Keeping them in this common vessel might dull the blade or allow them to pick up bacteria.

Our Test Kitchen pros confirm that a good chefs knife is among the fewbaking and cooking toolsevery home needs.

For everything from chopping onions tocarving turkey, a nice sharp knife comes in clutch.

knives on a cutting board

Credit:Getty Images / fortyforks

Plus, I probably won’t ever use half of them.

The tips of the blades can also get chipped fairly easily as you slide the knives in and out.

But the most serious reason why knife blocks are among the worst ways to store knives relates to safety.

A knife block ranks at no.

The plot thickens when you consider how challenging it is toclean a knife block.

I prefer not to use them, Guzman says.

Its wise to take as many steps as possible to keep them spick, span, and sharp.

Its rare to need every option, Piva acknowledges.

Typically, a few versatile knives cover most cooking tasks.

Its narrow blade offers control and precision, Guzman says.

If you regularly break down large pieces of meat, like a whole chicken, consider a cleaver instead.