You may have recently purchased a carbon steel knife, or you may still be thinking about it and you are looking for information.
Your question is: how to maintain your carbon steel knife?
While conventional stainless steel knives are relatively easy to maintain (although not infallible), carbon steel knives require a little more effort.
Considered superior by most chefs, their characteristics give them a significant advantage over the cutting of food, clearer and longer. If you would like to know more about the usefulness of carbon steel knives, read our article on the subject.
Despite this great advantage, a carbon steel knife requires a more thorough maintenance of which you should be aware to ensure that you keep it as long as possible.
If you do not maintain your carbon knife….
Oxidation of a carbon steel knife
If you fail to properly maintain your carbon steel knife, the sentence will be terrible.
As you can see on the picture, the blade of the carbon steel knife is stained with rust because the knife has been badly wiped and water has been parked on the material for hours.
If you don’t want this to happen to your precious chef’s knife, now is the time to take notes.
How to properly maintain your carbon steel knife
Poor maintenance of your carbon steel knife will result in rust stains, among other unpleasant damage.
If your knife has darkened slightly compared to when you bought it, don’t panic, it’s perfectly normal. The carbon steel alloy has this reaction over time in contact with ambient air, different foods and liquids.
Here’s what will really damage your knife:
The dishwasher…
The high water temperature and immersion for a relatively long period of time are very bad for your knife. In addition, your knife will remain dirty for hours before turning, which will also damage it.
You should wash your knife as soon as you have finished using it, systematically.
Leaving the knife in the sink…
Now that you have understood that it should not be left in the dishwasher, that is no reason to leave it in the sink, dirty, for hours or days.
By doing this, you will let your knife oxidize.
Too aggressive washing…
When you wash your carbon steel knife, you must do it delicately. Use a soft sponge and soap. Once done, wipe your knife until it is completely dry.
Keeping the knife in a damp place…
Condensation will damage your knife just as liquid water does. Keep your knife in a dry place.
To summarize
Your carbon steel knife is precious, and letting it deteriorate would be a real shame. In order to keep it in good condition as long as possible, clean it thoroughly after each use and do not leave it in contact with moisture for too long.
A little tip: to protect the alloy, it is always best to oil its surface with cooking oil and linen or paper towels to prevent it from oxidizing!
You can now use your carbon steel knife with peace of mind, without damaging it. And if you hesitated to buy one, you now know that its maintenance is simple, as long as you comply with it, and that its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages!
At damas-knives.com, we offer a wide range of handcrafted carbon steel knives. Go and discover it by clicking here, we are sure you will like it!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
What you need to know about taking care for a carbon steel knife
You may have recently purchased a carbon steel knife, or you may still be thinking about it and you are looking for information.
Your question is: how to maintain your carbon steel knife?
While conventional stainless steel knives are relatively easy to maintain (although not infallible), carbon steel knives require a little more effort.
Considered superior by most chefs, their characteristics give them a significant advantage over the cutting of food, clearer and longer. If you would like to know more about the usefulness of carbon steel knives, read our article on the subject.
Despite this great advantage, a carbon steel knife requires a more thorough maintenance of which you should be aware to ensure that you keep it as long as possible.
If you do not maintain your carbon knife….
If you fail to properly maintain your carbon steel knife, the sentence will be terrible.
As you can see on the picture, the blade of the carbon steel knife is stained with rust because the knife has been badly wiped and water has been parked on the material for hours.
If you don’t want this to happen to your precious chef’s knife, now is the time to take notes.
How to properly maintain your carbon steel knife
Poor maintenance of your carbon steel knife will result in rust stains, among other unpleasant damage.
If your knife has darkened slightly compared to when you bought it, don’t panic, it’s perfectly normal. The carbon steel alloy has this reaction over time in contact with ambient air, different foods and liquids.
Here’s what will really damage your knife:
The dishwasher…
The high water temperature and immersion for a relatively long period of time are very bad for your knife. In addition, your knife will remain dirty for hours before turning, which will also damage it.
You should wash your knife as soon as you have finished using it, systematically.
Leaving the knife in the sink…
Now that you have understood that it should not be left in the dishwasher, that is no reason to leave it in the sink, dirty, for hours or days.
By doing this, you will let your knife oxidize.
Too aggressive washing…
When you wash your carbon steel knife, you must do it delicately. Use a soft sponge and soap. Once done, wipe your knife until it is completely dry.
Keeping the knife in a damp place…
Condensation will damage your knife just as liquid water does. Keep your knife in a dry place.
To summarize
Your carbon steel knife is precious, and letting it deteriorate would be a real shame. In order to keep it in good condition as long as possible, clean it thoroughly after each use and do not leave it in contact with moisture for too long.
A little tip: to protect the alloy, it is always best to oil its surface with cooking oil and linen or paper towels to prevent it from oxidizing!
You can now use your carbon steel knife with peace of mind, without damaging it. And if you hesitated to buy one, you now know that its maintenance is simple, as long as you comply with it, and that its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages!
At damas-knives.com, we offer a wide range of handcrafted carbon steel knives. Go and discover it by clicking here, we are sure you will like it!