It may seem strange, but sharpening your kitchen knives is actually one of the best ways to avoid cutting yourself while cooking. A sharp knife means an easier cut with less effort from you, which gives you more control and requires less force. Here are a few tips for sharpening kitchen knives at home.
- Place a whetstone, or a rough-surfaced stone made for sharpening knives, on top of a cutting board to offer more stability.
- Holding your knife by the handle, place it on a very slight angle against the whetstone (blade facing away, of course).
- With moderate pressure, glide the knife forward across the whetstone 10 times. Flip it over and repeat on the other side.
- The whetstone has two different types of grit, so flip the whole thing over to the finer side. Repeat the last step to smooth the knife's rough edges.
- Finally, hone the blade with a sharpening steel. Place the long, steel rod point-down onto the cutting board, just as you would a nail. Touch the part of the knife closest to the handle against the steel, then pull the blade toward you and slightly downward with a bit of pressure. Repeat this 10 times on each side of the knife, and again any time the knife needs a touch-up.
How to Sharpen a Knife [About Food]
Knife Skills: How to Sharpen a Knife [Serious Eats]
How to Properly Sharpen a Kitchen Knife [Le Cordon Bleu]
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