Why You Should Own a Ceramic Knife

When you imagine the blade of a knife, chances are you picture a solid piece of quality stainless steel. However, an old material is gaining popularity—especially in kitchen knives—as an alternative to steel: ceramic.

Most people associate ceramic with those old Chinese vases with intricate flower designs, but the material has evolved tremendously over the centuries into a hard, sharp and brutal nonmetallic solid.

Ceramic knives often get a bad rap from diehards because they’re considered dainty or weak, but that’s the farthest thing from the truth. If you’re considering picking up a ceramic knife, these are some things that will help nudge you in that direction.

Stays sharp for years

The most important aspect of a blade is its edge and how sharp it is. Whereas stainless steel knives tend to lose some of their keenness pretty quickly, ceramic knives keep a speciously sharp edge for much longer. Zircon is the key material in ceramic blades because it makes them significantly harder than steel. When the blade eventually loses its edge a bit, most ceramic knife manufacturers will sharpen the knife for free.

Lightweight

It’s crazy to think how something so light and thin can be so sharp and dangerous. It’s easy to not take a ceramic knife seriously because of its weight, but that’s what gives it an advantage over steel. With minimal weight, you won’t be burdened when doing mundane tasks like slicing cheese.

Cleaner

Steel blades have huge pores that allow dirt and grime to get ingrained in the material. Ceramic has tiny pores, so it’s easier to clean and remove any dirt.

Rust-free

Rust comes about when iron alloys corrode at the presence of water and oxygen. Because ceramic blades lack any metal materials, it stays free of rust forever. Never having to worry about rust ruining your favorite knife is a relief any knife lover would revel in.

No chemical properties

If you’re using steel knives to cut your food, some of the chemical properties tend to give the food an odd metallic taste. That does not happen with ceramic knives because they don’t have the same properties.

While they may not be great all-around knives for hardcore cutting because of their brittleness, ceramic knives are much better for specialization. It’s worth adding at least one ceramic knife to your collection.