Best kitchen knife accessories according to redditors

Because you’re asking enthusiasts/purists who love their stones and honing rods, you’re not gonna get the right answer. The real answer for you my friend is one of these.


Kitchen Knife Sharpener - 3-Stage Knife Sharpening Tool Helps Repair, Restore and Polish Blades - Cut-Resistant Glove Included (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WWFZY6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7-AUDbFD1J221

Sharpening stones and steels are really only for professionals and enthusiasts who have the time and money to invest in those skills. For home kitchen knives, just buy that sharpener I linked. It will serve you well. Ive has mine for years and I use it for my cheap amazon and cuisinart knives when I don’t wanna break out the stones.

Judging by how dry your cutting board looks it was only a matter of time before it cracked like that. Try to keep your next one well conditioned so this doesn't happen again. Avoid running it through the dishwasher as that will quickly destroy it.

I'm a very visual learner, so I got good by watching Julia Child. She regularly peppers her shows with advice about how to get good at something, and how to customise a recipe when things go wrong, or when you want to switch things up a bit. She's got a decidedly French leaning, but French food is a very good place to start anyway. The full set of DVDs of The French Chef can get had for about $50 from ebay.

There's an episode where she was featuring four recipes for potatoes. She was trying to make a potato cake type of thing. She'd added plenty of butter to the pan, and threw in the boiled lightly crushed potatoes. She didn't let it set for a very long time, but tried to flip the whole thing over in one piece. Half of it ended up on the stove. Without skipping a beat, she scooped it off the stove, threw it back in the pan, and said the iconic line "When you're alone in the kitchen, who's going to see?" She then proceeded to dump it into a dish, throw in a load of cream and a few cubes of cheese, and instructed you to let it hang out under the broiler so that it gets bubbly and crisped up. She mentioned that you shouldn't ever apologise for how something came out, and just carry on as if that new thing is what you'd intended all along.

Whenever she had the ability to do so, she'd show you how to do something from scratch, including how to filet a fish, how to separate out a whole chicken, and how to break down larger steaks into serving sized portions. And, because you're watching her do it all for you, you get an idea of what it is you're looking for, step by step.

Another great resource (although their recipes are white, and tend towards the bland) is America's Test Kitchen's TV Show cookbook. On the show itself, they don't go into technique very much, but they certainly do so in the book. There are large, colourful pictures about how each step of the cooking process should look, and hundreds of recipes to try out. They thoroughly test out each recipe repeatedly, using tools that the average home cook will have access to, and taste test the results. It's an excellent resource to have on hand. You can generally find it used for about $20.

If you're curious to try out baking your own bread, I cannot highly recommend enough Bread by Eric Treuille.

https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Eric-Treuille/dp/1409352722/

It has HUGE full colour photos of the final product, and lots of foundational advice about the art of baking bread. They discuss various flours, how to combine them into an existing recipe, and the effects they have on the final loaf. It's one that I turn to whenever I have a craving for home made bread, and it's never lead me wrong.

If you want SOLID advice about how to quickly build up your cooking repertoire, Mike Ruhlman's Ratio is your best bet.

https://www.amazon.com/Ratio-Simple-Behind-Everyday-Cooking/dp/1416571728/

He realised that most basic recipes can be broken down into ratios, so that if you need to scale up or scale down, you can do so very quickly. His technique to teach you how to get comfortable with ratios is very good.

Another EXCELLENT place to start learning to build your own recipes is Julia's Kitchen Wisdom.

https://www.amazon.com/Julias-Kitchen-Wisdom-Essential-Techniques/dp/0375711856/

She gives some basic techniques on foundational recipes, and then tells you how to tweak the recipes to work with whatever you've got on hand. It's less a by the books recipe compendium, and more of a philosophical understanding of how recipes work, and what flavours should go together.

Speaking of flavour. Get The Flavour Bible by Karen Page.

https://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Bible-Essential-Creativity-Imaginative/dp/0316118400/

There are hundreds of ingredients, and the things that go well with them. Instead of giving you a recipe, it gives you ideas of things to combine together, so that they go together in delicious ways.

