How To Create Safe Knife Storage

The debate on how to properly store your knives has been waging on between professional (and home) chefs for ages, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Some chefs swear by knife blocks, while Ina Garten has a simple knife storage hack to keep your blades in tip-top shape. But when it comes to safety, what's the best option for you? How you'll create the safest knife storage for your home depends on who's in it and how your kitchen layout works. Fortunately, there are plenty of safe storage options for everyone. 

The two most common storage options tend to be knife blocks and magnetic knife strips. A block is handy for keeping knives accessible on a countertop; these wooden blocks are designed to keep each knife in your set perfectly secure (and sharp). However, they're less practical if you can't free up extra countertop space or if your cupboards are full. In that case, you might look towards a magnetic knife strip. This is an option beloved by many chefs because it prevents the sharpened blades from touching anything at all, keeping them perfectly maintained. However, with this storage method, the blades of your knives will be exposed. If the magnetic strip were to fail, your knives would fall to the ground. And if there's any risk of someone bumping into it, a magnetic strip could also potentially be dangerous. In this case, you'll want to purchase a strong, high-quality magnetic strip and hang it on a wall where it won't face any disturbances. 

If you're not the only one working in the kitchen, you might have other kinds of safety concerns. A curious pet or child could potentially access a magnetic strip or knife block left out on the counter. In that case, you may prefer to ditch the bulky knife block and save counter space by keeping your knives in a drawer organizer, which is easier to store than a knife block. This will make them more difficult for others to accidentally get into, and will still keep your knives accessible and well-maintained. 

Another alternative that will leave you even more drawer space is to get a knife roll case. Meant for safely transporting your knives on the go and keeping them super sharp between uses, these fabric cases have pockets for each of your knives. The fabric case rolls closed and is then buckled together, keeping your knives in a bundle that's difficult for children and pets to access. Knives in a fabric bundle can also sustain a little more damage, so if they roll around your drawer, it's less of a problem — they might even survive a drop. You should probably also sheath your knives whenever they're in the roll case for additional protection.

Whichever method you choose, you should never store your knives loose in a drawer or leave them on a countertop. Someone who opens a drawer to rummage around could potentially hurt themselves. Loose knives will also be subject to risk of damage and dulling very quickly, whereas safe knife storage doesn't just protect others, but keeps your knives safe, too.