What Is A Knife Holder And Why Your Kitchen Needs One
Gladiator Series 8-Piece Knife Block Set White
A knife holder is an easy way to keep your knives easy to access and on full display in your kitchen. There are various types of knife holders, such as wooden knife blocks and magnetic blade walls.
1. What is a Knife Holder?
Gladiator Series R Meat Cleaver 9" with Stand
Okay, so you’ve done your research. You took stock of what your kitchen needed, what your personal preferences are, and how much you were willing to spend. You picked up a few kitchen knives you’re pretty happy about, and not only are you sailing through culinary challenges with aplomb, but you’re pretty excited about showing off your kitchen knives.
But then, when you’re done cooking, and it comes time to put your knives away, and you just feel this weird emptiness inside. Is that all there is? Are these gorgeous pieces of culinary engineering, crafted not only to be extremely effective in the kitchen but also as beautiful objects in their own right, relegated to spending most of their time stashed away in a shelf?
That’s where a knife holder comes in. They’re one of our favorite modern innovations for the kitchen. Whether it’s a more traditional wooden knife block, a knife strip, universal knife block, a magnetic blade wall, or magnetic knife blocks, a knife holder is a solid storage solution for your high-quality knives. It’s about more than just organization or looks, too – the right knife holder can help your knives stay much sharper for much longer. We’ll get to those benefits in a moment.
So if you’re the kind of person who secretly gets a little bummed out every time they have to put their beautiful kitchen tools away, fear not. A knife holder is exactly what you’re looking for to keep your tools safe, easy to access, and on proud display.
2. Why Does Your Kitchen Need a Knife Holder?
Gladiator Series 8-Piece Knife Block Set
Everybody’s been in that situation. You’ve got your ingredients ready to go and you’re ready to start chopping. You know exactly the knife you need for this particular scenario but you’re not exactly sure where it is. You scramble through your drawers to find it. You start to get frustrated. Ugh, where is it? Why do I always misplace my kitchen tools? Why can’t I be more organized? This is so frustrating.
When you finally locate it in a drawer you’re not sure you’ve ever actually opened before, you don’t even feel like cooking anymore. You put everything away and you end up ordering in. A frustrating experience altogether.
A knife holder, however, keeps your knives on full display. Whether they’re on your wall on a magnetic knife holder, or placed on your kitchen counter in a knife block, you have quick and easy access to all the knives in your collection. Not only that, but there are various practical advantages to keeping a knife holder — they might even save your knives.
Main benefits of owning a knife holder:
Aesthetics
Let’s start off with the most obvious one: knife holders or utensil holders just plain look cool. And while it’s not necessarily advisable to go around life doing things based on how cool they look, I think we can all agree that creating a pleasing environment for ourselves and our families is a fun and rewarding thing to do.
A knife holder, be it a magnetic strip or a wood knife block, puts your knives out on display in visually appealing ways.
Blade quality
Most people don’t know this, but storing your blades in a drawer can actually have a negative effect on the material. Storing your knife blades loosely can chip the handle of the blade itself, or cause it to dull. You could even break your knife if too much pressure is applied when opening or closing the drawers.
Keeping your blades out on display protects them from chipping, bending, warping, and even keeps them safe from moisture of any kind.
Hygiene
A magnetic knife holder is much more hygienic than other methods of knife storage. Drawers can develop bacteria, and they are tough to thoroughly clean (and how often do you clean out your drawers, anyway?). A magnetic knife rack can be attached to the wall or cabinet doors where they’re kept away from any concentration of moisture or bacteria.
Convenience
As mentioned earlier, it’s better to always have your knives on full display so you can quickly and easily pick them up when you need them. If you’re part of a fast-moving kitchen, you need to be able to grab the knife you need on the go. Whether you decide to go with a wood block or a magnetic knife holder, it’s much easier to access them at a glance.
3. The Best Knife Holders to Buy
There are various options out there for knife holders. You could purchase a dedicated indrawer knife tray, which is a special type of drawer designed to store knives. They come with specific slots for different types of knives, and are designed to minimize the risk of blade damage. The problem, however, is that different knives have different dimensions, and a knife drawer is unlikely to be able to fit all of them.
Not only that, but a knife drawer still has the issue of accessibility. It’s better to have a knife holder out in the open for home cooks to be able to quickly and easily access their knives. Here’s a list of our favorite knife holders out there – some can be purchased independently, and some come as part of a larger knife block set.
1. Dragon Spire Double-Sided Magnetic Walnut Wood Block
This gorgeous knife holder is the definition of elegance and style. This gorgeous 6 column walnut wood block fits beautifully with Dalstrong’s Phantom series knives, but it is a universal knife block and can also be used to house any type of knife you want (or any piece of kitchen cutlery you need). Its design is ingenious because not only does it keep the knives on full display, it does so while saving space (which, as we know, can often be an issue).
PROS:
- The design is eye-catching and elegant; a perfect display piece for your kitchen that’s decorative as well as practical.
- Since each panel is double-sided, this gorgeous knife spire can hold 12 pieces.
- The powerful magnets on either side of each panel boast extra strength, ensuring a secure hold.
- Smooth wood panels and open air design for extra hygiene and easy upkeep.
CONS:
- As with any knife holder that doesn’t go on your wall, kitchen counter space might be an issue.
- This is sort of like an in-between point between a knife block and a more traditional stainless steel magnetic knife holder.
