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Knives are an investment that need to be properly maintained. To do this, you want to get the best knife sharpener possible. But with so many different brands and models out there, how can you know which ones are worthy of your time and money?
Fear not, because we’re going to make your search a whole lot easier. We reviewed 10 units that we feel are the best of the best. A combination of speed, performance, and price edged these ahead of their competition.
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Before we get started, we’d like to share a couple of our top picks. The best overall went to the Chef’sChoice Trizor XV. This electronic unit has a convenient and easy sharpening system that leaves blades razor-sharp.
If you prefer the manual approach to sharpening your blades, Edge Pro’s Apex 4 is about as good as it gets. This kit includes everything you need to give your knives a sharp-as-new finish. It’s a bit complex, but the results are worth your time.
Let’s move on to the reviews to see how each model fared. We’ll go into more detail on our top two picks, as well.
The Chef’sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect sharpener wowed us with its user-friendly design. It sports three guides that each have different stages of sharpening. You’ll find it easy to get your knives sharpened and polished with this simplistic yet effective system.
The motor in the Trizor is powerful and efficient. We liked how smoothly our blades ran through each guide. The result is a triple-bevel on your knife’s blade. This means you’re getting razor-sharp edges with every use.
We appreciate how quietly the Trizor operates. It stays within a decibel range of 65 and 75. This is just slightly louder than a normal human conversation.
The Trizor isn’t the most attractive appliance. It resembles a large electric pencil sharpener to some degree. You’ll likely want to keep it in a cabinet until you’re ready to use it. But in terms of operation, few come close to its quality.
Chef’sChoice says to swipe each side of the blade between 5 and 20 times, depending on the stage. The first time you’re sharpening, expect it to take around a minute to complete the process. After that, each sharpening should take just 10 seconds.
It’s one of the more expensive models we reviewed, but Edge Pro’s Apex 4 is one fine sharpener. If your knife collection consists of wider blades, this is the unit you want. It works wonders on blades up to 3 ½ inches wide.
The Apex 4 kit comes with everything you need to get started. It is the best manual sharpening system we tested. Coarse to ultra-fine water stones that range from 120 to 1,000 give your blades the perfect edge.
Polish them off with 2,000- and 3,000-grit tapes for a razor-sharp finish every time. The Edge Pro is equipped with suction cups to make mounting and sharpening easier.
It’s best that you have a fair amount of experience with manual sharpening if you want to get the most out of the Apex 4. If you’re a bit anxious about working with such a complex system, you get complete instructions and a DVD to walk you through the process.
Chef’sChoice makes the list again. With the ProntoPro, you’re getting a more attractive unit that doesn’t take up nearly as much space as the Trizor XV. We think it looks a lot classier by comparison, although you’re missing out on the automatic sharpening feature.
That’s right, the ProntoPro is a manual model. So you’ll have to do your sharpening by hand. It’s still quite easy to use, and sharpening is fast and effective. The 3-stage system returns, ensuring your blades are left razor-sharp.
We like the design Chef’sChoice went with here. It’s compact and sleek, with a curved handle and rubber grip for better control.
Weighing in at just 8 ounces, you’ll find the ProntoPro to be easy to wield. The diamond abrasive sharpening system ensures that your blades sharpen quickly and effectively.
It won’t take you long to sharpen your blades to the perfect edge. The 3-stage system works well here, even if it has to be performed manually. The ProntoPro has just the right balance of performance and comfort.
Work Sharp delivers an excellent addition to your kitchen with the Culinary E2. This electronic sharpener is one of the easiest units we tested. Just press a button and it takes care of the rest. If you use knives often in your food preparation, this is a fine choice to go with.
It’s not as quiet as the Trizor XV, but it’s acceptable enough. It takes a bit longer to complete its sharpening process, too. But the end result is worth the wait, because the E2 provides you with a razor-sharp edge every time.
It’s a compact little unit that comes at an affordable price. You can easily sharpen anything from scissors to blades with serrated edges.
