

I would defenitly agree Goodweed. What you cut on is one of the most important things you can have and the poly boards are perfect for it. Also investing in a good knife sharpner I would highly recommend. As far as storage whatever makes you most comfortable is what you should go with. I personnally have a block for my knives but since they are an old set I am defenitly going to buy a new set this year!

 

[baking fool]

alton brown doesn't like knife blocks because it's impossible to clean the insides, and the slots are only so wide, which limits the size of the knives you can get. he likes a magnetic strip instead on a wall of a low-traffic area of a kitchen. makes sense to me. only thing to worry about is to sort of roll the knife off to not wreck the edge.