Cooks describe a knife as an extension of their own arm, which is why they are always looking for the best one for themselves. However, even the best of the knives wear down over time and there is nothing more frustrating than a dull knife, especially when you need it the most!
Luckily, keeping your kitchen knives properly sharpened is easy, makes cooking easier and is even safer compared to dull knives. Owning an electric knife sharpener improves the quality of your knives for many Thanksgivings and Christmas dinners to come.
Here is a list of some highly rated electric knife sharpeners that are worth considering:
- Chef’s Choice 120 Diamond Hone EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener: This electric knife sharpener has a three-stage sharpening system that uses diamond abrasive disks to sharpen, honing, and polish your knives. It is suitable for both straight-edged and serrated blades, and has a patented flexible springtime guide for precise sharpening at a consistent angle.
- Chef’sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener: This sharpener is compatible with both straight-edged and serrated blades, and has three sharpening stages to ensure a precise and ultra-sharp edge. It also has a patented flexible springtime guide for precise sharpening at a consistent angle.
- PriorityChef Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives: This sharpener has a two-stage sharpening system for both straight and serrated blades, and a built-in honing rod to maintain the sharpness of your knives. It is easy to use and has a non-slip base for added safety.
- Smith’s 50264 Adjustable Manual Knife Sharpener: This manual sharpener has a three-slot system for sharpening, honing, and finishing, and is adjustable to accommodate different blade angles. It is compact and easy to use, making it a good choice for those who prefer a manual sharpener.
- PriorityChef Knife Sharpener for Straight Knives: This sharpener has a two-stage sharpening system for straight-edged blades, and a built-in honing rod to maintain sharpness. It is easy to use and has a non-slip base for added safety.
- Chef’sChoice Trizor XV Professional Electric Knife Sharpener: This sharpener is specifically designed for sharpening straight-edged blades, and has three sharpening stages to ensure a precise and ultra-sharp edge. It also has a patented flexible springtime guide for precise sharpening at a consistent angle.
It’s easy to understand how an electric knife sharpener works. Most sharpeners have an exposed slot where the knife is placed. The knife is placed in this V like slot and is either automatically activated due to the pressure of the knife or manually turned on.
From here sharpening stones quickly sharpen your knives to a good edge, ready for work in the kitchen. Depending on the model you may have to adjust the knife periodically either up or down to assure that a sharp edge is applied to the whole knife.
There are many types of knife sharpeners to suit any kind of cook, whether you work with bread, meat, or if you work your magic all over the kitchen. These simple devices can sharpen a variety of different types and sizes of knives. No matter if you own straight or serrated edges, big or small knives or a combination of these, there is a sharpener that can accommodate your cooking and maintenance needs.
If you work in the kitchen often whether at work or home, making sure to sharpen you knives can help improve safety in the kitchen. More injuries occur when people try to cut with a dull knife compared to those who cut with a well sharpened knife.
To avoid cutting yourself or other injuries, make sure your knives are well sharpened and prepared. Chefs suggest sharpening your knives at least once every year, if not every six months. Certain knives might have to be sharpened more often if they see more use then others, so make sure that your equipment is up to the task.
When the top chefs shop for a knife sharpener, they tend to look for something that is universal and provides the sharpest edge possible. Products like diamond knife sharpeners provide an extremely sharpened blade ready to cut, cleave, and prepare any amount of food for friends or family.
The higher or top of the line knife sharpeners use a three stage process to deliver a sharpened edge, taking advantage of both diamond coated disks and polishing disks to help make a sharper knife. These sharpeners are used on more professional knives but can work on any cooking knife you have in the home, and can help extend the quality and lifespan of your knife for insured lifelong use.
Electric knife sharpeners are just as safe as they are affective. The V-shaped slot is only wide enough to fit the blade of the knife, not to mention the sharpening disks only sharpen the edge of the knife. You can rest assured that children will have a hard time getting their fingers hurt in a product like this. Since electric knife sharpeners are small they can be stored in high places, well away from the curious fingers of mischievous children.
