The majority of questions we receive from this site seem to have a common theme. Most of our readers are looking for instructions on how to properly care for their ceramic knives. Most manufacturers will include a set of instructions with their knives, but in all honestly, the care instructions are the same across all knives. Here is our officially, unofficial guide on how to care for your ceramic knives.
PROPER USE:
- Use your ceramic knife for slicing or cutting soft foods only (fruits, vegetables, boneless meats, etc).
- Use a softer cutting board only, plastic, wood and bamboo work well. Avoid glass and marble cutting boards.
- Never use the knife as a tool other than a knife. Never use it to pry anything open, or to cut plastic packaging.
- Do not use the side of the blade to smash anything such as garlic, herbs, etc.
CARE:
A quick rinse with a mild detergent is all that is needed to keep your knife clean. After cutting non greasy food such as fruits or veggies, I sometimes just give it a rinse in warm water, no detergent. Since the surface is non-porous, cleaning is a breeze. Never put your ceramic knives in the dishwasher. The high pressure water can cause the knife to rattle against other items in the machine, causing it to chip.
STORAGE:
Store your ceramic knives in a knife block or knife tray. When storing or removing the knife, be careful not to damage the edge or tip.
WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO CAREFUL WITH CERAMIC KNIVES?
After reading this, I know what you’re thinking, “This knife needs to be treated like a princess!”. Think about it a bit and you’ll realize that ALL nice knives (metal or ceramic) should be treated with these same instructions.
I decided to dig up some care instructions for some popular steel knives on the market.You will see some similarities.
[legend title=”SHUN KNIVES” style=”1″]Please do not use Shun knives other than the Ken Onion meat cleaver on bones or joints. These knives are designed for precision slicing rather than chopping through bones. One key to keeping a Shun (or any other knife) sharp is to use an appropriate cutting surface. These include wood, bamboo, and polypropylene, all of which are softer materials and will “give” under the blade. Technically, yes. Both the blades and the PakkaWood® handles can stand up to the rigors of the dishwasher. However, we generally recommend against it. Here’s why: The dishwasher can be hard on all your dishes, but it can be especially hard on knives because they tend to get knocked around during the cycle.[/legend]
As you can see, you were right, TREAT YOUR KNIVES LIKE A PRINCESS!
is the best explanation i ever received
I am a culinary student and everything said here is exactly what my professional chef instructors have said. This is spot on great advise.
Yes good advice and good points. Also throwing knives in the dishwasher can be dangerous. Imagine reaching in and slicing your hand open!
Any quality product has simple precautions and your recommendations are completely clear and logical.
Just want to emphasize that the blades ARE delicate. I broke one with the least bit of pressure, while prying at something. I’ve also heard someone say that they chipped one when cutting open a peach (on the pit).
The blades are amazing, but strictly for cutting fleshy foods.
Well, so much for my buying a new ceramic knife!! I’ll just stick with my ‘chain saw’!
This is an awesome blog, really helpful 😀 I have a question though, I recently bough the Kyocera gift set with the Santoku and the pairing knife but I was wondering if there was any case that could work for carrying the knives around? I mean, like moving from classroom to classroom, commuting and stuff like that. I am a bit concerned, because I spent the equivalent to 200 USD to buy them because Kyocera doesn’t ship to my country and I don’t want to chip them or anything.
Thanks for the tips 😀
Jose, The set should have come with a box. Each knife should have also come with a plastic shipping sleeve on it. We usually recommend keeping that plastic sleeve in case you needed to move the knives from location to location. If you’ve already thrown that sleeve away, you may be able to find some knife sleeves that were made for steel knives. Those would work just as well.
I was given a ceramic pairing knife, and it’s the one I’ll reach for before any other knife I have. It’s by far, the sharpest blade in the drawer, and a sharp knife is a much safer knife than a dull blade. I found out the hard way exactly how sharp it IS when it sliced so easily through my thumb!!! Not the knife’s fault, just a clumsy move on my part. So now I respect this knife above all others I have. And I hope to eventually own a set of them.
What about the need for and proper method(s) of sharpening??
Jose, yes you CAN buy a knife case. My cooking teacher had one for his good knives, the blades slip in, the flap flips down ond it rolls up and ties.. Also it has a handle to carry with..
Anyone who enjoys working in their kitchen has one main pre-requisite to follow;,,,,,,,respect for all the tools you use, especially knives and all other cutting implements,,,!!!
And,,,,always remember, a dull knife is more dangerous that a properly sharpened one,,,,!!!
Just want to ask is it safe to tap chop will it damage the blade?
Rene, tap chop is fine with ceramic knives. When manufacturers warn against chopping with ceramic knives, what they mean is that you should not chop with it ‘butcher’ style.
Wish I’d read this BEFORE I squished a clove of garlic with my (now broken) ceramic knife ;-( I’m lucky that it is being replaced for free! One question: How does one sharpen a ceramic knife or don’t they blint?
We’ve used a ceramic kitchen knife around the house for about 3 years now. The tip is chipped (but the tips of our steel knives are a bit blunted too – wife has a hand-thrown pitcher to store things in) but the rest of the knife is in great condition. I think common sense is key with regards to ceramics. Don’t cut bone, don’t cut on steel or stone and lastly, don’t leave them the sink (easy to drop pots on). The cheap blade at home was expected to be a throw away due to its budget cost, but it’s still kicking after all these years. It’s probably the best kitchen knife we have, currently.
I whant to know the propper method to sharpen ceramic knifes please
The best way to sharpen a ceramic knife is with a 220 Grit Diamond wheel. Use coolant and a steady hand or fixture. Any other type media and your going to have problems.
I love my Kyocera knives and I was looking for an explanation of why they aren’t supposed to be put in the dishwasher. It seems like it would be fine if you have the knife its own basket.
I have bought several ceramic knives, and have found out that Kyocera is the best brand to go with. For the last 4 years I have only bought ceramic knives, and never plan on going back to anything different than ceramic. No blades to sharpen, ever!
This is a great website!
thank you for all the above info. Just rec’d set from Primal and handle fell off on first use. They won’t replace it as 30 days went by, barely. Anyway, they gave me 1/2 credit and didn’t offer to replace broken one at all.
How about cutting/quartering apples….cutting through the core with the pips and cutting through the stem. Is this safe or could this potentially chip the edge of the blade? Thanks.
Wow.! very nice article i like it 🙂 very sharping knives and very easy to cutting apple and more etc 🙂