This model uses discs to sharpen, so there is an added expense when they need replaced. But you can typically get around 100 uses before then.
Although the E2 is one of the slower sharpeners we tested, it makes up for it by delivering a razor-sharp edge. Sharpening is made easy thanks to a simple button-operated system.
Work Sharp is back again, this time showcasing the E5. It’s quite a step up from the E2, using a belt sharpener to hone your blades to a fine finish. You get three settings to choose from so you get just the level of sharpness desired.
From shape, sharpen, to refine, you have total control over how coarse or fine of a finish your blade gets. We like the automatic timed sharpening system. This ensures that your blades never get sharpened beyond what you have selected.
When the sharpening process is finished, the E5 powers down on its own. We like that this model accepts a wide range of blade types. If you have a variety of knives, this sharpener may be your best bet.
Another big plus that you don’t see in other electronic units is a vacuum system. This handy feature works to keep debris picked up from your countertop for easy cleanup.
We will say that the E5 is a pretty pricey sharpener. But its versatility and precision sharpening are hard to beat.
Simply make your selection and insert your blade of choice. The E5 takes care of the rest with an efficient and effective sharpening process. And since it has a built-in vacuum, you don’t have to worry about rogue metal shavings getting in food or on the floor.
Presto’s Professional Sharpener, also known as the 08810, is an affordable 3-stage unit that’s safe and effective.
We like that it accepts a wide variety of knives and scissors. From culinary to crafting, this model sharpens with precision. The 08810 takes the guesswork out of the sharpening process; all you need to do is steady the blade and pull.
Yes, there is some work required of you to get the best results. But for the price and how well this unit sharpens, a little effort goes a long way.
All you need to do is set the proper thickness of your blade with the built-in selector. From there, the 08810 sharpens the blade to a fine hone. Guides are in place to ensure that each knife gets the perfect edge.
It is important that you follow the included instructions closely. You will have to work your blades somewhat to help the sharpener along.
This affordable little entry is the perfect manual sharpener for beginners. During our testing, we seemed to have gotten the best results when using serrated and straight edges. We then learned that this is exactly what this model was designed for.
So we can’t knock it for not being as versatile as other entries. The blades we sharpened turned out well. This unit is easy to learn and it’s quite comfortable to hold. It’s built tough and should hold up to years of use.
The sharpening process is quick and effective. Within minutes, your blade will be sharp as new. You can use knives of all different materials without issue. Dull blades come out razor-sharp and at a fraction of the cost of premium sharpeners.
The diamond-sharpening and ceramic polishing systems work to give you fast, effective results. Sure, it’s slower than an electric sharpener. But if you want a fine finish at an affordable price, the savings are worth the extra time.
KitchenIQ delivers one of the most affordable sharpeners we reviewed. This budget-friendly model provides a hassle-free sharpening system that’s easy and effective.
We like that it comes with a comfortable grip area. This makes it safe to hold while you sharpen your blades. The entire sharpener is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. And it fits nicely in any drawer when you’re finished using it.
The Edge Grip is available in either black, green, or red. So if you’re picky about matching your appliances, you have some options.
The Edge Grip is very lightweight, so you’ll want to apply a good amount of pressure while you sharpen. It does have textured feet on the bottom to help keep it in place, though. And blade guides assist with the sharpening process.
AccuSharp is another affordable entry that works to make knife sharpening easier. This handheld little wonder is a breeze to use and is safe to hold.
We will say that there’s a learning curve involved with this model. It may look tiny and unimposing, but it can damage your blades if you’re not careful. It uses tungsten to sharpen, so you’ll want to test it out on a knife that isn’t valuable before you put it to work
Our first couple of tests resulted in horrible-looking blades. But after we learned its subtle nuances, we were able to benefit from its sharpening system.
While it is somewhat limited in the type of blades it can sharpen, we were pleased with what we could use on it. Our cheap kitchen knives were left with a fine hone. We’re a bit fearful of using this on our prized blades. But for lower-quality knives, it performs well.