Be sure to take note that the knives themselves after using this product can still be a danger to you and anyone else using the knife, so proper precautions should be taken with storing the knives when not in use. Since pricing ranges from $20 to $200, finding a good electric knife sharpener is easy and even easier online.
1. Chef’s Choice 120 Diamond Hone EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
The Chef’s Choice 120 Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener is the finest electric knife sharpener we have ever tested. Granted, there are better knife sharpeners and less expensive ones, but no sharpener provides this quality of honing at this price point. We give it our highest recommendation.
The key to the Chef’s Choice 120 is it’s three stage polishing system. The three levels of sharpening provide a level of flexibility not present in cheaper models. They mean you can sharpen a staggering variety of knives. Table knives, chef’s knives, butcher’s knives, basically any piece of cutlery you can imagine can be sharpened with this model (except scissors). Even better, you can custom tailor your sharpening to your needs. From fine work on tomatoes or potatoes to work on thick cuts of beef, the Chef’s Choice 120 can customize each knife to to meet specific needs.
Stage 1 is a 100% diamond abrasive sharpener that creates two blade facets. This is the roughest stage and, frankly, you will probably not use it much unless your knives are extremely dull. Having said that, it did an excellent job shaping our dullest knives very quickly. Do not use stage 1 or stage 2 one serrated knives, it will take too much metal off.
Stage 2 uses a similar diamond abrasive and creates the appropriate bevel. If you sharpen your knives a few times a year this will be how you start most of your sharpening sessions.
Stage 3 employs what Chef’s Choice calls “revolutionary,” the polish/strop step. One or two pulls on this stage will leave your knives sharper than razor-sharp, although Chef’s Choice recommends further pulls for certain applications. If you sharpen your knives very frequently, you’ll use this stage almost exclusively. It removes only microscopic amounts of metal from the cutting surface, so it is great for frequent polishing. This is probably the biggest advantage of the Chef’s Choice 120 over cheaper models: the ability to frequently honing sessions without removing too much metal.
Using the Chef’s Choice 120 Electric Knife Sharpener couldn’t be easier. But, before you start, please, please read the manual. Although it is easy to operate, you do not want to make any silly mistakes on your expensive cutlery. Also, the manual if full of great tips to specialize your cutting surfaces that are not obvious without reading the manual. Basically, you insert your knife into the left side of your beginning slot and make contact with the sharpening wheels. Pull the knife towards you at the recommended rate and repeat on the right side. Then move on to the next stage and repeat. Easy, right? Sure is! Even so, take a few practice pulls with the motor off before doing it live. When you finally try it out you will be amazed how sharp the knives come out.
The manual also suggests certain routines to special cutting tasks. For example, for cutting through raw meat it recommends using the rougher stage 1 followed directly with the polishing stage 3. This supposedly will create microflutes that makes cutting through fibers easier. We did not get a chance to try this out, but it does show that the Chef’s Choice 120 is quite versatile.
The Chef’s Choice 120 comes in seven colors (see the end of the review for pictures): White, Red, Chrome, Metal, Brushed Metal, Platinum and Black. In short, there is a model to fit any kitchen or decor.
As we stated in the introduction, we give the Chef’s Choice 120 Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener our highest recommendation. Just remember to use it as instructed. It is much faster than than sharpening by hand and probably much better, but it is not magic. But if used as instructed, it can make knife sharpening a breeze. More importantly, it is so easy and quick that you will find yourself giving your knives a quick polish very frequently. The resulting super-sharp cutlery makes cooking so much easier.
