If you’re a chef or just love delving into a variety of cuisines, you might have heard of a Santoku. It is one of the most popular knives on the planet, known for its versatility and sharpness. But to chop veggies and fruits like a pro, you need to keep its blade sharp.
You can go for electric sharpeners and even a whetstone for sharpening the knife. It will prevent the blade from getting blunt and save you from accidental cuts while cooking.
Here’s all you need to know about sharpening a Santoku knife like a professional chef!
How Often Should You Sharpen The Knife?
The time-frequency of sharpening your knife depends upon how much you use it and the intensity of its usage.
If you do a lot of chopping every day, you might need to sharpen the knife every one or two months. On the other hand, if you use the knife rarely, sharpening it once or twice will suffice.
How to know when it’s time to sharpen it? You can understand this by performing a small test. Take a slightly ripe tomato or a similar fruit and try cutting it with your knife.
If it cuts through the fruit with ease, your knife is still sharp. But if it takes a lot of work to cut the tomato, it’s time to sharpen the Santoku.
With time, you’ll understand the perfect time to sharpen your blade and maintain it.
Knife Sharpening Using a Whetstone
Using a whetstone is a fantastic way of sharpening blades and getting the most out of them. Although they come in various levels of coarseness, the steps to use them while sharpening is simple. Have a look below –
- Hold the knife with its tip facing forward and move it back and forth to start the sharpening process.
- Avoid circular or up and down motions as they won’t sharpen the surface.
- While moving the knife, ensure the entire length of the blade touches the whetstone.
- Move your hands slowly and try not to rotate the wrist after every stroke. Repeat similar steps for the other side of the blade to complete the sharpening process.
- The knife’s grit must be between 600 and 1000 for best results.
Using Manual Tools For Sharpening
You can utilize manual knife sharpeners that run on electricity and keep those blades shining! Place the knife on a dry cloth or flat surface, and then place the sharpener. Some sharpeners will let you slide the knife through them to get it sharpened.
Other automatic electric sharpeners consist of an abrasive material that is embedded on their surface. So, when you place the knife on the device, it will automatically start enhancing the blade.
No matter which device you’re using, make sure you slowly sharpen the knife. Putting excess pressure on the blades while sharpening can damage them.
It is recommended that you not use the electric sharpener for too long during the process.
Wrapping Up
Keeping your Santoku knife sharp at all times will allow you to chop vegetables, fruits, and meat faster. You’ll prepare the dishes better as finely chopped veggies make them tastier. However, try to avoid cutting hard vegetables and fruits to maintain the blade.
It’s essential to keep the blade dry after washing it. Keeping the edges clean and dry will enhance its longevity. The last thing you want is rust on your Santoku!
