Safe Practices – Pay Attention to your kitchen Knife
Knives are essential tools for preparing food, but being careless with them is surely inviting trouble. Knife safety in the kitchen should be a top priority among home chefs to prevent avoidable injuries. You wouldn’t want the joy of cooking replaced with fear, would you? Keeping a few precautions in mind will help allay your fears in the kitchen and prevent accidents.
Keep your chopping board stable. You can do this by placing a damp cloth underneath it to prevent it from slipping.
Do not ever gesture by waving a knife in your hand. It could get into someone else’s way and hurt someone. If you have to carry your knife from one workstation to another, always keep the blade pointed downward.
Always use clean knives. The kitchen should always be wiped clean after every use. It is more so crucial with knives. Oily or greasy knives are not only unhygienic but could have slippery grips. A secure grip is necessary at all times to prevent injuries. Besides, storing knives away in an organized manner prevents them from rusting or corrosion and extends the life of the blades. Hand washing knives are a better alternative to using a dishwasher.
Ingredients should be stable before being cut. Any round or uneven food item should be made steady by cutting one side flat while chopping or slicing. While holding the food with one hand, make sure to keep your fingertips curled under the food.
Blunt knives do more harm. A dull blade risks slipping off and hitting you as you would need to apply greater force to use it. Hence, kitchen knives need sharpening when the blades get dull over a period of time. You can get kitchen work done more efficiently with a sharp knife.
Don’t leave your knives lying about. Never leave your knives near the edge of counters or tables, or heaped up with other utensils in a sink full of soapy water where someone could get cut. Knives should be placed flat on surfaces where they are in plain sight or put away in a safe place immediately after use.
Hold a knife in your dominant hand. This goes without saying that your writing hand is your dominant hand, and you can exert more control with that hand.
Point the blade away from your body. Always keep the blade as far away from your body as possible when cutting, washing, or drying a knife. Always pick up knives by the handle and never by the blade, even when the blade is dull.
Do not try to catch a falling knife. Your hand could get deeply cut in that attempt.
Do not use the knife while distracted. It has sharp edges and isn’t a plaything. Always pay 100% attention when using it.
Store knives separate from other utensils. A knife may be stored in a wooden knife block, a wall-mounted magnetic strip, or in racks or trays and always away from open flames or extreme heat. Knives should be laid flat, never on the back or edge.
