There isn't a piece of kitchen equipment that benefits more from proper storage than knives. That's why a knife strip is the first thing I buy for the kitchen of any home I move into, and urge friends to install one if they haven't already.
Yep, I'd sooner live without a microwave or air fryer -- OK, maybe not my precious air fryer -- than this indispensable piece of kitchen infrastructure. Best of all, a good magnetic strip to hang your best knives rarely costs more than $30.
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.
You're probably wondering what's so great about knife strips compared to other forms of kitchen blade storage. Here are three big reasons, personal and chef-approved, to add an affordable magnetic knife strip to your home.
1. 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.
2. They keep knives sharper for longer
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