If you're like many people, you started spending a lot more time in your home kitchen at some point during the pandemic. If you hadn't done much home cooking in the past, you're probably familiar with using the usual kitchen items such as knives by now — and you've undoubtedly already noticed that whether you're using them for dicing, slicing, or chopping, sharp knives do the job far better than their dull counterparts. There are other benefits involved in using a sharp knife for your kitchen duties — the following are three of them. 

Sharp Knives Make Meal Preparation Safer

Although there's an element of risk any time sharp objects are used, using a dull knife increases that risk. Typically, you'll have to use more force when chopping or dicing with a dull knife, and this makes it more likely that the knife will slip. Because dull knives have thick, jagged edges, cutting yourself with a dull knife hurts more than cutting yourself with a sharp knife. Cuts produced by dull knives are typically more painful and take a longer period of time to heal. 

Sharp Knives Won't Mangle Your Food

The same rough, jagged edges that have the potential to cause painful cuts during food prep also mangle the food that's being prepped. Because you won't have the same degree of precision with a dull knife, some food items, such as tomatoes, can be completely decimated if you try to cut them with a dull knife. As an added bonus, if you like to include lots of minced onions in your food, using a sharp knife is a great way to cut down on the number of tears associated with cutting onions. This is because onion tears are caused by the release of a chemical gas known as a lachrymatory factor that causes the nerves in the eyes to burn and tear up. 

Sharp Knives Are Fun to Use 

Using a sharp knife turns a tedious kitchen chore into a session of culinary wizardry — and developing confidence in your knife skills may very well serve as a gateway to further kitchen adventures. For instance, you may find yourself chopping your own potatoes into small cubes, frying them in olive oil, and adding a finishing touch of finely minced fresh herbs instead of making do with mass-produced frozen potatoes that are basically tasteless. Contact a company such as Knife Flight for more information about the benefits of mail-in knife sharpening services for home cooks.