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The majority of modern kitchen knives are made from some sort of stainless steel. We’re ignoring carbon-steel (the other kind) for the purposes of this post. If you own any of those, you probably know the deal. Ceramic knives will be covered in a future post, but all the advice here applies to those as well (albeit for slightly different reasons).

All stainless steels are corrosion-resistant to some degree – it’s in the name. However, that doesn’t mean you should chuck your knives in the dishwasher along with your stainless pots and flatware! Quality knives are made of knife steels: a set of alloys specifically engineered for durability and edge-retention. However, this comes at some cost to corrosion resistance (you can’t have it all). The more premium the knife, the more likely it is to use a higher-grade knife steel which further compromises on corrosion-resistance. The cheapest knives are often made from the same steel as your pots, and may hold up in the dishwasher – but they'll dull even faster.

While a stainless knife is usually fine sitting wet for a little while, the hot water and detergent in a dishwasher create a harsh chemical environment that attacks steel – amplified by prolonged exposure. Even if there’s no visible pitting or rust, microscopic corrosion on the cutting edge contributes to premature dulling. What’s more, banging around with utensils and plates is a sure way to mechanically dull or damage an edge in short order.

Just hand-wash and dry your knives. It only takes a minute, and it’ll keep them in good shape for years to come.

Believe it or not, we encourage people to learn how to sharpen on their own. We’re happy to offer guidance – just ask! The thing is, nobody has yet invented a truly “no-skill” sharpening gadget (let alone a cheap one) that isn’t hot garbage.

We can instantly spot a knife that’s been subjected to a pull-through, via the telltale scratches and chewed-up, irregular edges. They're all built much the same. There's a “coarse” side featuring carbide teeth that brutally rip away steel in order to create something approximating a cutting edge. That awful sound you hear? It’s your knife screaming in pain. Meanwhile, the ceramic rods on the “fine” side are far too fine to appreciably improve the carnage left by the carbide.

These things just plain don’t work very well, unless your goal is to accelerate the demise of a knife. If you want to sharpen your own knives, the best "low-skill" option in our opinion is the Ken Onion Elite from WorkSharp.

A cutting board should be soft enough to allow a sharp knife to dig in, just a bit, and glide along its edge (think of an ice skate). This makes your cuts more controlled (e.g. safer), and avoids premature dulling. Here are the most common materials for cutting boards, ranked from best to worst in terms of knife-friendliness:

1. End-grain wood: top-shelf performance and price, some upkeep required. You can spot these by the distinctive checkerboard pattern.
2. Rubber: comparable performance to end-grain, but very low-maintenance. Still a bit spendy. Popular among pro chefs.
3. Edge-grain (“regular”) wood: the traditional choice, and still a good one. Strikes a nice balance between performance, maintenance, and cost. If you want “plenty good enough” without spending a lot, you can stop reading here. It only goes downhill.
4. HDPE (white plastic): standard in commercial kitchens, mainly because it can survive a commercial dishwasher. For home cooks, the deep, permanent scratches it accumulates can actually harbor bacteria. It's also a bit harder on your knives than any of the above options. Not great, not awful.
5. Bamboo: very affordable, often marketed as eco-friendly. Unfortunately, it’s a very tough and fibrous material that will wear down your edges rather quickly. Even for the casual home cook, it’s worth upgrading to wood.
6. Glass / granite / marble: Sigh. While we love repeat business, for us to endorse these would be like a dentist telling her patients to quit flossing and drink more soda. Please don’t use these as cutting boards. People seem to like them because they don’t scratch. That's because they're harder than most steel – so they chew up your knives instead. They're also a little dangerous (see top of this section), loud and unpleasant to use. If you have one, keep it for serving and keep your knives well clear of it.

Storing knives loose in the utensil drawer is one of the quickest ways to dull or chip them. Every time they bump against each other or other utensils, tiny impacts deform the edge. It’s also a good way to cut yourself when rummaging for something else (ask us how we know).

Our favorite way to store knives is out in the open, on a magnetic wall strip or a magnetic counter block. These save space and allow any residual moisture to easily dry.

Traditional counter blocks are fine, too. Just be sure your knives are thoroughly cleaned and dried before they're put away, lest things get funky in there. Bonus points if you store them edge-UP, dragging the spine against the block instead of the edge – they'll stay sharp longer.

If you need or prefer to use a drawer (perhaps a locking one for child safety), that's no problem. There are plenty of options for in-drawer organizers that will help protect your knives and your fingers. We like the designs that use vertical "fins" made of cork. Just as with blocks, make sure everything is clean and dry before storage.