Is putting a chef’s knife in the dishwasher really a cutlery crime?
It’s the second time it’s happened, and he’s only been on board for four days… What should I do?
I never thought I’d have to ask another chef this, especially one that has been in the industry for so long. But there it was again. I opened the dishwasher and eeeeeeeiiiisssshh, my temp sous chef had put my knife through the dishwasher. *dramatic music*
I’ve always wondered about this and decided to shamelessly use this month’s column as a deep dive into whether we’re all making a fuss over nothing, or the dishwasher truly does have evil intentions towards our knives.
It is something we chefs all know (with some exceptions, clearly). It’s the classic, cardinal rule of all things sharp — don’t put it in the dishwasher. Wash it by hand.
As such, in a professional environment, it’s definitely a thing, and I would go so far to say that even in some home kitchens, it may be common practice. (Hats off to you, knife-respecting families.) But are we just playing along because the knife companies want us to feel like we’ve bought something super duper special and fancy? Couldn’t we just slide our blades into the machine without someone crying “Oh how could you?”
I want to clear up some fallacies because there are some statements thrown around willy nilly when it comes to why we shouldn’t put them in the dishwasher. “Oh, it’s so hot in there, the heat of the water warps the blade.”
Knives are forged at ridiculous temperatures. The average temperature of a domestic dishwasher is 50 to 60 degrees Celsius, and 75 to 80 degrees Celsius for a commercial one. There is no warping of any metal, OK?
The other thing you hear is how the corrosive powers of the chemicals will damage the steel. What kind of toxic waste are you using, ma’am? Let’s say you have a stainless-steel knife. Well, no one freaks out about putting a stainless-steel pot in the dishwasher, do they?
Fake claims aside, let’s look into the real concerns. A genuine concern would be any knocking or bashing — dishwashers have moving parts and mugs might fall over or cutlery might start shifting; getting clanked about in the machine would be a negative.
Another would depend on how fancy the knife is. You see, knives work in a weird way — you’d think the more expensive it is, the tougher and stronger it would be? Kind of, but not so much. Good-quality chef knives have a higher carbon content, making them more susceptible to corrosion, aka rust. And this is bad news for your gorgeous Japanese knife.
Along the same lines, anything with a handle like wood, resin or bone will degrade in the high level of water exposure that the dishwasher would subject it to. I saw a Shun knife before and after the dishwasher — that handle was a shadow of its former self. Truly tragic, folks.
So technically, the cheaper the knife, the more likely it is to handle the dishwasher. Does that mean I can put my Wüsthof through but not my Shun? Ugh, that’s like having a favorite child.
I have two sets of knives. My favorites stay on board at my place of work, and a matching set of Globals adorn my newly decorated kitchen. Alas, I have found my husband placing them in the dishwasher and it is pretty insulting. That knife cost $270! But then, I have caught him numerous times using the bread knife in the garage to cut rubber tubes and ropes. It really is unbelievable what husbands (especially captains) think they can get away with. But realistically, the Global can stand up to a few cycles here and there, and they still look fresh AF boi.
I think personally, as a chef, the reason it makes me wince so much is because it is my knife. Like, guys, that’s my knife. It’s basically an extension of my hand. It’s part of me. I love it. I’m touching it for about 10 hours a day. It works hard; it gives me lovely calluses and nice finely chopped herbs. So to see it tossed into the dark cavern of a dishwasher is mildly horrifying. I feel sorry for it in there, which almost has me bordering on anthropomorphism.
Look, if you know me, I’m not really a feelings person. I’m very direct, straight to the point and many have described me as blunt, but my first head chef said that chefs almost have a spiritual connection to their knives and sure, I do think that might be taking it a step too far, but my word do I love my knife.
Knives are a deeply personal thing. What works for you might not work for me. I might like this shape because of the way it rocks on the board. You might like that handle because it fits your hand better. Chefs love to rave and rattle on about their knives, so much so that some even go on to have bespoke knives made, or even start their own knife company.
And most importantly — knives are so freaking easy to wash! It’s like, two swipes with a sponge. Dishwashers are for things that are annoying to wash like a food processor bowl.
(Hang on, I put my mandolin in the dishwasher and my food processor blade. Oops.)
The Ikea knives and your mum’s Jamie Oliver-branded ones will probably do just fine in the dishwasher. But draw the line at your personal, expensive tools, and make sure others do too. Right, do I just leave this article lying around somewhere and hope he reads it or get over the awkwardness and tell him?