Electric Knife Sharpener

Why you should use an electric knife sharpener and which ones are best

A knife is useless unless it's sharp. Many companies claim that the knives they sell will stay sharp forever, but it's not true. A knife's initial factory edge will stay sharp for only a matter of weeks. After that, a knife's sharpness is entirely in your hands. Traditional sharpening steels require a great deal of skill and experience, which is one reason electric knife sharpeners have become so popular. Adding an electric knife sharpener to your kitchen will increase the safety and effectiveness of your knives for years to come.

Why use an electric knife sharpener?

Knife sharpness isn't just a matter of efficiency. It's also about safety. The technique you use for cutting vegetables and meat will be determined by the sharpness of the knife you're using. If your kitchen knives are dull, more force is required to cut, and this can result in knives slipping from your hands or causing injury.

Sharpening stones and sharpening steels are traditional ways of straightening and reconditioning knives, but few people have time to practice the skills needed to use them. Electric knife sharpeners can provide the sharpened knife edge you need in a matter of seconds.

What type of electric knife sharpener should be used?

Buying an electric knife sharpener isn't just a matter of comparing prices and brand names. There are a couple of basic features you should look for.

The first is diamond abrasives. Cheaper and coarser abrasives might sharpen your knives, but they'll also overheat and damage the blade ends in the process. Because diamond abrasives are so hard, they sharpen knives quickly and effectively with minimal wear, which will extend the lives of your kitchen knives.

Another thing to look for when buying an electric knife sharpener is the use of multiple stages. Single-stage knife sharpeners can also cause damage to a knife blade as they sharpen, while multiple-stage electric knife sharpeners will use both coarser and sharper abrasives for better sharpening angles.

Which are the best electric knife sharpeners?

You should know going in that electric knife sharpeners don't offer as much control as manual knife sharpeners, and they also cost more. The upside is that electric knife sharpeners are quick, convenient and easy to use.

The Chef's Choice Edge Select Diamond Hone 120 is a multi-stage electric knife sharpener that uses diamond coated disks. The Chef's Choice 120 electric knife sharpener is a heavy-duty sharpener that uses angle guides for the simplest sharpening possible. A downside to using this electric knife sharpener is that its sharpening process will remove more metal than a manual knife sharpener, reducing your knives' durability.

A cheaper alternative is the Chef's Choice Multi-Stage Professional Sharpener 110. The Chef's Choice 110 electric knife sharpener sells for around $80 rather than the $130 charged for the Chef's Choice 120. However, the Chef's Choice 110 electric knife sharpener can't sharpen serrated knives.

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