Essential Knife Storage Ideas for an Organized Kitchen

When you’re slicing and dicing in the kitchen, you don’t want to waste valuable time opening every drawer to find your favorite paring knife or digging through the cabinets to locate your long-lost butcher knife. Wouldn’t having all your knives in one convenient location be nice? 

That’s where our knife storage solutions come in handy! We rounded up all our favorite knife storage ideas to help organize and declutter your kitchen. These storage ideas will encourage you to find a home for all your blades, so you know exactly where to find them when you need to chop some veggies or filet a fish. 

Whether you’re an aspiring top chef or a culinary newbie, our guide on how to store kitchen knives offers the best storage advice. 

How to Prepare Your Knives for Storage 

Before jumping into our list of the top kitchen knife storage ideas, consider these tips to help prepare your cutlery for our storage solutions. 

Assess Your Knife Collection

The first step in preparing your knife collection involves sorting through your knives. Do you have broken or chipped knives or knives that are too cheap to use? If so, get rid of them so they don’t take up unnecessary space. Make a note of the knives you need to replace and determine if you need to buy additional knives to round out your collection. 

Sharpen Your Knives

Did you know a dull knife can be more dangerous than a sharp one? Before implementing our knife storage solutions, we recommend sharpening all your knives so they’re nice and sharp when you’re ready to use them. You can carefully use your own steel rod, whetstone, or electronic sharpening tool or bring them to a professional who specializes in sharpening knives. 

Ensure Every Knife Has a Sleeve

Now that your knives are sharp, you’ll want to ensure you have a sleeve or edge guard to place over each one, especially if you plan to keep them loose in a drawer. Some of your kitchen knives may have come with their own sheaths, but you can also purchase some plastic or rubber ones to place over the blades. 

Keep Your Collection Away from Children

If you have children in the house, it’s essential to select knife storage ideas that you can keep out of harm’s way. This might mean storing them out of arm’s reach or placing locks on the drawers that contain them. Be mindful when using your knives, and be sure to return them to their proper storage place. 

Don’t Store Your Knives with Other Kitchen Utensils

Tossing your knife collection into drawers with other kitchen utensils is a recipe for disaster, especially if you don’t have covers on your knives. Not only could your knives scrape you while you’re digging in the drawer, but the other utensils in the drawer could dull or ruin the blades. What’s more, this is one sure way to lose track of what knives you have in your collection. 

The Best Knife Organizer Ideas

If you want to know how to store kitchen knives, allow us to help, as we’ve listed all the best knife storage ideas. Whether you have a small collection of just a few knives or an extensive assortment of every kind of kitchen knife, follow these tips and tricks to have the best-organized kitchen knife collection in town! 

Idea #1: Separate Your Knife Collection

If you have a large knife collection, chances are, there are only a handful of knives that you use on a regular basis. For instance, maybe you use your paring, slicing, and chef’s knives almost every day, while you haven’t used your cleaver or filet knife in months. If this sounds familiar to you, we recommend creating an easy-access storage place for your everyday knives and stashing away your lesser-used knives in a different spot to help cut down on clutter. 

Idea #2: Invest in a Slotted Knife Block

Of all the knife storage solutions, the knife block is a tried-and-true choice. A knife block usually refers to a wooden container with different-sized slots for holding each knife. It’s a great, compact solution you can place in the corner of your kitchen counter or tuck into a kitchen cabinet. Because knife blocks come in various sizes and styles, you can find one that matches the ambiance of your kitchen. 

Idea #3: Choose a Universal Knife Block

A universal knife block is a knife block without the slots. While similar to the previously mentioned slotted knife block, the universal knife block features tightly packed rods that let you slide your knives anywhere into the block. They come in various kinds of materials like plastic, rubber, and wood, so you can choose one that best suits your kitchen’s design scheme.

Idea #4: Use Drawer Organizers

To keep your knives organized, invest in some drawer organizers. These refer to dividers that you place in your drawers, letting you separate your knife collection. For example, you could put your fruit and vegetable knives in one divider and your meat and poultry knives in another. If you go this route, just remember to place sheaths or knife protectors on every blade so you don’t accidentally nick yourself when you go to grab a knife. 

Idea #5: Get Knife Slots 

Knife slots are similar to knife blocks, but they’re smaller, so you can easily place them in your kitchen drawers. These knife storage solutions have various slots, which let you store your knives face down. You can find ones with just a few spots for your knives or blocks with multiple rows for bigger kitchen knife collections. 

Idea #6: Go for a Magnetic Strip 

Want to get a little creative? Don’t miss this kitchen knife storage idea! For this idea, hang a magnetic strip designed for knives on your kitchen wall. Because knives are magnetic, you can gently arrange them in a row along the strip and watch as they effortlessly hang in mid-air! While this storage idea can certainly elevate your kitchen decor, for children’s safety, consider hanging the strip in a cabinet or high enough so it’s out of reach.

Idea #7: Designate One Drawer to Your Collection

If you don’t want to fuss with fancy knife storage solutions, one easy option is to clear out a kitchen drawer and designate it as your knife drawer. Simply place all your knives in the drawer (with sheaths) so you know exactly where to find that tomato knife or utility knife when you’re preparing a meal. 

Idea #8: Get a Decorative Container

Want easy access to your knives? Find a sleek tin can or decorative cup and place your knives (with sheaths) into the receptacle. This way, you can easily see what’s in your collection and grab whatever knife you need, whether you’re carving meat or chopping veggies. Again, just be mindful of placing this storage option on a shelf or in a cabinet if you have children. 

Idea #9: Treat Yourself to a Leather Knife Roll

If you want to feel like a top chef while you’re chopping away in the kitchen, look into a leather knife roll. After all, this is what all the pros use for storing their knife collection, so if it works for them, it could work for you! With a knife roll, you can place your knives in each pocket, roll it out when you need them, and roll it up when you’re done. This handy knife storage option is easy to store and even provides a travel option if you want to take your kitchen knives on the go. 

Find out More About Stor-It

Here at Stor-It, we’re the oldest and largest storage facility in Idaho, featuring various storage locations around Treasure Valley. However, we’re also the experts on all things moving, packing, and storing. Whether you want some advice on packing up awkwardly-shaped items or moving heavy furniture, we’ve got you covered. Check out our blogs for more information, and be sure to contact us when you’re ready to rent a storage unit.