Using a dull knife doesn’t just make food preparation slower and more dangerous. It also promotes discolouration and wilting of ingredients, as the dull blade smashes through the cell walls of a food. This causes the fruit or the vegetable to lose more of its juice, compromising the taste of your meals. This makes it even more important to keep your knives sharp.
Knife sharpening stores in Australia note that the edge of sharp knife feels distinct and well defined. Know how your knife feels by running your fingertips gently over the blade. If it seems rounded or dull, it’s time to sharpen it. Here are other signs that the blade needs sharpening:
Cannot Cut a Paper
Hold a white piece of paper or a magazine page upright and use your knife to slice down from top to bottom. If its blade is sharp enough, it will cut the page cleanly. If the blade is dull, it will slide off the edge and rip the paper with uneven cuts.
Failed the Onion Test
Knives with sharp blades can glide easily through the skin of an onion. If yours slide off, it is time to sharpen it. It is also good to know that you will shed fewer tears when cutting with a sharp knife. This because the blade will cause less damage to the cell wall of the veggie and release fewer irritants.
Smashes the Tomatoes
A sharp knife can cleanly slice through delicate ingredients like tomatoes. If you need more force with the knife pushing down on the vegetable, you need to sharpen it. Note that the tomato will retain its flavour and juices better when sliced cleanly.
Learn to Sharpen
Sharpening is easy and will not take much of your time. Knife sharpening tools are available in stores today, so can do it on your own. It is also a good idea to watch how-to videos and instructions to familiarise yourself with the process.
Prepare meals better and safer with a sharper knife. Watch out for these signs to avoid cutting with a dull blade.