Alexandra Ramirez
1. Chef’s Choice 220
Best Overall Knife Sharpener
5/5 Product Rating
With this innovative knife sharpener you can use the electric stage for getting all of your knives razor sharp and then switch to the manual stage for fine tuning.
Your knives can be straight edge or serrated and the Chef’s Choice 220 Hybrid will transform them into excellent kitchen tools that you will look forward to using.
In both of the stages 100% diamond abrasive wheels are use. You will get an incredibly sharp edge with the cross-cross technology that is new as well as being very efficient. These wheels work at the same time to create burr-free edges that will sail through your foods like they’re cutting butter.
It is safe for all brands of quality knives and won’t damage or ruin them. This great knife sharpener from Chef’s Choice is easy to use, already assembled and comes with a one year warranty. The white housing works great with any kitchen theme or color scheme.
It can also be used to sharpen sport knives pocket knives as well as all of your kitchen knives. It is a very handy appliance to have around. You’ll never need to worry about having to “saw” through your food again.
– Sarah Lytle
2. Presto 08810
Best Overall Knife Sharpener – Runner Up
4.7/5 Product Rating
The interchangeable blade guides ensures the perfect angle for sharpening no matter what type of knife you are sharpening.
You can use this versatile knife sharpener for kitchen knives, hunting knives and even fillet knives. The silver and black colors of this knife sharpener by Presto go well with any kitchen décor and it is small enough to store easily in a deeper drawer or on a shelf.
Sharp knives make any knife task easier and safer and this Presto Professional Electric Knife Sharpener will help you get the job done quickly and easily too.
– Sarah Lytle
3. Presto 08800
Best Budget Knife Sharpener
4.7/5 Product Rating
The rotating Sapphirite grinding wheels are the same ones that are used in professional shops and produce razor sharp blades that will cut through anything you’re cooking.
This sharpener has a two-stage process that grinds and sharpens the knife in stage one and hones and refines it in stage two. It’s all located on the same appliance for the maximum convenience and ease of use.
Ideal for sports knives and kitchen knows of all kinds, the blade guide holds your knife at the perfect angle to get the perfect sharpening result as the knife is drawn slowly towards the user. It needs to be kept parallel to the countertop as you are sharpening it. The Presto EverSharp works great for knives made of carbon, stainless steel and alloy.
Don’t be alarmed if you see sparks when sharpening carbon steel knives; it is a common effect of the Sapphirite wheels coming into contact with the carbon steel. You can also sharpen serrated knives with this sharpener as long as they are only serrated on one side. For great stability, the electric knife sharpener has 3 suction cup feet on the bottom that hold it securely during the sharpening process.
– Sarah Lytle
Knife Sharpener Buying Guide
The Benefit of Sharp Knives
Knives are a crucial part of any working kitchen, whether professional or not. Many people don’t realize that knives need to be maintained on a regular basis or they become dull. The problem with dull knives is not only that it makes food prep much messier and more difficult but it adds a safety hazard to the mix as well.
When you’re using a dull knife, much more pressure is required to slice and cut the food you are preparing. When you have to apply increased pressure, there is also an increased risk of the knife slipping off of the food and the user getting cut. Injuries with a dull knife can be extremely serious. Having sharp knives doesn’t eliminate injuries and care still needs to be taken when using them but it does reduce the added risks.
If you want to buy an electric knife sharpener to get and keep your kitchen, hunting, and sporting knives in tip top shape, you should have a good understanding of the types of sharpeners that are on the market. Once you have chosen the ones that appeal to you, you can follow the guidelines in this buyer’s guide to narrow your choices until you find the one you want to purchase.
Before You Start Shopping
There are several things you should know ahead of time before you start researching different electric knife sharpeners. The following points will help you determine which one is going to fit your needs the best.
