10 Affordable Knife Storage Options For Your Kitchen

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When it comes to kitchen knives, quality and sharpness are essential. These characteristics are important for durability, cutting performance, and safety. So, when you come across a good knife worth splurging on, you want to protect and maintain it as well as possible. One of the best ways to do that is to choose suitable means of storage.

Storing your knives loose in the same drawer as butter knives, forks, spoons, or miscellaneous utensils is one of the biggest mistakes you may be making with your kitchen knives. Along with damaging the blades, this habit puts you at risk of cutting yourself when you reach into the drawer to grab what you need, especially if the drawer is an unorganized mess that requires a little digging.

Fortunately, there are numerous knife storage options that are affordable. From classic blocks to in-drawer solutions to magnetic bars, you can choose the optimal organization method for your kitchen without breaking the bank. Daily Meal scoured Amazon for some of the best, highly rated products, but keep in mind that the prices listed are current as of writing and could change.

A knife block is the preferred storage method among many chefs, and the Cook N Home Bamboo Knife Storage Block has plenty of room. For just about $36, you get a bamboo wood block with 20 slots for safely sheathing knives with blades up to 9 inches deep. There are even slots for kitchen shears and a sharpening rod. If you need more slots, there's a Cook N Home block with 25 slots for about $60.

While knife storage blocks are a preferred method among many chefs, others don't like it because sliding the blades into the wooden slots makes them dull. Instead, use Ina Garten's clever trick for keeping your knives as sharp as possible: Place the blades into the slots upside down.

Something else to keep in mind is that you should not place a clean knife back into the knife block unless you have recently cleaned the block. These types of storage options can trap crumbs and other particles that create a breeding ground for mold and yeast, so it's important to clean the slots with small brushes and warm, soapy water before storing clean knives in them.

If you need a new set of knives and a way to store them, you can get both with the Astercook German Stainless Steel Knife Block Set. This set includes what experts say are the only four types of knives you need in your kitchen — a chef's knife, a paring knife, steak knives, and a bread knife. You also get kitchen shears, a slicing knife, a utility knife, and a Santoku knife for special cooking tasks.

Made with German carbon stainless steel, the knife blades are set in ergonomic handles and polished by hand with a black nonstick Teflon coating that's rust-resistant. Plus, there's a knife sharpener built into the block, making it easy to keep your knives sharp and ready for cutting. The entire set is reasonably priced at around $50.

With the Fimaten 360-degree Rotatable Magnetic Knife Holder, you get a multifunctional utensil holder. The inside of the block is fitted with a brush insert that's suitable for sliding knives in and out easily while still holding them in place. Each of the four sides has three rows of magnets under the wood exterior, allowing you to place knives on the outside as well. Because of that, this knife block can hold 12 to 14 knives — six on the inside and eight around the outside, depending on the size.

What makes this about $40 product multifunctional, though, is that the brush insert is removable. If you choose, you can use that interior space for other cooking utensils, such as spatulas and stirring spoons. Finding what you need is easy, too, because the knife block holder sits on a stainless steel base that you can rotate 360 degrees. If you need new knives as well, you could opt for the Fimaten set that comes with the holder and five knives for about $20 more.

If you want an all-magnetic countertop option, the Aomiesen Magnetic Knife Block could be just what you need for around $44. It can hold 10 or more knives (as well as shears and a sharpening rod), depending on the width of the blades (based on customer videos), and you don't have to worry about them falling off. That's because the double-sided magnet is made with neodymium, which is known for its magnetic strength and is even used in computer hard drives, high-performance generators and electric motors, and wind turbines.

In addition, the simple design is easy to use and clean. The natural acacia wood only needs a little kitchen oil rubbed on it to maintain its fine, warm texture. Plus, the thick, wide base makes the magnetic knife block stable and is equipped with anti-skid material so that it doesn't slide around on your counter while you're placing and retrieving your knives.

