How Can You Tell If Your Knife Needs Sharpening?

We all have said we should get some new knives or sharpen the ones we own, but how can you tell if your knives really need sharpening? Read on to find out more.

As you stand in the kitchen chopping vegetables for the evening dinner, you think to yourself how dull the knife seems to be. We often tend to grab the same knife to do our kitchen cutting chores, so it stands to reason that over time, it would become dull. How can you tell if it is time to sharpen your knife?

Well, we have all heard the saying about a knife being so dull that it couldn’t cut through warm butter. Don’t wait until your knives are as dull as your spoons.

Simple Test

Here is a simple test you can do to decide if your knife is dull and needs sharpening. Use each knife in your collection to slash a piece of paper. If your knife is sharp and ready to work, the paper will have a nice clean cut. A dull knife will tear the piece of paper rather than cut it. Look closely at the edge of the paper where you have made the slash. Is the paper cut smoothly, or can you detect ragged edges? The jagged pieces of paper indicate a dull knife that requires sharpening.

How to Sharpen a Knife

Sharpening your knives does not need to be complicated. You can purchase a knife sharpener at a kitchen gadget store. You may not even need to buy a knife sharpener. Often, your can opener will have a knife sharpener right on the side or back of the appliance for your convenience.

Simply glide the knife through the slot several times. This should do the trick.

If you want to be sure it worked, then go ahead and get out another sheet of paper. When the cut is clean, you are ready to move onto the next knife.

Common Mistake

Frequently, people mistake the knife sharpener for the steel. The steel looks like a thick, long skewer with a rough edge. This kitchen tool is not a knife sharpener. The purpose of the steel is to help maintain the edge between sharpening.

The next time you reach into the drawer and grab your favorite knife, take a moment to skip the veggies and slash a piece of paper. Check to make sure the knife is sharp and ready when you are. Using a sharp knife will make easy work of your slicing and dicing needs in the kitchen. A dull knife not only makes your job harder, but can be very dangerous. To avoid this problem. Check your knives regularly to make sure they are sharp. The process is simple and easy.