Nothing is more satisfying than having a sharp knife that seems to glide right through whatever you are wanting to carve, chop or dice. We dare say our butchers know a thing or two about knives.

Get familiar with what different types of knives are out there and what they are designed for. Sure, all the different knives look good, but each is made specifically to do a certain job. When you find the ones that suit you and your cooking, it will make your cooking easier and dare we say, more enjoyable, when you don't have to karate chop at a vegetable with a fish knife.

Knives should be washed by hand unless their packaging specifically states that they are dishwasher safe. Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning things by washing with very hot water, but this hot water and the long duration of the cycle can affect the strength of the blade. The heat is also not good for the handles of knives so opt to wash them by hand to preserve their lifespans. Washing knives by hand should be done with hot soapy water then they should be rinsed well and dried immediately.

Designated knives

For the most general things around the kitchen like chopping, cubing, mincing and dicing the chefs knife is the best option.

For getting through bones and tenderising the cleaver will do the job.

For filleting, the narrow thin-bladed knife is the knife for the job.

Knives should be handled with care and always stored in a knife block, on a magnetic knife strip or in the protective sleeves they came in. These measures will stop the knives from rubbing against one another damaging the blade in the process.

Sharpen up

Keeping your blade sharp will keep it at optimum efficiency meaning less elbow grease on your part. Having a sharpening steel which is what youll need to sharpen your knives by running the knife in a special way up and down the steel. Get yourself a good quality steel and dont let it collect dust, pull it out regularly. And to make sure you get the slice you want, grab yourself a sharpening stone and put your knives to it every month or two.