Knife block. The knife blocks that came with our main set of knives wasn't big enough, so we bought a block that holds ten large knives, five small ones, and a sharpening steel.

I don't like the thought of dust and other general splatter getting onto knives that are stored in the open on those magnetic racks. Do you have to wash them before you use them? (especially the ones that are used a little less often) Or do you just cut into a nice juicy roast and hope the dust adds to the flavour!!? I'd be interested to know how people with those racks cope with that issue.

We always give the knives a bit of a wipe before using. At least they're sharp. The problem with putting them in a drawer is, they get blunted. And often, you still have to wipe them. I wouldn't put them on a magnet board, though, because I think they'd need more than a wipe.

Knife block with the blade facing the sky. It keeps them sharp. I HATE seeing knives on magnetic strips with the handles down like in the pic. UGH! Reminds me of the movie The Shining or some other knife murder horror flick.

Magnetic racks. Did hours of research before our kitchen renovation and this was the winner. Main advice is to not drag the knife off the rack, get a really good quality rack (our Bisbell cost much more than the cheap ones but nothing ever slips) when removing a knife gently roll it to the spine not the sharp edge

Did our kitchen renovation and wanted to maximise bench space, so opted for the magnetic rack as I had a knife block previously. Best decision ever. The knife block accumulates more dust and you can't see it in the spaces where the knife sits. I needed to replace my old knives anyway so I purchased the main 3 that I know I use and they definitely don't get dusty as I use them daily without a doubt.

I actually voted knife block, as that's how my knives are stored now but I found the knifeblock is still a dust and grease catcher in the kitchen and an extra thing right now taking up bench space I can ill afford to lose but I will have ample room in the new house once completed and I'm actually leaning towards the magnetic mount. I have only 4 knives in total, one for chicken and two for meat or bread. I have no use for any more than I have, so four knives on a magnetic mount would suit me perfectly and I could get rid of the knife block!!

I use a magnetic strip and love that it keeps the bench clear. I don't like knife blocks very much as they are hard to keep clean. I use quite a few knives frequently and I don't find they get dusty at all – and the ones I use less frequently, like the fish filleting knife, I just wipe with a damp cloth before using but, as I usually touch it up with the sharpener before tackling a fish, I would wipe it after sharpening anyway. I have mine near the stove but in a reasonably discreet spot so I don't feel that they are out on display.

Further to all the comments about dirty knives on magnetic blocks - ours are either side of a 900mm cooktop and they never get any spatter on them - I have 16 knives, almost all in regular use, and even ones like the carver that aren't used as much, never look dusty as mentioned. tip your knife block upsidedown occasionally and you'll see what gathers in the bottom! and if you live in bushy parts of Australia there is sure to be cockroach droppings down there too!

I've just ordered a Blume (dishwashable) in-drawer knife rack http://www.blum.com/au/en/01/50/10
I prefer my knives out of the way, easily accessible in the top drawer of my island.

Did you order the H frame holder as well Vee. It will hold it in place nicely..

I have it clipped in between the Blume Orgaline cutlery trays for knives, forks and spoons on one side, and a single cutlery tray on the other side of it for steak knives.

I've also got the cling film and foil dispensers with a h frame in the drawer below.

Awesome Vee. There are some great in drawer storage solutions out there but I think Blum have the best from my experience. Sound like you have it all under control.. what do you think of the cling film and foil dispenser?

Blume are brilliant. I finally have a new kitchen with decent sized drawers now, and I definitely had Blume fittings in mind when designing it.

I particularly love their corner drawers. Going to have them again one day.

We had a magnetic block on the wall, but it's hard (and dangerous) to clean the wall around the knives! and they do get a bit of dirt/dust/grime on them, so we now have the mag. block in a drawer. Knives separated, organized and clean.

does @Jason Turton not remove the knives to clean around the magnetic block? its not dangerous if the knives aren't there! I've had mine up for 18 months, either side of the cooktop and I cook every day, big foodie household, and there isn't a mark to be seen. I think maybe a lot of people have very poor range hoods if there is a lot of spatter away from the cooktop.