As a former girl scout I believe in leaving a place better than I found it. As a food writer and former culinary school student, this entails leaving behind a certain feature in any kitchen where I've lived. (As a former NYC resident, there were numerous kitchens.)
It's the first thing I buy for a new kitchen, without even needing to take measurements. Where I put it might be up for grabs, but it's guaranteed to be going somewhere. I'd sooner live without a microwave or a (*gasps*) air fryer than this indispensable piece of kitchen infrastructure. And it rarely costs more than $25.
So, what is this magical piece of kitchen equipment? It's a magnetic knife strip. It's going up before I unpack the first box labelled "kitchen," and I never question leaving it behind when I move again to make life better for the next tenant. I'm a culinary-school trained non-chef, but even chef chefs recommend this invaluable 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.
Here's a litany of reasons, personal and chef-approved, why you should consider adding a magnetic knife strip to your home.
A magnetic knife strip is a major space saver
The more you can get up on your walls, the more space you'll have on the counter and in drawers and cupboards. Pamela Vachon/CNET
All of the many reasons to own a magnetic knife strip are great reasons, so it's hard to know where to lead off, but 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.
Keep your knives sharper for longer
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