- What are your existing knives? – All electric knife sharpeners can handle simple, straight edge knives but what if you have serrated ones? There are many models that do work with serrated knives just as well, providing the serrated edge is only on one side. The good news about serrated knives is that they dull much slower than traditional straight edge knives do so they will not need as much sharpening as your straight edges will. If you have other types of knives such as sporting, hunting and pocket knives, you want to find an electric knife sharpener that works with these types of knives as well.
- How much Space do you have for Storage? – Electric knife sharpeners are not huge appliances by any means but if space is a premium for you, you may want to look for a model that doesn’t take up a whole lot of space. Some are small enough to fit in a deep drawer or on a shelf while others will need a permanent spot on your kitchen counter. Make sure you identify how much space you have to work with when you are looking at different models.
- Are you Noise Sensitive? – Does noise bother you? Some electric knife sharpeners can be a bit noisy but if you are extremely sensitive to the sound of a knife against a whetstone, you may appreciate the whir of the motor as opposed to the grinding against the stone.
- How Expensive are your Knives? – If you have a basic set of inexpensive knives, the occasional over-wearing that electric knife sharpeners can cause. There are more expensive models that are very gentle on knives during the sharpening process that can easily be used with even the most professional grade knife sets.
What to Look for in an Electric Knife Sharpener
There are several things you want to look for when researching electric sharpener models that are available. These features below ensure an electric knife sharpener that will exceed your expectations and provide the kind of knife sharpening that you need to keep your knives in great working shape.
Great Performance – Performance is everything when it comes to purchasing any kind of appliance, but with electric knife sharpeners, a poorly performing model will do nothing but leave you with frustration and possibly damaged knives too. Always check out customer ratings and comments that people have left that will give you insight into how the sharpener works.
Hard, Abrasive Surface, Preferably Diamond – The hardness of the abrasive surfaces the electric knife sharpener determines how well and even how quickly the knife is sharpened. Diamond is the hardest material and the one that is most preferred. If you can’t find one you like that has diamond abrasive surfaces on the sharpening parts, then look for tungsten carbide next followed by polished ceramic.
The Right Angle – Unless you are an experienced knife sharpener, it is beneficial for you to look for a model that helps you decide what angle to hold the knife blade at during the sharpening process. Some models are designed to help the user with this process and it holds the knife at the correct angle on its own. If this is a concern for you, look for models that help the user through this part of the knife sharpening process.
Several Sharpening Stages – You ideally want to find a knife sharpener that has at least 2 stages in the sharpening process. Yes it may take a bit longer, but your knives will come out super sharp and honed as well. The first stage will be with the tougher, coarse material that can bring even dull, old knives back to life. The second stage is the refining and honing stage and takes finer materials to give the knives a precision finish to the blade. The finer materials are also great for polishing knives and for in between sharpening.
Safety is Key – Look for electric knife sharpeners that have some safety features in place to prevent users from sharpening the ends of their fingers a long with the knives. While they may not have specific safety features per se, they do need to have safety in mind with the design and sharpening process so users are not at risk while they work on their knives.
Warranties – Electric knife sharpeners can cost more than manual knife sharpeners so finding models that have good warranties in place is always good for peace of mind. Since they do cost more, you want to make sure that your investment in this handy kitchen appliance is protected.
Conclusion
If you love to cook and spend a lot of time in your kitchen, you know the importance of a properly sharpened knife and the frustrations that dull knives cause. There are many different options out there to get your knives back into shape and keep them in shape and ready to use for food prep.
Knowing what things to look for in a good electric knife sharpener can make the choice much easier and narrow down all those choices that are available. Once you know what your needs are and couple that with the list of things to look for in a good, well made electric knife sharpener, you will be able to easily choose the one that fits your needs and your kitchen the best.
With an arsenal of perfectly sharpened knives at your disposal, your love of cooking will reach new heights, especially if all you’ve been using is a dull, poorly sharpened knife. The difference is like night and day.
Resources
- Chef’s Choice – http://www.chefschoice.com/
- Presto – http://www.gopresto.com/
- Presto EverSharp – http://www.gopresto.com/
