{"id":2091718,"date":"2024-12-23T06:23:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T12:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=2091718"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:04:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:04:40","slug":"the-dangerous-mistake-you-might-be-making-with-your-knives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/the-dangerous-mistake-you-might-be-making-with-your-knives\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangerous Mistake You Might Be Making with Your Knives"},"content":{"rendered":"There's a reason chefs take their knives so seriously. A good knife becomes the extension of a chef's fingers and hands, deftly working through everything from delicate herbs to tough cuts of meat. Knives are just as important in a home kitchen. You only need a few essential knives<\/a> for almost any task in the kitchen, but even after picking out the best chef's knife<\/a>, you still have to know how to maintain it and use it safely.\r\n\r\nI had a lot to learn about knives when I started culinary school 20 years ago. Since then, I've worked in restaurants, professional test kitchens and my home kitchen. I've seen plenty of kitchen accidents (and had a few myself). Though accidents will always happen, I've learned you are more likely to stay injury-free if you avoid this one common mistake.\r\n

The Most Dangerous Mistake Is a Dull Knife<\/h2>\r\nIn culinary school, my chef instructors tested their knives by holding up a piece of paper and slicing cleanly through it. If our own attempt yielded ragged or crumpled paper, we were expected to sharpen our knives before the next lesson. The expectation to maintain our knives' edges was a directive and not a debate. Sharpness matters\u2014it's more efficient and less dangerous than using a dull knife.\r\n