People Are Just Discovering How to Store Knives Correctly, Thanks to Ina Garten’s Technique

Ina Garten is the queen of the kitchen — in more ways than one. From food hacks to hosting tips and the best recipes, the television star has saved us in the kitchen more than once. Lucky for us, the cooking whiz has a new trick that will ensure you always have sharp knives on hand. While Garten mentions that she typically opts for knife blocks that hold the knives sideways, her suggestion for blocks that hold knives vertically will save your blades.

As Garten demonstrates in a recent Instagram video, when you place your knife into a wooden knife block right side up, the blade scrapes against the wood as you slide the tool into place. So, the star flips the knife upside down so when it’s time to put the knife away, it will glide in without the cutting edge skimming the wood, ultimately saving the sharp side from extra abrasion.

It’s crucial to have sharp blades in the kitchen to prevent any serious injury. When the blade is dull, you will have to provide more pressure to slice food, making it much easier for the knife to slip. While knives will inevitably dull down over time, this hack will increase the longevity of your tool before having to manually sharpen it. It’s recommended to sharpen your knives every couple of months, but you may just want to take notice of when your knife stops seamlessly gliding through your food — then you know it’s time.

Commenters on the video were loving the trick and some even chimed in with their own suggestions. One user even recommended keeping your knives out of the dishwasher to extend their lifespan.

Well, Garten has done it again, and we can’t wait to see what other tricks she has to share.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: People Are Just Discovering How to Store Knives Correctly, Thanks to Ina Garten’s “Brilliant” Hack