We only had the opportunity to review the Chef’s Choice 120 for one week, so we cannot assess it’s long term durability. However, it gave every impression of being a well-built, sturdy kitchen appliance. For whatever it is worth, the Chef’s Choice 120 electric knife sharpener is made in the USA. Also keep in mind that it has a three-year manufacturer warranty, so there is little risk to you. Almost no maintenance required, although you may need to send in the sharpeners every 5 years or so.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Chef’s Choice 120 electric knife sharpener is $150.00, but you can find it on sale for much cheaper. Even with a discount, this is more than most sharpeners. However, keep in mind that this is not some chintzy kitchen aid. It will be a permanent fixture in your kitchen that will last for years and years- like a refrigerator or oven. The cost probably isn’t worth it for everyone, but it is definitely worth is for anyone that frequently cooks.
Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener
- The Work Sharp has premium abrasive belts that sharpen every knife like a pro quickly
- Compatible with a wide range of bladed shop tools, lawn & garden tools
- Comes with 1 year warranty, valid for North American 110v power source applications
- Consistent results & meet all your sharpening needs: coarse, medium and fine
The Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener is an ideal combination of supple premium abrasive belts & precision sharpening guides that provide hair splitting sharpness to your knife. You can sharpen almost every type of knife with this sharpener.
You are here to read reviews of the WSKTS that means you are looking for the sharpener which has the potential of sharpen kitchen knives, outdoor knives, hunting knives, pocket knives, serrated knives as well as scissors. Believe me!! This sharpener performs outstandingly well.
Warning: The Work Sharp knife sharpener gets hot quickly thus it is better for you not to use it more than 20 minutes continuously. Follow the manual carefully to get sharp edged knives and you can also watch this instructional video.
Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
- Adjustable to three different angles
- Uniform sharpess along the whole edge
- Easy to use
A significant upgrade on its predecessor, this model is fantastic value for money and considering its relative budget appeal, it still provides a solid blade cut and hone.
Unlike the two sharpeners that we’ve ranked in our top two, the 08810 doesn’t feature diamond grinding wheels. This explains the relatively lower price, as the quality sharpening this model yields isn’t quite as effective. However, taking its price into account it does produce very impressive results.
Its three stages work very well, especially its coarse first stage for very dull knives. It may take a few more passes than either the Chef’s Choice or the Wusthof, but it leaves a great finish.
The Presto Eversharp 8810 allows users to choose one of three angles at which the knife is sharpened. This is a brilliantly unique feature for an electric knife sharpener, and will allow you to try out a whole range of different knives, from kitchen to hunting.
Its thick angle setting will accommodate hunting knives – medium for chef’s knives and standard kitchen knives – and its thin setting will work for paring or fillet knives.
The Presto Eversharp’s first stage has coarse sapphirite grinding wheels instead of diamond, which helps explain the relatively low price.
Its second stage has medium sapphirite grinding wheels to help give the blade a more precise edge, before its third and last stage polishes the blade to an exact edge with its extra fine grit ceramic wheel.
Performance
First off, Presto do recommend that you only use very dull knives on the first stage. DO NOT learn the hard way! Anything sharper than the dullest of the dull and the 8810 will eat it right up. However, if your knives are in need of a serious spruce up then this first stage is a miracle worker.
Still, I’d start with stage two. If that doesn’t do the trick then give stage one a shot. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The Presto Eversharp 8810 achieves a uniform edge along the full length of the blade, which is always a sign of a truly great knife sharpener. In short, you will get factory-like results with this if you use it correctly. Just make sure you read the instructions thoroughly and practice a bit. Pretty soon you’ll have it nailed.
The 8810 only requires a few passes through each stage and leaves a great and very sharp finish. Each swipe is so effective that it’s easy to overdo it, so be sure to check the blade after each pass. I’d even go as far to say for most knives you’ll only need two passes on each of stages two and three. Four passes in total! Brilliant.
In Conclusion…
The Presto Eversharp 8810 is one of the most, if not the most, effective budget knife sharpeners we’ve reviewed. While its overall performance doesn’t compare to the more expensive Chef’s Choice models, when its price is taken into account this is a fine piece of kitchen machinery. Not only does it do a great job of touching up your blades, but it can perform miracles with your dullest bottom-of-the-barrel knives too.