You want to gently caress your blades through the AccuSharp sharpener. A great deal of pressure can end up damaging your knives. It takes very little effort, as you want to let the sharpener do the majority of the work.
If you prefer the old-school approach to sharpening your blades, look no further than to Cooks Standard’s Ceramic Rod. As its name implies, this 12-inch sharpener uses ceramic to hone your blades to a razor-sharp finish.
It sports a comfortable handle to make sharpening easier. You’ll want to have a decent bit of know-how if you want to get the most use out of this sharpener.
But once you get the process down, you’ll find the Ceramic Rod to deliver some of the finest sharpening around.
The Cooks Standard Ceramic Rod is not a good choice for beginners. Using rod sharpeners is an art form that takes patience and practice to master.
Knife sharpeners have become affordable, so there is no excuse for having dull knives. Sharp knives save time, but they also prevent problems caused by dull knives.
Finding a knife sharpener that suits your needs doesn’t have to be a tedious task. We have spent hours upon hours digesting every piece of information related to knife sharpeners. You don’t need to spend your precious time, we have gathered all the relevant information for you.
Knife sharpeners can be put into three distinctive categories. All of them have their pros and cons, but some will suit your needs better than the others.
You have seen whetstones at least a few times in your life. They come in many different shapes and sizes, and most of them are flat.
A couple of decades ago, everyone used natural whetstones. Nowadays, artificial whetstones are as good as natural ones. You should note that a whetstone sharpens the blade of your knife, while other sharpeners carve a new blade.
You can use a whetstone with only a little bit of practice. So, don’t worry if it seems daunting at first. Because the material of a whetstone is not important, you can choose one that fits your aesthetic preferences. Bear in mind that not all whetstones are created equal, some are more brittle than the others. When it comes to price, it varies greatly, but you will be able to find one that won’t set you back a lot.
If you’ve ever seen a chef holding a steel rod and running a knife alongside it, then you’ve seen a honing rod.
You should know that honing rods don’t sharpen the blade as the other sharpeners do. A honing rod is completely smooth, and it straightens the blade of your knife. You need to use a honing rod every day if you want to make your knife last a long time.
On the other hand, sharpening rods are not smooth, they have long groves that shave away the parts of a knife. You should never use a sharpening rod on a completely dull knife. Instead, use your sharpening rod on a knife that is starting to get dull.
Electric and manual sharpeners ease the knife-sharpening process by making it convenient. While a whetstone sharpens the blade, manual and electric sharpeners shave off parts of your knife to make a new blade.
Manual sharpeners are easy to use. Some come as a handheld tool, while the others sit on your kitchen furniture. You should have no problems using a manual sharpener since they are intuitive to use. The best manual sharpeners will sharpen your blade in under a minute, saving your time.
Electric sharpeners look almost the same as the manual ones, but with an important difference. Electric sharpeners do their work faster than manual sharpeners, but with one caveat – they might make your knife sharper than you want it to be. If you don’t mind having extremely sharp knives, then an electric sharpener might be what you need.
Before you can purchase a knife sharpener that is going to last you a long time, you need to be aware of a few things. There are some features that every knife sharpener should have. So, before you buy a new knife sharpener, make sure that you know what to look for.
Besides the most important features of high-quality knife sharpeners, there are a couple of others you might want to consider.
If you are left-handed, you will be glad to know that you can use most of the knife sharpeners. But, it is better to be safe than sorry, so check out of the product notes that it is for right-handed people only.
Plenty of electric sharpeners can reduce the life of the blade by over-grinding it. Some sharpeners can even warp your blades. So, if you have knives that you want to preserve, try to find a sharpener that is gentle on the blade and doesn’t produce a lot of heat.
While most of the manual sharpeners can be stored in a kitchen drawer, electric sharpeners take up more space. So, if you don’t have a lot of empty room in your kitchen, you might want to avoid electric sharpeners.