This $20 Item Is the Thing I Buy First for My Kitchen When I Move
It's the first thing I buy for a new kitchen, without even needing to take measurements. Where I put it might be up for grabs, but it's guaranteed to be going somewhere. I'd sooner live without a microwave or a (*gasps*) air fryer than this indispensable piece of kitchen infrastructure. And it rarely costs more than $25.
So, what is this magical piece of kitchen equipment? It's a magnetic knife strip. It's going up before I unpack the first box labelled "kitchen," and I never question leaving it behind when I move again to make life better for the next tenant. I'm a culinary-school trained non-chef, but even chef chefs recommend this invaluable tool: "I first tried a magnetic strip in my home kitchen a few years ago and I'm hooked," says Melissa Araujo, Chef/Owner of Alma Café in New Orleans.
Here's a litany of reasons, personal and chef-approved, why you should consider adding a magnetic knife strip to your home.
A magnetic knife strip is a major space saver
The more you can get up on your walls, the more space you'll have on the counter and in drawers and cupboards.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
All of the many reasons to own a magnetic knife strip are great reasons, so it's hard to know where to lead off, but as someone who has usually been at a loss for meaningful counter space in urban apartments, I'm going to go with this one. Freeing up space that would otherwise be occupied by a knife block, or in a silverware drawer, is perhaps the number one reason for home cooks to consider a magnetic knife strip.
Read more: These Kitchen Organizers Will Give You Miles of Extra Counter Space
Space-saving is also a motivating factor in professional kitchens. "I even started using them in my restaurants," says Araujo. "Plus they look cool, and you can see all your knives at the same time so it's easy to know which one to pull," she says.
Keep your knives sharper for longer
A knife block won't dull your blades the way some storage types do.
Jacobs StockWhether you've got new knives, or freshly sharpened knives, storing them on a magnetic knife strip has myriad benefits in the staying sharp department. (If your knives behave more like bludgeons than blades, first things first, get them sharpened.)
First, the knife strip prevents your knives from knocking around in a utensil drawer, which can lead to dulling over time. Wooden knife blocks are okay for this purpose, but they still create a little more wear and tear than simply mounting them al fresco does. And, as Araujo's point above, you're not constantly pulling them in and out of the block in a guessing game of which-knife-went-where several times a day.
Read more: Want to Completely Ruin Your Kitchen Knives? Here's How
For me, there's also another element to keeping knives sharp that is enabled by the knife strip. The honing steel isn't a sharpener, per se, but its function is to help preserve the sharpness. Even as someone who was trained to use it, I have a very out-of-sight-out-of-mind relationship with this tool, but with the magnetic strip, the honing steel is very much in sight all of the time, which means I'm more likely to employ it.
It's more sanitary than a knife block
Gourmetop
Are you concerned about places in your kitchen where bacteria may be hiding? Your magnetic strip is not one. But your knife block…?
"Knife blocks trap moisture in the slots," says Araujo, which can cause microorganisms like mold spores and bacteria to thrive. (She would know, in a humid place like New Orleans. What's the dew point in your neighborhood right now?) Even if you put your knives away without fully drying them first -- don't do this, but if you do -- at least the magnetic strip gives them some air circulation. This helps not only with keeping things sanitary, but also with keeping things sharp.
Best practices for using a magnetic knife strip
Always put the knives spine-down so you don't chip the edges.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
If you're now convinced of the superiority of the magnetic knife strip, there are a few things to consider.
Get a good one: "Spend the money," advises Araujo. "Cheap ones aren't strong, especially if you have solid, high-quality, heavy-duty knives." Fortunately, there's only so high the price can go here, and if you've dropped some real coin for your professional-grade knives, the magnetic strip will be a very small investment toward keeping them in good condition.
A few magnetic knife strips we like:
The most straightforward magnetic strip look: I've owned this $20 metal holder several times over. It has tens of thousands of positive Amazon ratings, comes in six different sizes, and maxes out around $35 for a 24-inch strip.
I swear by this $20 knife strip from Amazon.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
Another good option is this $20 model with a dual-strip look and hooks for hanging other kitchen tools for a comprehensive storage solution.
There are magnetic strips that hold more than just knives.
Eco Kitchen
An Amazon best seller, this $21 magnetic strip has a wood finish to suit a particular aesthetic, if that's a reason why you're hesitant to give up a wooden knife block. CNET's Home and Kitchen Editor David Watsky uses this very one.
Mount it correctly: If your knife collection is small, you may be able to get away with the double-stick tape mounting that is included with some magnetic strips, but the much safer bet is to go the hardware route to make sure it is flush against the wall. I had a pro drill into the tile backsplash in my current kitchen in order to accommodate the knife strip. It looks sharp and is extremely secure. (Having your knives clatter to the ground because of an inappropriately installed strip isn't exactly enabling all of the benefits of owning one.)
Store your knives appropriately: "ALWAYS put the knives spine-down so you don't chip the edges," advises Araujo. When pulling a knife off of the strip, it's also important to tilt the blade away from the strip, rather than slide it off, to help preserve its sharpness.
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