How to Care for Restaurant Cutlery

Quality commercial cutlery can last a lifetime, but only if it is properly cared for. When it comes to investing in cutlery for your business, it’s important to take proper precautions to protect that investment in the future. The tips below show how to care for restaurant cutlery so you can get the most out of your knives.

Understand the Purpose of Each Knife

Every knife in your restaurant has a special purpose based on its sharpness, blade form, etc. The people who work in your restaurant need to understand the role each knife plays in the preparation process so they will not unintentionally abuse your cutlery. A butter knife is not designed to cut through steak, and a cleaver is not designed to filet delicate meat. Use each knife for its intended purpose to protect the blade and your food.

Work on a Cutting Board

Do not slice a knife on top of metal, ceramic, or glass surfaces. The exception to this rule is for steak knives that your customers will use at their tables. For the cutlery in the kitchen though, all slicing should be completed on top of a cutting board or butcher block countertop. This will give the knife blade something to sink into as you make passes across the food.

Hand-Wash Your Restaurant Cutlery

It may take more time to wash restaurant cutlery by hand, but doing so will improve the lifespan of your knives. The hot, high pressure water used in commercial dishwashers can eat away at the adhesive holding the knife’s handle in place. Even for knives with metal handles, the movement of dishes in the dishwasher can quickly dull the blade.  Immediately after use, hand-wash the cutlery to prevent rust and preserve the knives’ integrity.

Store Cutlery in a Knife Rack

Do not throw your commercial knives in a drawer when you are finished using them. This will expose them to objects that could dull their blades over time, and it will create a safety hazard for anyone opening that drawer in the future. Invest in a quality knife rack to store your cutlery in when it is not in use.

Keep the Knives Sharp

Use a sharpening stone or sharpening steel to keep the blades on your knives sharp. This will prevent you from having to by new cutlery every year. The frequency of your sharpening will depend on how much you use each knife. Look along the edge of the blades to see if they are starting to fold over and then use a sharpener to bring them back to life.

Take good care of your commercial cutlery and you will protect your investment, extend the use and improve efficiency in your kitchen.

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