Why the dislike on using a dishwasher with a top cutlery tray for SS knives

calm

calm

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Jan 24, 2022
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What the title says.

I understand not washing non SS (Carbon steel) knives or knives with a sensitive handles (stag, fancy wood). I do not wash those.

I do wash my decent SS knives (Global, Victorinox, ICEL etc) and even some opinels with wooden handles and have done so for decades.

The ones with wooden handles may need a new coat of varnish every few years.

They are on a top separate cutlery tray (Miele brand) thus the blades do not touch, and they do not seem to go blunt sooner than expected, compared to my no Dishwasher friendly carbon steel knives.

Is it just an old-wives tale, from the days of no SS knives and older dishwashers?
 
It's fine as long as the knives aren't banging into things or damaging your dishwasher rack. It's one of those things that has become taboo beyond reason.
 
Synov said:
It's fine as long as the knives aren't banging into things or damaging your dishwasher rack. It's one of those things that has become taboo beyond reason.
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This.

My stainless steel knives, with synthetic handles go on the top rack of the dishwasher, and have done so for years with absolutely no problem. Carbon steel, and natural material get washed by hand.

OP- I would not put wood handle knives in the dishwasher. The moisture and heat can cause them to swell and contract, which, over time, could cause them to break away from the tang or crack.
 
Today's modern eco friendly washers don't really dry the dishes, so you unless you take them out of the washer and dry them in a reasonable time period staining can occur, even on stainless.
 
Anything that gets used in the kitchen goes in the dishwasher. (Usually after it gets left in the sink.). I’m not the only chef, and I’m not home much.

It either survives or gets tossed. My knives are mostly henkels and Wusthof they have survived 20 plus years.

Any replacements will be Dexter Russel Sani-safe knives. These used to say dishwasher safe, but even they don’t anymore. But they can be sanitized and “withstand high and low temps”

All my clothes go into the dryer too. Again it either survives or gets tossed. I don’t baby my stuff. I buy good quality rugged stuff and use it all hard.
 
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Because there's a right way to do things.

I clean a knife after use so I see no need for blasting it with hot water for an hour. There's also a sense of satisfaction from the proper care of items you enjoy using.

Plus, if we keep up the taboo we can tell our wives we have to buy a new knife every time she inadvertently runs one through the dishwasher ;)
 
My wife runs our set of wusthof WOOD handled kitchen knives through the dishwasher daily. At first I was freaking out only because of the wood and was constantly applying mineral oil/beeswax. Then I thought screw it, if the wood gets messed up I'll get new knives. They have been holding up surprisingly well actually. I think they'll still last a good long while. Gives me time to figure out where to get a set of not outrageously priced s90v kitchen knives.
 
I personally value tools that can last my entire life, or ideally even into the next generation(s).

I’m someone who finds joy in restoring old, unusable tools and getting them back into service.

Some tools are inherently durable and essentially nothing I do to them will damage them.

Other tools aren’t as robust and need more care if I want them to last.

To me it would seem wasteful to put a wooden handled knife into a dishwasher regularly, knowing that I was likely taking decades of use away from the tool.
 
As reasons above which include.....

1. It's Dangerous. My knives are razors. Points sticking up, someone reaching for a glass is going to the emergency room.

2. It dulls them. That abrasive wash swirling around frosting your wine glasses is actually dulling your knives, too.

3. The heat could warp your handle scales, and weaken your epoxy.

4. Possible rust
 
Only peripherally related, but I recently realized that for some reason I had developed the habit of washing knives without the use of a sponge/brush - i.e. just using soap, water, and my fingers. No idea why this habit developed. 🤷‍♂️

I decided that was probably a bad habit that was going to get me a nice set of stitches some day so now I use a sponge.
 
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K.O.D. said:
Today's modern eco friendly washers don't really dry the dishes, so you unless you take them out of the washer and dry them in a reasonable time period staining can occur, even on stainless.
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This. It's like putting the knife in a humidity chamber. Not good for high carbon steel alloys. It does not take much corrosion at the blade edge to cause the knife to lose its very fine edge.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
As reasons above which include.....

1. It's Dangerous. My knives are razors. Points sticking up, someone reaching for a glass is going to the emergency room.

2. It dulls them. That abrasive wash swirling around frosting your wine glasses is actually dulling your knives, too.

3. The heat could warp your handle scales, and weaken your epoxy.

4. Possible rust
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Exactly my thoughts!

Did a stint washing dishes at 15. Thanks to that, never used a dishwasher once in the last 31 years.

Unnecessary extra steps, plus the job is incomplete if dishes are not clean, dry and where they belong.
 
I’ve always heard putting folding knives in the dishwasher was a hard no and never really questioned it. Doesn’t take long to hand wash your pocket knife. Why’d I go through hassle of a dishwasher?
 
scdub said:
Only peripherally related, but I recently realized that for some reason I had developed the habit of washing knives without the use of a sponge/brush - i.e. just using soap, water, and my fingers. No idea why I this habit developed. 🤷‍♂️

I decided that was probably a bad habit that was going to get me a nice set of stitches some day so now I use a sponge.
Click to expand...

My sole ER trip for a knife cut was from when I got careless while washing a kitchen knife.

Shortly after that I stumbled across a (Shun sponsored) Alton Brown video, where he demonstrates the safer method of resting the blade stationary against the side of the sink, and then scrubbing it one side at a time (I think with a brush). Admittedly though, I too still find myself often doing it the way you mention above.
 
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