Having knives on a magnetic countertop knife block might be a safety concern if you have kids, but this ENOKING Magnetic Knife Block with Acrylic Shield is a great solution. Like the aforementioned Aomiesen product, you can place knives on both sides of the block because of the two built-in magnetic strips. Instead of the blades being in the open, though, they're protected behind shields made of transparent acrylic.

The knife block itself is also made of natural acacia wood that has been treated with mineral oil, so it has a warm color and is easy to clean. There's even an extra slot on one side for storing a small cutting board. Holding up to 14 knives (depending on the blades' width) that are up to 8 inches long, this shielded magnetic knife block will only cost you about $50.

Not everyone has oodles of countertop space for storing knives. That's why creating a knife drawer is one of Martha Stewart's go-to kitchen organization tricks, and the Utoplike In-Drawer Knife Block is an easy solution. For just around $37, you can turn a messy kitchen drawer into organized knife storage for 16 blades and a sharpening rod.

Simply place the bamboo block into an empty drawer, and slide the blades of your knives into the appropriate slots, which are made for up to 9.45-inch steak knives and up to 15.7-inch chef and other long knives. If this particular in-drawer block is too big, Utoplike has smaller options for around $10 cheaper.

The Bellemain Bamboo In-Drawer Knife Block is similar to the above Utoplike product but has a much slimmer form factor. This design makes it ideal for narrow drawers or for setting alongside other utensil organizers in wide kitchen drawers. However, you can still fit 16 knives of various sizes in it because there are three tiers of slots instead of just two. It's water-resistant, made in the United States, and can be rubbed with olive oil to maintain its shiny finish. Best of all, it's only about $29.

If you want to hang your knives like Julia Child for a more efficient kitchen, consider the Modern Innovations Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Bar to keep your countertop clutter-free while still having quick access to your cutting utensils. Installation is easy with the included mounting hardware, and the strength of the magnet (which can hold a hammer) means that you don't have to worry about knives falling off your wall.

While scratches and rust are potential issues with metal bars, you can easily avoid the downside of a magnetic knife strip. Carefully place and retrieve your knives, clean the bar periodically, and clean and dry your knives before storing them on it.

This 16-inch magnetic bar only costs around $20 and can comfortably hold about eight kitchen knives and other metal utensils, such as whisks and meat thermometers. However, Modern Innovations has smaller and larger options that hold as few as five or as many as 12 items, depending on their width. They range in price from around $17 to $37, making it easy to choose exactly what you need for your kitchen.

The LARHN Wall-Mounted Magnetic Knife Holder is a lot like the above Modern Innovations bar in that it's 16 inches and priced at about $20. Also, it comes with everything that you need to mount it to your kitchen wall, including a template and instructions that are easy to follow. Although you could use an adhesive (not included) if you don't want to put holes in your walls. Just make sure that the adhesive is strong enough because the bar itself is on the heavy-duty side.

Where it differs, though, is the material. Rather than stainless steel, it's made of either bamboo or oak wood (your choice). Sometimes, LARHN has a walnut option as well. Selecting a wood material is one way to avoid the potential for scratches and rust on your knives with a magnetic bar. Best of all, you can use it to hold other metal kitchen items, such as short spice jars.

If you don't have room on your countertop for a block, have small drawers that can't accommodate a holder, or don't want to mount a bar on your wall, there's one last option: Sheaths for your blades. The Asaya Professional Knife Edge Guards will protect the blades from damage and your fingers when searching for what you need. Then, you can toss your knives into a drawer with whatever you want with no worries.

These blade guards are made with nontoxic, BPA-free, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic that's food-safe, very durable, and textured for a nonslip grip while taking them on and off. For around just $29, you get 11 pieces, which are different sizes to fit various knives. However, Asaya has sets with fewer sheaths at cheaper price points. Be sure to check the dimensions for each option before you purchase so that you get the right ones for your knives.