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Despite all the advice, I’ve been washing knives in the dishwasher for a decade and they are still totally fine. They certainly don’t “rust”. What kind of metal

Despite all the advice, I’ve been washing knives in the dishwasher for a decade and they are still totally fine. They certainly don’t “rust”. What kind of metal are these people making knives out of?

toast0 5y ago
Depends on your detergent too, the lemon scented stuff seems to induce way more rust than the unscented.
anderiv 5y ago
The alloy of high-carbon steel that is used in many high-end knives will absolutely rust if washed in the dishwasher. Stainless steel knives generally won't rust, of course.
exmadscientist 5y ago
Dishwashers tend to destroy the handles and edges of knives. If your knives survive... what kind are they, so I can buy some?
- raldi 5y ago
  I've got a cheap chef's knife from the restaurant-supply store — I think it was $30 — and have been dishwashing it exclusively since 2009, and it's totally fine. https://i.imgur.com/tL699FA.jpg https://i.imgur.com/tL699FA.jpg
- wintermutestwin 5y ago
  Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1C2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1C2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b... These are highly recommended for a being cheap yet good chef's knife. Mine has survived 5 years of daily dishwasher cleaning...
  - DiabloD3 5y ago
    I also use Victorinox Fibrox Pro series knives. They're inexpensive, partially forged, easy to sharpen, and stay sharp surprisingly long as long as you take care of them. I do not dishwasher mine, however, and I do not soak them.
BugsJustFindMe 5y ago
There are four viable takes for why not to put chef knives in dishwashers... 1) It can be dangerous for anyone reaching into the dishwasher not expecting to find a sharp knife. If you live alone and no one else reaches in there and you're always at maximum vigilance, you do you. But I've known two people who got their hands and wrists sliced open horribly by sharp dishwasher knives. 2) Every stainless steel kitchen knife I've ever seen where the person regularly put it in the dishwasher had an edge that was so etched and eaten away that it basically looked serrated. Sample size is probably 20 for those. Knives I've seen where the person never put them in the dishwasher may have had a few dings and nicks, but they never looked like their edges were being dissolved away. Note though that this isn't necessarily a bad thing if you don't have an emotional attachment to the knife. A serrated knife is basically sharp on its own for free without sharpening. 3) Even if the blade isn't appreciably harmed, the rest of the knife made of other materials can be, and the handle could crack, loosen, or weaken. This depends on how the handle is made and attached. 4) Fancypants non-stainless steel knives do exist and will rust. (see e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/Bladesmith/comments/bj63yu/this_is_why_we_dont_put_high_carbon_steel_knives/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Bladesmith/comments/bj63yu/this_is_... ) I don't really get why anyone likes them though.
- korethr 5y ago
  > Fancypants non-stainless steel knives do exist and will rust. > I don't really get why anyone likes them though. The non-stainless alloys will have an easier time taking and keeping a very sharp edge. This makes them more useful, and for longer. Not only does a very sharp edge make the knife easier and faster to work with, is safer to use than a not-so-sharp knife.
- athenot 5y ago
  5) The knives can cut the plastic coating on the dishwasher tray/rack and then the inner metal starts corroding. Don't ask how I know… As for your fourth point, soft metals sharpen in a few seconds. My high carbon steel knives will slice right through tomato peel without smashing the tomato itself; or cut raw meet in one quick movement.
dekhn 5y ago
when my wife puts my nice knife in the dishwasher, it ends up with gouges in the blade. It's not particularly high end but it is quality steel. The washer has never done anything to the handle or the connection between the handle and the blade (I expect this knife to last 30+ more years. Good deal for $150). The dings in the blade- that is fixed by routine periodic resharpening.

toast0 5y ago

Depends on your detergent too, the lemon scented stuff seems to induce way more rust than the unscented.

anderiv 5y ago

The alloy of high-carbon steel that is used in many high-end knives will absolutely rust if washed in the dishwasher. Stainless steel knives generally won't rust, of course.

exmadscientist 5y ago

Dishwashers tend to destroy the handles and edges of knives. If your knives survive... what kind are they, so I can buy some?

raldi 5y ago
I've got a cheap chef's knife from the restaurant-supply store — I think it was $30 — and have been dishwashing it exclusively since 2009, and it's totally fine. https://i.imgur.com/tL699FA.jpg https://i.imgur.com/tL699FA.jpg
wintermutestwin 5y ago
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1C2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1C2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b... These are highly recommended for a being cheap yet good chef's knife. Mine has survived 5 years of daily dishwasher cleaning...
- DiabloD3 5y ago
  I also use Victorinox Fibrox Pro series knives. They're inexpensive, partially forged, easy to sharpen, and stay sharp surprisingly long as long as you take care of them. I do not dishwasher mine, however, and I do not soak them.

BugsJustFindMe 5y ago

There are four viable takes for why not to put chef knives in dishwashers... 1) It can be dangerous for anyone reaching into the dishwasher not expecting to find a sharp knife. If you live alone and no one else reaches in there and you're always at maximum vigilance, you do you. But I've known two people who got their hands and wrists sliced open horribly by sharp dishwasher knives. 2) Every stainless steel kitchen knife I've ever seen where the person regularly put it in the dishwasher had an edge that was so etched and eaten away that it basically looked serrated. Sample size is probably 20 for those. Knives I've seen where the person never put them in the dishwasher may have had a few dings and nicks, but they never looked like their edges were being dissolved away. Note though that this isn't necessarily a bad thing if you don't have an emotional attachment to the knife. A serrated knife is basically sharp on its own for free without sharpening. 3) Even if the blade isn't appreciably harmed, the rest of the knife made of other materials can be, and the handle could crack, loosen, or weaken. This depends on how the handle is made and attached. 4) Fancypants non-stainless steel knives do exist and will rust. (see e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/Bladesmith/comments/bj63yu/this_is_why_we_dont_put_high_carbon_steel_knives/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Bladesmith/comments/bj63yu/this_is_... ) I don't really get why anyone likes them though.

korethr 5y ago
> Fancypants non-stainless steel knives do exist and will rust. > I don't really get why anyone likes them though. The non-stainless alloys will have an easier time taking and keeping a very sharp edge. This makes them more useful, and for longer. Not only does a very sharp edge make the knife easier and faster to work with, is safer to use than a not-so-sharp knife.
athenot 5y ago
5) The knives can cut the plastic coating on the dishwasher tray/rack and then the inner metal starts corroding. Don't ask how I know… As for your fourth point, soft metals sharpen in a few seconds. My high carbon steel knives will slice right through tomato peel without smashing the tomato itself; or cut raw meet in one quick movement.

dekhn 5y ago

when my wife puts my nice knife in the dishwasher, it ends up with gouges in the blade. It's not particularly high end but it is quality steel. The washer has never done anything to the handle or the connection between the handle and the blade (I expect this knife to last 30+ more years. Good deal for $150). The dings in the blade- that is fixed by routine periodic resharpening.