If you are going to get a ruler, go ahead and get a kitchen ruler:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culinary-Rules-Mini/dp/B00DT1XYDM/

It's small, but it has a TON of great information on it. Very useful to gauge whether or not you're hitting your marks for whatever size you're aiming for.

My wife bought one of these silicone sponges a few weeks ago.

I don't find the soft sponge side to be all that great for cleaning dishes, but the scrubber side, specifically the black plastic ridges, are excellent for scraping burnt food off of cast-iron. I lay the skillet on the bottom of the sink, fill it with hot water and a few drops of dish soap, and go to town.

Because it's silicone and plastic, you can scrub very hard without worrying about damaging the seasoning of the skillet. Also works well on enameled pieces.

Its a sabitori (rust eraser) that's used to clean and restore Japanese knives. It's used with knife oil and a cloth. Looks like a 240 grit.

https://www.amazon.com/Yoshihiro-Japanese-Maintenance-Complimentary-Sabitori/dp/B00AZ6SYSY/

Use a food safe mineral oil.

Unlike vegetable oils it will never go rancid. Even neutral oils like peanut and canola will go rancid.

John Boos oil is well reviewed, however I use Ikea brand oil

This is a meat scraper sorry for the miss spelling.

We have that island. It's made three moves (one cross country) and is still solid as the day I assembled it. I did use glue in all the wood-to-wood joints, which I find helps their stuff immensely.

For the top, use a small random orbital sander (I use 240 grit, then 400; you just want to knock down any raised grain, really) on it once a year. You can definitely sand it by hand, too, but if you have the tools, use it; it will save a good bit of time. Wipe down the top with a lightly misted cloth, let it dry, and smear this stuff on it: https://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Butcher-Block-Board/dp/B002HDT9FK Don't be afraid to put it on slightly heavy, and just use your hands to smear it in.

After it's had a few minutes to soak in, get a bunch of paper towels and wipe all the excess off, and then clean ones to "polish" it until you can't wipe up any more of the wax. You can just reapply a thin coat of the wax once every few months; I do it every 4 or so months, but we don't use ours that much lately because of a kitchen remodel (no longer need the space). If you use this method, it will stay water resistant for a long time (increasing every time you do it. Sanding to 400 also makes it super smooth to the touch.

/u/sweetbabygreen, ^ in case you decide to get this, or another IKEA butcher block island.

I got a pair of novelty onion cutting glasses as gag gift and I use them sometimes. Normally cutting onions doesn’t bother me but if it does then I’ll wear the glasses and they work.

The scaler is something similar to this. They're somewhat common.

The blades came just in time! I used to use a short box saw (seen here) to both harvest the tree and trim the roots. I now use an 18" Corona pruning saw which lasts for a while if I treat it with camellia oil. Last year I brought my reciprocating saw with a wood blade into the swamp and root pruning was a damned sight easier. My friend, Mitch, put me on to pruning blades and I ordered a 5-pack of Bosch blades.

Next year, I want the 21" Corona saw. So, anyone who wants to know what to get me for Christmas, that's it right there.

Tomorrow is SWAMP DAY! WHOO!

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Note: "Just in time" is defined here as "remembering on Monday that I forgot to order the blades and now I need to pay for 2-day shipping".

I would not use poly. You're going to be putting knives into the damn thing and that's just going to scratch up the finish. Use food grade butcher's wax and it will bear the inevitable scratches with grace:

• http://www.amazon.com/Howard-BBC012-Butcher-Conditioner-12-Ounce/dp/B001ESTA30/ or
  
• http://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Mystery-Butcher-ounces/dp/B00063QPYQ/

I use this for oil... I believe you don’t need to oil the kurouchi finish if it is even/smooth (idk if that’s the correct terminology) and not uneven like a AS Takeda

I'd recommend maple for a first cutting board project. It looks good without some of the extreme cost of other exotic woods. There's also no toxicity issues with maple. That's important when making something that will be in contact with food. Also, the larger the board the better. Using a board that is too small drives me up a wall. End grain is also best. The end grain fibers heal most knife marks and knives work on them better. In my opinion, they also look better.

