Pro tip: I thought the 'freeze your knives' trick was total nonsense

For years I heard other cooks say you could sharpen a dull blade by putting it in the freezer overnight. I called it kitchen magic and ignored it. Then, at my last gig in a Charlotte diner, the head chef made me try it on a cheap paring knife that couldn't cut tomato skin. I left it in the freezer for 12 hours, and the next day it actually sliced cleanly through a ripe Roma. It's not a real sharpening, but it realigns the micro-edge on super thin blades just enough to buy you time during a rush. Has anyone else had this work, or did I just get lucky with that one knife?

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4 Comments

olivert785mo ago

My buddy's old butcher swore by that trick for his boning knives. Said it got him through a few more shifts before a real sharpening.

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erickelly5mo ago

Read somewhere that it works on a micro level for rolled edges.

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williamw752mo ago

Ha! But does that "micro level" fix actually hold up for more than a couple meals worth of cutting, or is it just a band-aid that buys you an hour?

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paige1665mo ago

What's your buddy's sharpening routine?

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