Almost a year ago I found some information that I stored away for future use, and I think it's time to pull it out and use it. I'm talking about a professional touch every kitchen could use.

In a November issue of Cook's Illustrated I read this: "When you run out of space in your drawers, a magnetic knife strip offers an elegant solution - if you buy the right one." While I haven't necessarily run out of drawer space, I have run out of patience when trying to a) find the right knife for the right job and b) keep my knives sharp. So I paid attention to this Cook's article. Here's what it said:

"Wall-mounted magnetic knife strips store knives without taking precious drawer or counter space, plus they can accommodate even the longest knives. (Even a universal knife block fails to sheath a 12-inch blade.) However, if the strip can't secure a typical range of cutlery - 8-inch chef's, 12-inch slicing, 12-inch serrated, boning, and paring knives, along with kitchen shears - it isn't worth hanging." Wow, not only some good advice on what to look for in a knife strip, but also a comprehensive list of knives to own!

I love America's Test Kitchen (the folks who publish Cook's Illustrated); they are thorough and unbiased with their testing, so they're credible. They tested five knife strips priced from $19.99 to $50 and ranging from 12 to 16 1/2 inches long. Two were wood, two were stainless steel, and one had a rubberized plastic surface. They rated them on how easy they were to install, how many knives they held, magnet placement and strength, whether they hurt the knives, and how easy they were to maintain.

They found that all were fairly simple to install, though they did require a drill and a spirit level.

I won't cumber you with all the steps they went through to find the best of the best - bottom line summaries suit the purpose here. Of all the models they tested, all but one stayed rock steady, and only one knife holder caused nicks when their blade hit its hard metal strip. In terms of length, they found 15-inches or a little longer is best, but this meant magnetization had some issues.

Their winner held knives securely in place, didn't nick blades, and was the only strip with more than 1 inch of clearance between the wall and the knives, keeping their knuckles scrape-free when reaching for the right knife. So here are the Test Kitchen's conclusions:

Highly Recommended: the Messermeister Bamboo Knife Magnet. This strip offers ample room for five knives plus a pair of kitchen shears. It was easy to install and clean, and the bamboo surface was gentle on blades. It's pricey - $50 to $75 (depending on where you shop). [My comment: The Messermeister website says it's out of stock right now though. Darn.]

So the next best thing? The $50 Chicago Cutlery Magnetic Knife Storage Strip. This simple stainless-steel strip aced almost every test. However, the clearance for reaching between a knife handle and the wall was a less-than-ideal 3/4 inch. Grooves where the stainless steel meets the magnet can trap grime, but this strip can easily be removed from the wall and thrown into the dishwasher.

But another well recommended knife strip is the $19.99 Mag-Blok. This handsome wooden strip has a particularly strong magnet that held all the knives securely. We had only two complaints about the model we tested: First, clearance for knuckles was less than ideal. Second, its magnet was too short (you lose an inch on each non-magnetized end). But an 18-inch model ($48) offers more usable space.

Now what NOT to buy:

The $35 MIU France 15-Inch Magnetic Knife Bar. This strip's strong magnet and stainless-steel surface were rough on our chef's knife, nicking its sharp edge. It also affixes permanently to the wall, making cleaning an annoying hassle.

The $39.95 Bisbell Magmates Magnetic Knife Rack. Instead of boasting a solid magnet running the length of the strip, this model offers just five round magnets spaced along its length, limiting the number of knives it can hold. Knives that were not directly fastened to one of magnets slid precariously.