Chef’s Choice 300 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener
- Features diamond abrasives at a very affordable price; magnetic angle guides make this very easy to use
There are a few product in the market today that have the ability to stand out from their competitors and produce the best result. When talking about electric knife sharpeners, this list gets even shorter. But one specific electric knife sharpener brand has taken the market by storm and has gained much acclaim and awe from all its consumers: Chef’s Choice.
Chef’s Choice 300 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener is one of the best electric knife sharpeners on the market. Its design and performance reflects the experience and skill that went into the creation of the product. A favorite in the eyes of consumer and critics alike, The Chef’s Choice 300 offers a variety of features that have been proven to work 100% effectively with any knife type. Truly a product of class and utmost quality, Chef’s Choice 300 is sure to bring a new life to your kitchen.
Chef’s Choice 300 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener is equipped with 100 percent diamond abrasives that can sharpen carbon and stainless-steel knives with total ease.
The whole sharpening process itself has been strategically divided into two stages: The first stage sharpens the blade while the second hones the razor edges.
The 300 is light and easily mobile, making maneuverability around the kitchen no longer an issue . The machine also has magnetic guides to hold the blade at place properly at the exact angles while the sharpening process occurs. This means that you won’t have to press down the knife or position at a certain angel to get the best result, the Chef’s Choice 300 will do this for you.
This amazing electric knife sharpener also offers a double-bevel edge which is much sharper than factory or professional edges and can also last for a much longer period.
Performance
Image Courtesy of ToppArt
With all those amazing features and equipment installed, Chef’s Choice 300’s performance level is off the charts. The two stage sharpening process is very effective and gives your knives a new whole look with a blade that is sharper then it was ever before. Chef’s Choice 300 also gives your blade a longer life and better performance.
The product is also known for the easy to use interface it has to offer, which makes it an ideal among many. In addition, Chef’s Choice 300 comes with 1 year warranty against any kind of defects.
Conclusion
Chef’s Choice has been carefully designed to meet all the appropriate requirements making it an absolute perfect choice for an electric knife sharpener. The product is extremely efficient and high quality and sure to stay with you for a very long time. This amazing knife sharpener is also very fairly priced. So make the wise choice now and enjoy this amazing product while making your kitchen experience that much easier.
Presto 8800 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener
The Presto Pro EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpeners is a good product for its low price point. While we found the Chef’s Choice series of electric knife sharpeners do a consistently better job than the Presto (much better, in the case of the high-end models), the better Chef’s Choice models are often $100 more expensive than the Presto sharpener. For that reason, we call the Presto EverSharp the best “discount” electric knife sharpener on the market.
Would I use the Presto EverSharp on my Masamoto Chef’s Knife? No. But is it great for routine use on moderately priced blades? Absolutely. Many would be well served by using the Presto EverSharp on their table knives and the like while saving their very best few blades for the professionals.
Like many electric knife sharpeners, the Presto Pro EverSharp utilizes a two-stage sharpening system. Stage 1 uses sapphirite grinding wheels to shape the cutting edge while stage 2 hones the edge to reduce cutting drag. Although I could not measure the angle of attach of the sharpening surface, they seemed blunter than the Chef’s Choice models and certainly more than the fifteen degrees of Asian knives. Note that single-sided serrated blades can be sharpened, but not double edge serrations.
Another important factor to consider is that the Presto seems to remove more metal from the blade than some of the other manual and electric knife sharpeners we have reviewed. There was no way to verify this, it is just an educated opinion. Also keep in mind that this is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you sharpen your blades very, very frequently.
Using the Presto Pro EverSharp is a breeze. Simply insert the blade in the left hand slot of stage 1 and pull it toward you at a steady rate. One or maybe two pulls should be enough. Then insert the blade into the right slot and pull at the same rate to achieve a proper bevel. Then repeat this process with the finishing stage 2. Afterward your knife will be razor-sharp.
