Kitchen knives out of the drawer – why they deserve to be seen
A good kitchen knife is a tool you use almost every day. Yet many knives end up lying loose in a drawer alongside cutlery, scissors and other kitchen utensils.
That is neither the best solution for the knife nor necessarily the most practical way to work.
Knife makers generally recommend that good kitchen knives are stored protected – in a knife block, on a magnetic knife holder or in a dedicated drawer insert. The common denominator is simple: the blade should not lie loose and knock against other objects.
The drawer is hard on the edge
When knives lie loose in a kitchen drawer, the blades can shift and strike other knives or utensils every time the drawer is opened and closed.
Victorinox specifically advises against storing loose knives in a drawer, because unprotected blades can rub against each other, lose sharpness and suffer edge damage. Instead, the manufacturer recommends a knife block, a drawer holder or a magnetic knife holder on the wall.
Source: Victorinox – Knife Care Tips
For thinly ground kitchen knives in particular, it therefore makes sense to give each blade its own protected place.
A proper drawer insert can of course solve the problem of blades touching. But the knives are still hidden away.
When the knives are visible, they are also easier to use
There is another, more practical advantage to getting the knives out of the drawer: the overview.
On a magnetic knife holder you can immediately tell the chef's knife from the santoku, the paring knife, the bread knife and the slicer – and pick the right one without first opening a drawer and searching.
ZWILLING likewise highlights magnetic knife storage as a way of keeping knives organised, protected and within easy reach.
Source: ZWILLING – wall-mounted magnetic knife storage
It sounds like a small difference. In a kitchen where the same tools are used many times a day, it matters.
A magnetic knife holder frees up worktop space
A traditional knife block takes up space on the worktop. A wall-mounted magnetic knife holder instead uses a surface that is rarely used otherwise.
The knives leave the work surface without disappearing into a drawer. That makes for a simple workstation: chopping board on the counter, knives on the wall, and no knife block to move when the worktop needs cleaning.
Rune-Jakobsen Design makes narrow, wide, leather-faced and extra-strong magnetic knife holders in solid wood.
See all magnetic knife holders from Rune-Jakobsen Design
The knives become part of the kitchen
There is an aesthetic dimension too.
A good chef's knife is not just a piece of steel with a handle. Many Japanese and European knives are the result of advanced forging, grinding and material selection – and some of them are simply beautiful objects.
Why hide them away?
On a magnetic knife holder the knives become a visible part of the kitchen. Wood types, handles, blade shapes and different steel finishes are allowed to stand out instead of being buried among cutlery and utensils.
Magnetic knife holder or knife block?
Both solutions get the knives out of the drawer, but they work differently.
A magnetic knife holder on the wall is the obvious choice when you want to free up worktop space, keep every knife visible and place them right by the work area.
A magnetic knife block takes up worktop space, but requires no wall mounting and can be moved as needed.
ZWILLING describes magnetic knife blocks as a combination of safe storage, protection, order and easy access.
Source: ZWILLING – magnetic knife block
Rune-Jakobsen Design's knife blocks are magnetic, so the knives sit freely on the sides of the block instead of disappearing into traditional slots. That gives an immediate overview of the knives and makes them easy to pick up.
See all magnetic knife blocks from Rune-Jakobsen Design
The best storage protects the knife – and makes it easy to use
There is no single right way to store kitchen knives.
A good drawer insert can be a safe solution. A knife block can be the right choice if you do not want anything mounted on the wall. And a magnetic knife holder is particularly effective when the knives need to be visible, easy to reach and take up as little workspace as possible.
What matters is to avoid good knives lying loose with the rest of the kitchen drawer's contents.
If you have invested in proper kitchen knives, it makes sense to give them a proper place too.
Out of the drawer. Into the light. And within reach.
Sources and further reading
- Victorinox – Knife Care Tips
- ZWILLING – wall-mounted magnetic knife storage
- ZWILLING – magnetic knife block
- Rune-Jakobsen Design – magnetic knife holders
- Rune-Jakobsen Design – magnetic knife blocks
Read also
- Magnetic knife holder vs. knife block – which should you choose?
- Knife block on the counter or magnetic knife holder on the wall?
- Can a magnetic knife holder damage your knives?
