Kitchen safety
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Maintain sharp blades, as dull ones tend to be riskier.
Blunt edges demand greater force, which can reduce control and increase the chance of slipping; this may result in worse injuries than a sharp blade would.
8 people, independently
- Keep blades sharp to ensure safe and effective cutting.4
- Adjust your technique and grip when switching from a dull knife to a sharp one to avoid accidental cuts due to reduced resistance.2
- Sharpen knives occasionally with a stone to remove metal and restore the edge.1
- Inform others before sharpening their knives so they adjust their technique.1
Expect cuts from sharp knives to heal faster and leave fewer scars because they cause less tearing than dull knives.
A clean, precise cut causes less damage and tearing than jagged cuts from dull blades.
3 people, independently
Use the spine or dull edge of a knife to push food off a cutting board.
It prevents dulling the blade and avoids scraping bits of the board into your food.
- Some argue the wear is negligible compared to actual use.
- Small minced pieces may stick to the spine or get smushed.
4 people, independently
Bend the knuckles of your non-dominant hand when holding food to protect your fingers from the blade.
This technique helps avoid chopping off fingers.
one person who lived it
Match the sharpening angle to the blade's original angle; if unsure, hold the blade at a slightly lower angle (e.g., 18-19 degrees for a 20-degree blade) rather than higher.
Using a higher angle dulls the edge, while a slightly lower angle will eventually sharpen it with more passes.
one person who lived it
Buy bent steel drinking straws instead of straight ones to reduce injury risk.
Bent straws catch the eye quicker, allowing more time to react, and have a less sharp angle if you hit them.
one person who lived it
Sharpen a knife by building a burr and then removing it.
A burr forms when two sides meet to create an edge.
one person who lived it
Clean steel straws with a tiny scrubber tube with bristles, not just running water or a sponge.
Crud gets stuck inside where water alone cannot reach.
one person who lived it
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Sand down old wooden cutting boards to refresh them when they become too marked up.
Removing a millimeter or two of material makes the board look brand new.
one person who lived it
Choose knife blocks with wood or rubber covers instead of metal ones.
Metal blocks can cause the blade edge to curl if a knife is rolled incorrectly during insertion.
one person who lived it
Avoid wearing a belt used for stropping knives with nice shirts.
It will stain the shirt.
one person who lived it
Use a magnetic strip instead of a wooden block for knife storage to save counter space and avoid mold issues.
It takes up less counter space and avoids problems with mold found in some knife blocks.
one person who lived it
Mount knives on a magnetic wall bar to stop edge wear.
Blades contact only food and sharpening stones, avoiding unnecessary dulling.
- Magnetic strips may not be suitable for households with children or clumsy people, as knives can be dislodged.
4 people, independently
Use ceramic knives for soft foods like fruit and vegetables, but avoid using them for hard tasks like carving ham.
Ceramic knives are exceptionally brittle and cannot be resharpened easily.
one person who lived it
Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and other foods to prevent cross-contamination.
Professional kitchens require different boards for sanitary reasons; synthetic is often used for meat while wood is used for everything else.
2 people, independently
Consider Victorinox Fibrox knives for their quality, reliability, and sharpness relative to their price.
3 people, independently