2. Double-Sided Magnetic Blade Wall
There’s something really cool about this double-sided magnetic blade wall, another great cross between the concepts of a countertop knife block and magnetic knife rack. This beautiful 14.5” magnetic blade wall is designed to proudly showcase your knife collection safely and securely. It’s also especially designed to maximize air flow, which will make for an overall more hygienic kitchen. You can also express yourself even further by placing your kitchen tools in whatever order or position you see fit.
PROS:
- Handcrafted acacia wood construction; each blade wall comes with its own unique grain pattern.
- Transparent, extra-strong polycarbonate cover protects the wood surface from heat and cold.
- Space-saving design, with hygiene and functionality in mind.
- Comes in black, white, and brown variants to better fit your environment.
CONS:
- If you’re not a fan of the open “wall” design and prefer individual panels, check out the previous item in this list.
3. 18-piece Colossal Knife Set with Block White Handles | Gladiator Series
Here’s an incredible 18-piece knife set that not only includes pretty much anything you would ever need when it comes to kitchen knives, but also comes with a handmade acacia wood block. That makes this knife set a gorgeous display piece for your kitchen. The set includes 18 knives from Dalstrong’s Gladiator series, which are all precision forged from a single piece of imported premium quality high-carbon German stainless steel.
Includes in this set are: a 9” carving/slicing knife, a 9” bread knife, an 8.5” kiritsuke chef knife, an 8” chef knife, a 7” santoku knife, a 7” nakiri knife, a 6” boning knife, a 6.5” utility knife, a 6” serrated utility knife, a set of 6 straight-edge steak knives, a 3.5” paring knife, a 2.75” bird’s beak paring knife, and a 10” honing steel, handmade acacia wood block.
PROS:
- An excellent assortment of kitchen knives.
- Top notch materials, made of high-carbon German stainless steel.
- Added chromium for stain resistance, making them quite easy to take care of.
- The food-grade ABS polymer handles are ergonomically designed for comfor.
CONS:
- The beautiful wood block takes up quite a bit of counter space.
- That’s a lot of knives. Some home cooks might not need that many, especially if they’re new to the world of high-end kitchen knives.
4. 5-Piece Knife Set with Modular Block Gladiator Series
Everybody loves block sets, but the problem is that they take up a lot of space. This absolutely gorgeous 5-piece knife set not only features some of the finest knives from Dalstrong’s Gladiator series, it also comes with a beautiful modular block that solves the space problem by being very easy to fold up and put away.
That’s right, the oak wood block features an innovative design that converts from an upright position to a space-saving flat position for easy storage. Easy and convenient. The block set includes a 9” slicer, a 9” bread knife, an 8” chef’s knife, a 6” utility knife, and a 3.75” paring knife.
PROS:
- As we mentioned, the beautiful Dalstrong oak wood block is easy to fold and put away.
- The wood features its own unique grain and stain pattern; no two wood blocks are the same.
- The blades are each precision forged from a single piece of imported premium quality high-carbon ThyssenKrupp German stainless steel.
- Features beautiful, ergonomic, and ambidextrous polymer ABS handles for maximum comfort and maneuverability.
CONS:
- Maybe you’re looking for a block set that just stays up as a permanent staple of your kitchen counter. In that case, you can still use this one (you don’t have to fold it up!) but there are also other options available.
- The design of the block can make it accumulate debris if the knives are not properly cleaned before putting them in, so keep an eye out for that and always clean your knives.
5. Block Set 8-Piece Crusader Series
The great thing about this particular block set is the design of the wooden block itself, which is as open and unobtrusive as the knives themselves. The Crusader series is an absolutely stunning knife series featuring sleek, cleanly-designed all-stainless steel knives. This knife set puts them all on display in a Manchurian ash-wood storage block.
This knife block holds an 8” honing rod, an 8” bread knife, an 8” chef’s knife, a 7” santoku knife, a 6” utility knife, and a 5.5” serrated utility knife.
PROS:
- Beautiful, clean, minimalistic design, both in the knives and the Manchurian ash-wood storage block.
- Extremely hygienic. Not only are the knives themselves very easy to clean (since they’re made up of single piece stainless steel with seamless transitions), but the knife block won’t accumulate dirt or debris like some knife blocks do.
- The knives are made of ultra-sharp, wear-resistant, high-carbon German stainless steel.
- A great collection of beautiful knives in a unique presentation.
CONS:
- The knife holder does take up quite a bit of room.
- The clean, minimalistic design of the knives may not be everyone’s favorite.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
What are knife holders called?
Knife holders can also be called knife storage blocks, magnetic knife strips, knife organizers, kitchen utensil holders, kitchen knife holders, kitchen tool holders, knife stands, or knife holder for wall. Lots of names for what is the same basic concept: a specific tool designed to place your knives and keep them on full display for easy access.
Which knife holder is best?
There are various types of knife holders. The best one will depend on what you’re looking for. For our money, the best kitchen knife holder is the Dragon Spire Double-Sided Magnetic Walnut Wood Block.
What is the best way to store a knife?
The best way to store your knives is out on display, whether it be on a knife block or a magnetic knife holder.
What is the safest way to store knives?
Keeping your knives on a knife holder is the safer option; not only are you avoiding injury by accidentally grabbing the wrong knife (or grabbing the knife by the wrong end), you’re also keeping yourself safe by avoiding the hygiene issues that arise from keeping your knives in drawers.