The Presto Pro EverSharp electric knife sharpener retails at $40, but you can probably find it for less online. This represents one of the least expensive electric knife sharpeners on the market today. In fact, you’ll find many manual knife sharpeners sell for more than the Presto EverSharp. For what it does, it is a steal at this price. Just be sure you are fully aware of its limitations in comparison with the more expensive models.
Chef’sChoice 220 Hybrid Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener
- Adjustable to three different angles
- Uniform sharpess along the whole edge
- Easy to use
The Hybrid technology that this product uses combines the capabilities of both electric and manual sharpening to create edges that are razor sharp. It also has “Criss-Cross” technology to create sharp edges that have some bite. This product has 100% diamond abrasive wheels. It sharpens and hones simultaneously. This sharpener was created to sharpen all kinds of knives including household, kitchen, sport, pocket, and quality knives. It also works on both straight and serrated knives. This model has a one-year warranty.
This product sharpens using a two-stage sharpening system that combines manual and electric stages. The electric stage sharpens the blade, while the manual stage hones the blade. The result of those efforts is a razor sharp, strong, and durable blade. The diamond abrasive wheels get used in both stages to help a blade hold its shape as long as possible. Stage 1 begins with the “Criss-Cross” technology that creates a sharp edge with some bite. The wheels sharpen into and out of the blade’s edge simultaneously to quickly create a burr-free edge of exceptional quality. Stage 2 finishes using micron-sized diamond abrasives for an incredibly sharp and polished edge.
Its actual sharpening is incredibly fast. It just takes a few strokes in each stage to get edges razor sharp. This makes it ideal for sharpening knives in a hurry. Due to its compact size and shape, it is easy to store when not in use. It is also great for users that have no experience sharpening knives as long as they use the included instructions. However, this sharpener can leave small marks on the surface of a blade. There is a possibility of overheating since it is electric, but its thermal overload protection causes it to shut down and reboot after cooling down. Some knives may require more passes than others to sharpen, while others may not sharpen at all. Thick or short knives may not sharpen in this product. As per its instructions, it cannot sharpen Asian-style knives. It only sharpens blades to the standard 20-degree Western standard angle.
Home cooks and professional chefs make up the main target audience of this sharpener. It is also marketed towards hobbyists that need sharp knives. No matter what the user does or how expensive or cheap their knives are, this sharpener can help them quickly gain or regain edges that are sharp enough to handle nearly any job that requires cutting.
How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives
One particular tool that many knife connoisseurs will need, but can rarely find is a comprehensive knife sharpening guide. It goes without saying that a set of kitchen knives will eventually need to be sharpened, but many people become lost when the time finally comes.
Folks can either be confused by not understanding the proper angles at which to sharpen their knives, or they might not understand knife sharpening techniques at all. Since not everybody is familiar with how to sharpen a knife, it is important to start this knife sharpening guide by reviewing some basic knife sharpening techniques.
Knife Sharpening Techniques
There are several different knife sharpening techniques that use a variety of different tools and skill sets. Some people might prefer one knife sharpening technique for its convenience, while others might prefer another technique that gives their knives the best sharpness.
The first knife sharpening technique is to use a whetstone or a diamond stone. When using this method, it is important to establish the angle at which you want to sharpen your knife. If you don’t know which angle you should use, don’t worry about that. We’ll cover knife sharpening angles later in this guide.
Your first step should be to lubricate the whetstone with a tiny amount of honing oil. This oil makes it easy for the knife to slide across the stone and also keeps the steel shavings from clogging the stone pores. It is important to check the manufacturer’s guidelines for your particular whetstone. Although honing oil works beautifully with many types of stones, it can cause serious damage to others.
