9 Take Aways for Maintaining Your Knives & Cutting Boards

A few months ago I had the pleasure of working on my knife skills with Brendan McDermott a renowned chef and educator at NYC's Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).

The first thing I learned was that I had been doing everything wrong! It’s not a chop it’s slide…. It’s an easy, gentle slice forward and back, not a forceful knife through the vegetable or bread. The knife is our friend if we use it the way it was intended to be used. 

There were 5 basic cuts I learned in Brendan's class.

1. Large, medium, and small dicing
2. Brunoise
3. Baronnet
4. Allumette
5. Julienne 

Global Knives are Mimi's favorite brand of knives. They have a comfortable hold for small hands and the handles are made of the same material as the blade, aiding in clean and bacteria free knives.

These cuts protect you from injury, preserve your knives, as well as speed up your prep time, and make this somewhat monotonous task more enjoyable. 

During this class I also learned a number of different ways to care for my knives and cutting boards. Brendan mentioned that your knives and boards are capable of lasting so long we can pass them along to our children.  Below are 9 ways we can preserve our most important tools in our kitchens. 

Cheers to staying safe in the kitchen!

Mimi Johnson | Founder of HealthKitchen

9 Takeaways for caring for your knives and cutting boards

1. A knife is one of your most important tools in cooking. Treated right it will last you a lifetime. Store your knives in a knife block, magnetic knife holder or protective cases. If you are using a magnetic strip always tap the back or spine of the knife before lying it flat on the magnet, to avoid dulling the blade.
   
2. Take your knife sharpener and use it once every time before you start cooking. Just like we have to brush our teeth daily we have to sharpen our knives daily. This maintenance will help to keep your knives sharp and reduce the number of times you have to get them professionally sharpened.
   
3. Professional sharpening is recommended 1 time per year. This will help make cutting easier and help in the longevity of your knife.
   
4. When purchasing your knives make sure to test them. See how they feel in your hand. Each person’s hand is different and finding the most comfortable brand of knife is important.
   
5. There are really only four knives you need to cut your foods. You need an additional one if you eat meat.
   
6. Take care of your wooden cutting board by washing it with HOT water and a mild soap then patting it dry after each use.
   
7. Wooden and plastic cutting boards both hold bacteria, but if you use your knives correctly this will decrease the damage to your board.
   
8. To get the bacteria and smell out of your wooden cutting board use 1-cap vinegar to 3-caps water and wash the cutting board with a vinegar wash. Then rinse with hot water and dry.
   
9. Every once in a while for long term maintenance of your wooden cutting board sand it down and brush mineral oil over the wood to preserve the board.