cutlery Why is putting good knives in the dishwasher a no-no?

muskymojo

muskymojo

I have a set of Wustof Classic knives that I've had for about 15 years. I always hand wash them because it is recommended, but my wife has put them through the dishwasher many many times. We have other cheaper knives that look very similar, and she gets them confused. Anyway, none of them have any sort of damage from the dishwasher that I can see. The lettering has dulled a bit over time, but I would think it would dull after 15 years of hand washing too. If they had wood handles it would make more sense, but I don't see a knife like a Wustof being damaged in a dishwasher. It doesn't really bother me anymore. Am I missing something?

My custom made fillet knives with laminated wood handles are strictly off limits though. As long as those don't find their way into the dishwasher, I don't really care.
 
I've wondered the same, I've heard two basic explanations: The blades get knocked around into other utensils and chip. It's dangerous to unload.

I don't put my knives in the dishwasher, so I have no experience with the first. Most of the people I know who run their knives through the dishwasher don't have very good knives and don't keep them terribly sharp. Also, this would vary depending on how you load them, i.e. whether you throw them in a basket with other tableware or place them in one of the racks.
 
Generally, you don't want them to stay wet longer than you have to. That's the short answer.

Most high quality knives are made with a good amount of carbon steel. They get razor sharp, require frequent honing, and they rust easily. If you handwash your knife you can immediately dry it. Leaving it to cool down in the dishwasher exposes it to additional time to rust.

They can also chip if left in sinks with other things (you probably know better), and in dishwashers that bang things around. Wooden handles are a definite no-no in the dishwasher, but it seems like you've got that one covered.

Edit: Damascus steel is a bit of a different bird (not applicable to your knives). Odds are good that if you own a Shun or other Damascus steel blade you coddle it. But hey, wanted to throw that out there.
 
sudostahp said:
Leaving it to cool down in the dishwasher exposes it to additional time to rust.
Click to expand...

I can attest to that. I made the mistake of forgetting to unload the dishwasher before going to work. I came home to a few small rust spots on them. Nothing a little CLR didn't fix, but still, I learned my lesson.
 
as a gift i got a set of wusthof knives. i've noticed that they can bend when you stick them upside-down into the silverware holder thing. also, the handle is black on mine, and it's faded enough to notice. also, like has been said before, rust is an issue. i would imagine if you don't leave them in there for too long, you'll be fine. it's more likely that the handle will be damaged by the heat and such. just my observation.
 
While rust could be an issue, the heat cycle in the dishwasher seems to dry everything else.

The reason I don't do it is because of the handle, not the blade. Back in the day, I had a Henkles knife that always went in the dishwasher. after years of this, the handle started to distort and cracked at the rivet. I've hand washed them ever since and I still have that old knife and the handle has not gotten any worse in the last decade. I don't know if it is the water or the heat in the dishwasher that does the damage, but something does...
 
The dishwasher dries out the plastic or wooden handles. You have to be careful someone else doesn't come along and try to unload the dishwasher and ends up slicing their finger. You never want to put the blade so it touches other metal objects. It will ruin your nice sharp edge very fast. The safest thing is just scrub down both sides of the blade with a soft sponge and a little bit of soap, and put it right back into your knife block. No one will ever get hurt and your knives will stay looking brand new and sharp for a lot longer.
 
any knife should be hand washed. no exceptions.

one: the knife would end up getting chipped from banging around from the high pressure
two: the heat could also mess with the handle, the adhesives used on the handle, the heat treat of the knife that'll mess with the edge holding and edge taking properties
three: is it that hard to wash a knife? i've lived all my life without a dishwasher and i don't see the problem.

a knife is a personal thing to a cook, it may be a tool that has to be used and sometimes abused, but never neglected. it is a precision tool to make many many things in cooking possible. a little appreciation for said tool goes a long way. and it will thank you with a life long service. for as long as an edge can be put on the blade and be treated accordingly.

these links might help:

http://www.wikihow.c...-Kitchen-Knives

http://www.huffingto...ing_Knives_Away

http://cookingequipm...chen-Knives.htm

http://www.asweetpea...per-knife-care/

http://www.allfoodbu..._for_knives.php

sorry just a pet peeve for me since i cook for a living.


maybe, JUST maybe.... if we care for our knives the same way we give attention to our pepper plants, our knives would actually last longer than just a few years. we have cheap crappy knives at home that have lasted for 20 years or more.

and i have my own knives, japanese, western and european knives for work.


if anyone here wants to learn how to sharpen a knife, any knife i have videos from a friend on youtube that can help with that problem as well.


stainless doesn't mean rust proof. though the majority of my knives are high performance carbon steels (non-stainless), i care for any knife the same way i would a carbon. i wipe them right away with a damp towel with every few cuts. then when i'm done i wash my knives right away. dry them off as much as i can with a paper towel or a clean cotton towel. let them dry off a bit then put them back in my sheeth and knife bag.
 
Like taking your Ferrari through the car wash... hail no!

Good answers.
 
I'd like to see these videos. I only cook at a pub, but our dull knives infuriate me. I don't know how they dull so quickly since we only wash them by spraying and wiping them down with sanitizer water and a clean cloth. And we only have some cheap santoku knives and a cheap chef's knife. It's still pretty bad when they shred their way through soft tomato tortilla shells rather than slicing. :mope:
 
Thanks for the answers. They all make perfect sense. Like I said, I always hand wash mine. It was just something I was wondering about. From now on I will try to make sure they stay away from the dishwasher.
 
Nobody touches my knives. Don't even think it. Don't even look at them. I said DON"T LOOK!

My knives never see a sink. Only a wet bleach towel.

They'll cutchoo.
 
I make knives on the side. I would or suggest putting a knife in the dishwasher. The knives I make tend to be higher on the Rockwell hardness gauge, around 58-60. Most custom knives are around the same. Being that high they are more brittle causing chipped blades, broken tips, or broken blades themselves if improperly cared for. They will however hold an edge a lot longer then a lesser quality knife.

Putiing a blade in the dishwasher will dry out handle material, bash them into other kitchenware causing damage to the blade, and being in damp environment will cause rust.

Hand wash only. Only in the water as long as it takes to wash, dry immediately. Don't let them sit with food on the blade after use. This will cause rust and pitting. I wash immediately after use.

Hope this helps
Cory
 
58 RC is getting to be the standard these days even on production knives for the kitchen. at least for henckels and wusthofs. their newer ones are also sharpened at 16 degrees to somewhat match the japanese knives that are getting in on their market.

i really much prefer my knives to be at least 60-61 RC. =D

and tending to be on the thinner side for easier cutting. hehe. no lasers for me yet. (super thin, almost anorexic blades, at least compared to most knives).....
 
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