Maintenance involves regular oiling. You don't want the board to dry out and start cracking. I use John Boos oil. https://smile.amazon.com/John-Boos-MYSB-Mystery-Butcher/dp/B00063QPYQ/

Also, cleaning a wood cutting board is different. I use a soapy damp cloth to wipe it down right after use, and then dry immediately. Never submerge in water or leave wet. Water swells the wood, eventually warping and destroying the board.

Story time....I bought a Rosewill branded knife set from NewEgg, Black Friday about a decade ago. It was $20, I had to google it...apparently someone's trying to sell it on Amazon now lol.

It was a decent enough set, far better than the crap knives my parents always had, I never learned the value of cooking with a decent knife, and I didn't know THAT much about cooking, but it sufficed. Occasionally I had to sharpen it, no real complaints about it.

It finally broke about a year ago, and I couldn't afford to buy a better knife at the time, and I was at IKEA, so I just bought a single $11 knife they had in the kitchen aisle, not their cheapest line, but the middle of the road product line. It's been a year, and it's still a pretty decent knife.

If budget is your concern, I can't say how well it'll hold up long term, but as long as you expect to replace it some day.

Heavy Duty Knife Holder, Maple Wood Magnetic Knife Bar, Knife Block Storage Strip 18" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5LWDMI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_A6AADbBYA1S8Y

See mounting video

You could buy a visual diagram if you are interested in knowing and/or practicing the proper cuts. Amazon has them:

http://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Cutlery-Rules-Mini/dp/B00DT1XYDM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07WKMNBSBGTD7S34WE6M

Get a knife sharpener like this.

Wash and dry them after every use.

A magnetic knife holder is also nice.

1. Mister Linkey
   
   
2. I got my first job when I was 9, and was employed without ANY stops until I was 31
   
   
3. Rød grød med fløde. Is this like the word of the day on Pee Wee's Playhouse? If so, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
   
   
4. Sunday sounds like a good day.

http://www.amazon.com/Lillian-Plastic-Combo-Cutlery-Gold/dp/B0053KI56S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_5

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Converting-Premium-Plastic-Utensils/dp/B009EVLMHG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2

http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Combo-Cutlery-Knives-Spoons/dp/B009UX0V7K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_11

I'd go with your epoxy idea to fill the cracks, and flood the top as well to provide an even surface. It will be glossy, so make sure that's what you want. Looking at a high gloss surface for years doesn't suit everyone.

http://www.bestbartopepoxy.com/

Regarding the wax idea, it wouldn't be needed over the top of an epoxy. Generally wax finishes for cooking surfaces are a blend of waxes and oils and are meant as a single step finish that you reapply over time with wear.

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/understanding-oil-wax-finishes/

http://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Butcher-Block-Board/dp/B002HDT9FK

Honestly, if this was my project, I would use a different type of wood for the kitchen application. Just because I don't prefer the bar top gloss look - completely a personal preference. I've done it before using 6 coats of high gloss poly for a client, and that didn't come close to filling all the cracks.

http://mcnairwoodworks.com/post/135712865805/kitchen-table-reclaimed-oak-polyurethane

That's pretty thin. For that one maybe a scrub with a 1/4 cup bleach and a gallon warm water and scrub it with a brush. If it's that thin and rotted to the center it may be toast.
Once you scrub it with bleach water real well rinse very well and towel dry.
Rub some everclear or if you don't have that cheap vodka. Let the board dry for an hour. If the surface is rough, hand sand it with a rubber block with 120 and 220. If it's really rough and gouged out you may need an electric orbital sander and some 80 grit to start.
Let's hope the board isn't warped.
Wipe down with alcohol again with paper towels to clean and let dry.
Slather the whole thing in this kind of cream
Set on foil and put in oven at 200 F with door cracked open for 30 mins.
Let it cool and go over it again with the beeswax cream and let it sit overnight. Wipe it off in the morning and see how it looks.

