My mother in law gifted me a countertop magnetized knife block and I’m not going to downplay it, I was so excited. I can be a total cooking geek for the right gadgets. I use most of my knife sets every day, and it’s a pain in the arse to open a drawer when you’ve got messy hands – stop what you’re doing, wash hands completely, get knife, get hands immediately dirty again. Or, get drawer handle and at least 2 other knives in the drawer dirty to get one, and have to come back and wash everything down. It wastes time and distracts my highly distractable brain! I’ve always been of the mind that if it can go in a drawer, it should be hidden – keep the counters bare. But some organizing rules – and I say this as a past-life professional organizer – should just be tossed aside with no guilt if it suits your situation.
When I took my new block home, the knife drawer that held my Ikea knife organizer was cleaned out and almost all my Rada knives went into the new block. Only the one 3 piece Rada set with the vegetable peeler stayed in the drawer. I don’t have a lot of knives – I’ve never found I need that many, no matter how fancy I get cooking – so my knifes, even our steak knife set fit on the countertop block.
It’s been about a month and I’ve grown no less fond of my block in that time. It’s heavy, so there’s no tipping or being pushed when I bump it. It keeps their blades safe so they don’t need sharpening as often.
Since we’re on the subject of knives, it doesn’t hurt to mention a few other ways I take care of my knives, that can help your edge last longer and keep them looking their best. Storage is very important, along with using the proper cutting surface. Plastic and wooden cutting boards are best for the knife edge, they have some give to them, and aren’t too hard like marble.
Have you ever heard that you should never wash your good knives in the dishwasher? It might sound like some old timey thing our parents or grandparents made up, but dishwasher detergent and high heat can damage the edge and finish of your knives. Handwash only!
If you find your knives, particularly non-Rada knives, aren’t holding their edge well between normal sharpenings, it might be time for a professional sharpening. You can take them to a local business that can do it, or learn to do it yourself (practice on lesser loved knives). Do not trust that friend or cousin with the edges of your blades (unless they’ve got a business of sharpening knives, then you know, go for it)!
Treat your knives like tools that deserve respect, not toys. Tossing them in the sink or jabbing tips into anything will destroy their edge and be a waste of time and money. And it’s dangerous too – the times I’ve gotten the worst cuts were dulled knives jinking off what I was trying to cut. Take care of your knives and they’ll make your prep work, and first aid, easier!
My beloved knife block in the background. This photo was really taken to proclaim my excitement over getting real bread bags!
Note: There are affiliate links here, but I’ve been a Rada knife user for 20 years and I really, really love this knife block, these are honest thoughts, not solicited by any company. If you buy anything from any of the links provided on this website, I’ll get a few cents towards running this website, that won’t cost you anything extra.
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