6 Sharp Kitchen Knife Storage Ideas

Tossing a bunch of sharp kitchen knives into a drawer together is a less-than-ideal storage solution. If you’re looking into kitchen organization ideas, you may want to prioritize whatever keeps your kitchen safe and functional. There are plenty of efficient and creative ways to store your knives. Below are our six favorite kitchen knife storage ideas. To start, let’s cover the absolute basics. Knives should be stored in a way that:

• is safe. You don’t want to injure yourself reaching for a knife, nor do you want kids to be able to reach them.
• is convenient. You may need a variety of knives while cooking or meal prepping. You should be able to see all your options and reach for the right one quickly.

Beyond that, the right solution for you depends on how many knives you have and how often you use them. Let’s explore some options.

Magnetize and Hang

A magnetized knife holder is a great DIY project if you’re handy with a drill. Simply attach magnetic plates at a convenient place in the kitchen, which will likely be over your backsplash (maybe even a backsplash in one of these trendy colors) or on the side of a cabinet. Not into DIY? There are plenty of ready-made items available online. This has the added bonus of showing off your collection.

This solution is best for someone who needs multiple knives while preparing a meal or for someone who needs to find the right knife quickly. Knives stored in a block may be difficult to distinguish from one another, so if you find yourself packing lunches or chopping veggies and need to grab the right knife just for a moment, a magnetized knife holder is going to simplify your life.

Countertop Storage

It’s clean, it’s simple, and it’s right where you need it — it’s knife storage built right into the counters. This could be the ultimate way to utilize that space below the sink. However, most of us can’t afford to get a new countertop or have knife slots added to our current counters. Instead, consider an upright knife block. These are designed to sit on top of your counter. It keeps your knives out so they are easy to grab, but keeps them safely tucked away at the same time.

This solution is perfect for chefs who don’t want to open a drawer every time they need a knife. It keeps knives close at hand and keeps those sharp edges safely stored.

Our 10 Favorite Kitchen Counters

If you, in fact, do need new kitchen counters, then consider pairing this idea with one of these countertop materials.

Take Me There

In-Drawer Storage

Knife blocks can also fit into kitchen drawers. These types of knife blocks keep everything organized and accessible, and like countertop knife blogs, keep sharp edges safely away from fingertips. One potential downside here is that you will need to open a drawer every time you need a knife.

For that reason, this is one of the kitchen knife storage ideas best suited for minimalists. Kitchen organization ideas will only work if they keep your kitchen working as efficiently as possible. If you want to keep all visual clutter off your countertops and out of your eyesight, then you need things inside drawers and cabinets. And if you want it all to stay that organized, then you need a knife block.

Lay-Flat Knife Storage

If you love the idea of having all your knives tucked away but don’t want to pull out each knife to find what you need, consider a lay-flat knife organizer. These types of knife blocks still fit inside your drawers but let you see everything at a glance.

This solution is best for anyone who is replacing their knives. Why? Well, lay-flat organizers may not work for all brands of knives. Since they have special cut-outs, you may need to choose a knife manufacturer that makes a lay-flat organizer, too, so everything fits properly.

However, never say never. You can find generic lay-flat knife organizers that may fit your knives. You also might luck-out and discover your knife manufacturer makes this style of knife storage.

Knife Storage For Narrow Cabinets

Finding your knives can be as simple as pulling out a drawer. This space-saving setup puts the knives at the bottom so that the space above can be utilized to store something else, like spices. Be sure to leave ample room to remove the knives from the rack.

This is one of the kitchen knife storage ideas that is best suited to those who don’t use their knives all that often. Opening a drawer and bending down to retrieve a knife (not to mention pulling out several to find the one you want if all your knife handles are identical) can get a bit burdensome.

However, this may also be the ideal solution for you if you are short on storage space. If your kitchen has a narrow cabinet that is being underutilized, consider finding (or building) a knife block for the space.

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DIY Knife Storage

If none of these ideas feel quite right to you, or if you don’t currently have the budget to buy something new, this is the right solution for you. This is a quick and easy DIY for a fun way to display your knives. Best of all, it can be done with things you may already have at home, so your budget for all your kitchen organization ideas will barely be touched.

Use bottom-heavy jars or vases that won’t tip over. Then, fill them with wooden skewers, linguine, or dried beans. You can even layer beans, lentils, and grains together, as in the photo above! Then, stick a few knives in each jar.

No matter what your budget or kitchen set-up, you can find a way to keep your knives handy and your fingers safe.