Aeaker. Cheap but works great

https://www.amazon.com/Aeaker-Premium-Crafted-Blades-Included/dp/B07FSHBTMY/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1541824529&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Bread+lame&dpPl=1&dpID=41zvWuxIHkL&ref=plSrch

Use mineral oil or a mineral oil/beeswax mix that you can either make yourself (there are many "spoon butter" recipes but the one I use is 50% mineral oil and 50% beeswax) or you can buy cutting board cream which is usually the same thing. I use both mineral oil and the mix, applying the mineral oil first and letting it sit for a good thirty minutes or so before rubbing it in and then letting it sit for about six hours to set. Then I apply the spoon butter and let that sit for a while before rubbing in and letting it set. Sometimes I apply the cream more than once so I can develop a nice protective wax coating on the wood, which will last for at least a year.

This stuff should be great for the MFLB. I plan on trying it once I run out of my homemade stuff. https://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Butcher-Block-Board/dp/B002HDT9FK

Edited for clarity purposes

This stuff is fantastic. I wipe it on thick, let it sit overnight and then rub/polish with a clean cloth the next day. Great sheen, no oily feeling, cheap, and food grade.

https://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-Butcher-Block-Board/dp/B002HDT9FK

Not a sushi chef, but i sharpen my own knives and i have come across these little guys. I imagine the chef has to be using something similar. Binder clips might work

Very cool, I'm sure that's really great steel. I decided to treat myself once I got serious about cooking and bought the Global and a Shun, and ironically I use them less because I'm worried about wrecking the edge if I resharpen them. Same with the stones. The coin trick is a good idea.

Found this FAQ on /r/knives which discusses using a piece of paper as an angle guide:

http://www.reddit.com/r/knives/comments/tl99w/im_going_to_give_you_all_this_one_time_one_time/

Also just found these, which might do the trick:

http://www.amazon.com/MinoSharp-Sharpening-Guides-2-Piece-Set/dp/B0006A03V0

Mineral oil is perfect. Not everyone knows what that is or have it, so I just say butcher block oil, which is sometimes mineral oil + other oils like the boos block one (https://www.amazon.com/John-Boos-MYSB-Mystery-Butcher/dp/B00063QPYQ)

The owner/manager had one and used it but I never used it.. not 100% but I’d imagine it’d be like using one of these

I followed the America’s test kitchen recommendation and got something like this


Kitchen Knife Sharpener - 3-Stage Knife Sharpening Tool Helps Repair, Restore and Polish Blades - Cut-Resistant Glove Included (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WWFZY6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yXHSDbYXN4P9Z

Used on my 40$ set of knives from big lots. Took a while but man is it worth doing once or twice a year.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063QPYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use Thirteen Chefs Knife Oil.

It's basically mineral oil with vitamin E, made in the US and completely food safe

Edit: Please don't use WD40 to clean it, it's poison.

Here are some stainless steel ones with a good rating:

https://www.amazon.com/Huayoung-2-piece-Stainless-Kitchen-Gadgets/dp/B01GOODIF4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522015579&sr=8-4&keywords=finger+guard

$9 for two

Hmmm

Everyone is saying it, but keep it oiled. I like to use mineral oil, or some of this. It's what I've been using, and it's been great so far. It also comes with a little rust eraser, which is great for removing surface rust, so long as the steel doesn't pit.

I use this stuff, it's worked really great for my end grain bamboo cutting board.

I've not used this stuff before but you're looking for a food safe mineral oil.

Get some angle guides and a whetstone.

Edit: you can use any angle guides. I personally use these

My personal choice:

Boos Butcher Block Board Cream

First try one of those Mr Clean magic erasers. I've used it on stainless appliances & cookware and it's effective and non-abrasive. If that fails, try Yoshihiro's rust eraser.