If the titular question was “can kitchen knives go in the dishwasher?”, this article would be blaringly short. However, our footprint in the culinary universe is not an authoritarian one, and we are not in the business of merely barking commands. We can only provide you, dear reader, with our advice and opinions on matters of cooking and thereupon leave you to your own devices. So, knives in the dishwasher?
Absolutely not. Sorry.
Read on for the perils that await the unlucky knives subjected to the confines of these hot, watery dungeons.
Why are dishwashers bad for knives?
From the perspective of the outside world, it’s a simple wash cycle and relatively relaxing sloshy, mechanical rumble. To those ill-prepared and not designed for the environment inside, however, it’s an arduous plight of Odyssean proportions.
The heat and high humidity can damage the blade’s handle, especially if it is wooden. This, combined with the harsher chemicals and salts used in dishwashers, can strip the coating from the handle, allowing the deluge to permeate into its wooden core, which can lead to both surface and structural damage. Think of it in the same way you wouldn’t put your wooden spoons in the dishwasher. Right? Handles not made of wood can see scratching and discolouration, too.
The water pressure along with the chemicals and temperature collude with each other to make your knives blunt. Plus, if your blade isn’t made of stainless steel and is carbon steel instead, when it’s exposed to this ruinous gang, it will rust.
Next, is the knife turbulently colliding into objects it isn’t designed to meet, such as other knives (God help you), kitchen paraphernalia, and even the dishwasher itself. These mini collisions can cause micro abrasions, chips, and dents in and along the blade’s delicate cutting edge, blunting and misaligning it. We go into greater detail on what happens to a blade’s edge as it dulls here.
Finally, and most importantly – though you’d not be blamed for thinking otherwise – is the element of personal safety. To leave a knife facing down in a dishwasher can damage the basket it is left in, as well as any other objects left near it. To leave a knife facing up poses a serious safety hazard both when unloading or leaving your dishwasher open to dry.
Opt instead for washing your kitchen knives by hand with a simple sponge and soap, then drying them with a towel immediately afterwards.
What to do if they're put in the dishwasher
To change tact slightly: don’t worry, accidents are inevitable and often not fatal. You might live with a family, have housemates, or surround yourself with others who don’t share the same culinary obsessions. Start by removing your knife (calmly) and assess the damage. If the blade has suffered adversely, the handle put into a state of disrepair, or you aren’t confident in your own renovative capabilities, take your wounded knife to a knife specialist for an assessment and correction.
Alternatively, you can leave the wooden handle to dry in an airing cupboard, then gently sand it before applying a thin and even coating of varnish to reseal and finish it. If the blade has rusted, mix baking soda into a thick paste with vinegar and carefully scrub the rust off with a toothbrush. You can shave off errors to the cutting edge yourself with a whetstone – we have a fantastic how-to on sharpening here. Finally, finish it with a honing rod or strop before returning it home to its scabbard or knife rack. Crisis averted.
Conclusion
There is something somewhat paradoxical about kitchen knives. They require a delicate touch, yet they are inherently dangerous objects, capable of slicing things in half with a frightening ease. They demand a constant respect as payment for the wielding of their faculties.
Consider this a call to taking pride in caring for the quotidian tools that live in their entirety to serve us and nothing else.