If you're shopping around for kitchen knives you may be looking for dishwasher safe utensils. Many products will say, "dishwasher safe" on the packaging. However, when you read further the manufacturer recommends hand washing because the dishwasher knocks the blades around, potentially damaging a good knife. Nonetheless, a lot of people love the convenience of a dishwasher. In this case, the key to discerning the best dishwasher safe knife sets involves close examination of the materials and knife construction.
Knife handles come in a variety of materials including metal, plastic, resin, and wood. You want a handle that feels comfortable in your hand; for washing purposes, avoid wooden handles. The water and soap from the dishwasher will damage the wood finish.
Additionally look for knives with a full tang, secured with rivets or metal pins. This makes a sturdier knife that takes the bumping in a dishwasher better than knives with flimsier construction. Make sure the handle fits the tang closely. This keeps moisture from the dishwasher from lodging within, and cause cracking or expansion.
Forging and stamping are the two ways in which manufacturers produce knives. A stamped knife comes from sheet metal, cut into a specific shape, creating a lightweight product. Forged knives come from hammered metal billets. Overall forging makes a higher quality knife that's more dishwasher safe than a stamped knife, and it also requires less sharpening.
Some cooks prefer Japanese knives because they hold a good edge and offer precision. These are not, however, the best dishwasher safe knife sets. In fact, they require higher maintenance, and should remain hand washed. Western-style knives by comparison are lower maintenance and usually dishwasher safe.
The vast majority of kitchen knives have stainless steel, carbon steel, or chrome vanadium blades. All three types have carbon in their structure, providing hardness. If you buy carbon steel the blade will stain during use and from being washed in the dishwasher. By comparison, stainless steel has an alloy that makes it non-corrosive, and therefore a much better choice for a dishwasher safe implement. Additionally blades that have chromium or vanadium keep their cutting edges longer.