How should a bread knife be cared for?

Caring for your kitchen blade begins with understanding what a bread knife is meant for and using it appropriately. When cutting bread, make sure to use a sliding motion and only in one direction.

Always use a chopping board made of plastic or wood to protect the blade from harm. To scrape bread off the board, use the spine of the knife rather than the blade.

It is also preferable to hand-wash the knife with soap and warm water. You should not use a dishwasher since your bread knife may become twisted or damaged. Then, using a clean cloth, wipe down the spine, sharp side, and handle. To avoid rust development, do not allow it to air dry.

Furthermore, you should keep the knife clean by spreading a thin coating of mineral oil using a soft cloth. This will prevent corrosion or oxidation of the high-carbon stainless steel when exposed to high moisture content. You should also keep your bread knife in a dry spot, away from other utensils, to avoid denting or scratching it. You may also hang it on a magnetic board for maximum protection.

What is the best way to sharpen a bread knife?

Sharpening a bread knife is a difficult process. Sharpening your bread knife using a sharpening rod is the most promising method. It will allow you to sharpen each tooth individually. You should use a sharpening rod with the same diameter as the serrations on the blade for this. Sharpening will be useless if your sharpening rod is too thick to fit inside the serrations. However, if it is exceedingly thin, you may become agitated and strike the entire serration.

If you want to sharpen your bread knife yourself, pay attention to the specs because they vary by manufacturer.

To sharpen the bread knife, place the rod in the serrations and move it up and down. While sharpening, keep a tight eye on your knife and inspect each tooth. You may need to hold the rod at a slanting angle if necessary. To minimize mishaps and achieve equal sharpening, place the bread knife on the edge of a level surface.

Furthermore, when you sharpen the serrations on one side, you will see a burr form on that side. If you slide your bread knife slantingly, you can simply remove it.

Although it seems easy, it needs practice to get better results and may destroy your favorite one. So the best solution is to leave it up to the professionals. You can search for local knife sharpening services to get the sharpest result.