No kitchen tool requires more careful storage than knives -- for your safety and the safety if the blades -- and no storage option is cooler than fixing them to the wall for all to see. While canvas wraps, wooden blocks and drawer organizers all serve this purpose, the mighty magnetic knife strip is my clear pick. Knife strips save space, they won't dull those precious edges (when used properly), and they give your kitchen an industrial, professional look.
A magnetic knife strip is invariably the first kitchen purchase I make in a new home. I'm a culinary-school-trained nonchef, but even chef chefs recommend this storage 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.
A magnetic strip has distinct advantages over any other type of knife storage. Pamela Vachon/CNET
If you wonder what's so great about knife strips compared to other forms of kitchen blade storage, here are three reasons, personal and chef-approved, to add an affordable magnetic knife strip to your home.
The best part? A quality magnetic strip for your finest blades typically runs under $30.
1. Magnetic knife strips save space
There are so many great reasons to own a magnetic knife strip, so it's hard to know where to start. However, 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.
2. They keep knives sharper for longer
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