Once you’ve lined up your knife at the appropriate angle against the stone, drag it across the gritty end of the stone. Make sure that you are dragging the knife towards your body and across the thin side of the stone. Continue this process until you’ve ground roughly halfway through the steel and then flip the knife over and repeat until a new edge is formed.
When the new edge has been created, flip the stone over and grind the knife steps along the finer side of the stone in alternating swipes. This will eliminate any burrs that might have been created along the blade and create a smooth edge. When both sides are smooth and meet at an even angle to create a sharp edge, you’ve finished your task.
The second method of sharpening a knife is to use a honing rod (also known as a sharpening steel). It is important to use a honing rod intermittently between whetstone sharpenings. This will keep the knife sharp and increase the life of the blade. Honing rods remove indentations, nicks, and flat spots from the edge of a knife. Unlike a whetstone, it will not remove a significant amount of metal.
Start by holding the honing rod in your non-dominant hand. Hold the rod at a comfortable angle, pointed away from your body with the tip elevated above the handle.
Place the knife in your dominant hand, making sure that you have a firm grip on the handle with your thumb resting along the spine. Keep your fingers far from the blade’s edge.
Choose an angle at which you would like to sharpen the knife. It is important that you use this angle consistently throughout the process or the honing rod will not smooth out the metal as effectively.
Once you’ve placed the knife at the proper angle, draw it back towards your body across the top part of the honing rod. Start the process with the honing rod pressed against the heel of the knife and end with it resting on the tip. Now, without changing your grip, place the knife against the bottom half of the rod and maintain the same angle. Draw the blade across the rod the same as before.
When both sides have been drawn across once, that is considered to be one revolution. A full cycle on the honing rod is usually anywhere between 6 and 8 revolutions.
Knife Sharpening Angle Guide
Now that we’ve established the basic knife sharpening techniques, it is important to review the angles at which a knife ought to be sharpened. Each different angle will give the knife a unique level of sharpness and durability.
One important thing to keep in mind during this whole process is that the angle you choose will be the angle that each individual side is faced away from the edge. A knife with two sides both sharpened at 20 degree angles will ultimately create a knife with a 40 degree angle.
The higher the sharpening angle, the sharper the knife will be. However, sharpness is generally achieved at the expense of the knife’s durability. The key to finding the best knife sharpening angle is to find one that strikes an ideal balance between sharpness and hardness.
Knives that are sharpened at 10 degrees or below are very sharp, but not very durable. Since they are so easily broken, they are only ideal for cutting soft materials. This kind of angle is usually seen on straight edge razors, which are sharpened to about 7 or 8 degrees.
A sharpening angle between 10 and 17 degrees will still leave a knife relatively sharp. Knifes in this category are frequently used for slicing meats or cutting soft items. Their fine edge makes them too weak to do most types of kitchen work such as chopping or dicing.
The most common range of knife sharpening angles in the kitchen is between 17 and 22 degrees. This is generally considered to be the “sweet spot” of knife sharpening angles. The balance between sharpness and hardness is ideal for most jobs around the kitchen. Japanese manufacturers will often sharpen their knives to 17 degrees, while most western knives are angled at 20 degrees.
Pocketknives and hunting knives are usually sharpened between 22 and 30 degrees. These angles will provide enough sharpness to make consistently powerful cuts, but they also allow for enough durability to handle a heavier, non-kitchen workload.
Knives that are sharpened at or above 30 degrees are primarily used for heavy-duty cutting that requires large amounts of force. Axes and machetes are both sharpened to over 30 degrees to accommodate the force that is put upon the blade during the chopping motion. While they may not be razor sharp, they are very durable and can withstand heavy amounts of force.
This knife sharpening angle guide will help you figure out the knife sharpening techniques and angles at which you should prepare your knives. It is important to consult a knife sharpening guide before breaking out the whetstone or sharpening steel. Attempting to sharpen a knife without fully understand the techniques or angles can permanently damage an entire set of knives.
