Sharpening Vs. Honing your Knife | Wednesday’s In the Know

With the dozens of knife skills classes I have taught over the years, I cannot even begin to tell you, nor estimate, the number of people that don’t know the difference. Given the difference between the two, and to protect your knives and their longevity, I thought it was an appropriate topic to shed some light on.

Honing your knife:

When you purchase a knife block, chances are a honing steel was included. A honing steel can be used each and every time you cook as it helps to re-align the edge of your knife. Your knife may feel sharper but that’s because your knife is functioning at its full potential. Overtime, your knife’s blade can become “jagged” which the honing blade can re-align by straightening the blade’s edge to its original state.

Sharpening your knife:

By sharpening your knife, either with a stone or electrical knife sharpening tool, you are removing a minute level of your knife’s blade creating a sharper point. The general rule of thumb when it comes to how often you should sharpen your knife, is based on the number of times a week you cook. If on average you cook 2 times a week, you only need to sharpen your knife 2 times a year! 

In Summary:

In summary, hone your knife daily and sharpen your knife only a few times a year based on how often you use it! And, if you don’t know how to do either, make sure you visit your local kitchen retailer for a demonstration.

For other terrific tips and hundreds of recipes, including a great knife skills tutorial on my YouTube channel, visit my website thetabletogether.com and YouTube channel, The Table Together with Tiffany Lewis.

Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!