Knives started a long way in history. From bones and stones, it had evolved into its most versatile modern forms, made from different materials, and built for specialised purposes. Its significance is largely considered in simplifying work be it for personal or home use, for occupation or for sports, gaming or the great outdoors. Just as knife is essential to humankind, so is the role of knife sharpeners that goes along with its tasks. And from the basic stone sharpeners, it had also advanced along with technology to meet the demands of the knife market.
Manual sharpeners were developed to hone knives until it electric knife sharpeners were designed to provide a faster and more efficient service. Knives started a long way in history. From bones and stones, it had evolved into its most versatile modern forms, made from different materials, and built for specialized purposes. Its significance is largely considered in simplifying work be it for personal or home use, for occupation or for sports, gaming or the great outdoors.
Just as knife is essential to humankind, so is the role of knife sharpeners that goes along with its tasks. And from the basic stone sharpeners, it had also advanced along with technology to meet the demands of the knife market. Manual sharpeners were developed to hone knives until it electric knife sharpeners were designed to provide a faster and more efficient service.
The largest players in knife sharpener industry came up with its line of products, all serving the same purpose, but some exceeded others in performance and specialization. These best electric knife sharpeners are used to simplify the work even more and were created to safeguard even the most expensive cutleries from damages due to extensive or improper use. Among the best are these top ranking electric knife sharpeners that offers the consumer excellent and state-of-the-art line of equipment to give knives excellent boosts and preserve its construction.
1. Kitchen IQ Smart Sharp Electric Knife Sharpener ($$$$+)
A product of the Smith’s Consumer Products, one of the leading producer of variety of knife sharpeners, is its most advanced and an almost perfect model of sharpener. It has the Smith’s patented angle knob adjustment that allows the user to adjust angle of the sharpening wheels to fit the factory angle of the knife. Since knives are patterned from varying angles for different sharpness and purposes, not all machines can be able to accommodate much of the knives not suitable for its adjustments.
Forcing a knife into a different setting may ruin its original form. This sharpener has adjustment knobs and suggestion of angles should the knife’s factory angle be unknown. Along with other adjustments is an option that could accommodate sharpening of ceramic knives.
Ceramic knives cannot be sharpened in just any other type of sharpeners that processes steels because it is very brittle and easily damaged when forged into unsuitable abrasives. The unit has interlocking diamond wheels that sharpens knife’s edges together at the same time, minimizing the guesswork of having to run the knives into different slots when sharpening and honing, as what some knife sharpeners usually are patterned with.
These features makes this unit more versatile, functional and cost-effective and Kitchen IQ’s best electric knife sharpener as it could sharpen virtually any double sided knives regardless of its material and angle, even those with serrated edges.
To use the KitchenIQ 50354, determine first the condition of the blades. Severely dull and damaged knives are pulled through the coarse slot while slightly sharp ones can be re-sharpened at the fine slot. Adjust the angle to match the factory angle of the knife. Pull the knife into the appropriate slot with about 8 to 10 pulls until the desired sharpness is achieved. If sharpening in the coarse slot, pull it on the fine slot again to hone or align and polish the edges.
2. Chef’s Choice Model 700 Ceramic + Steel Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener ($$$$+)
To answer the demand of an all-around knife sharpener for all types of knife material, Chef’s Choice, another brand of the leading manufacturer of knife sharpeners, has designed their model 700 to be able to serve both steel and ceramic in just a single unit.
This product has three stage of sharpening: Stage 1 is built for steel knives that works for a primary 15 degrees bevel, and 2 for ceramic knives also at the same angle. Stage 3, the final honing stage polishes both types of knives and is equipped with Diamond UltraFlex Finishing for longer lasting and durable sharpness and is also the stage used for sharpening serrated knives. These three UltraFlex Finishing stages of sharpening creates and arc-shaped edge for superior quality and durable razor sharp blades.
This model has spring precision knife guide that automatically lock in the knife for more secure and accurate sharpening and angle control. This is the best electric knife sharpener for most kitchen knives, santoku, hunting, fillet, sports and pocket knives, ceramic and serrated knives.
To sharpen steel knives, insert it on the left slot in stage 1, letting the machine lock the knife into place, make a pull applying minimum downward pressure. Repeat on the right slot. Make this alternating pulls in the slots 8 to 10 times. Proceed to Stage 3 for honing.
Do the same for ceramic knifes, but use Stage 2 instead of Stage 1 and proceed to hone in stage 3.
For regular maintenance, frequent honing in Stage 3 after an extensive use is beneficial to help the knives retain its sharpness longer. Technically, knives become dull when the edges of the blades begin to fold back into itself and became broken. Regular honing can solve the dilemma without the chances of removing much metals from the knives.
3. Chef’s Choice Commercial Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener ($$$$$+)
Speed and precision is important in a commercial kitchen. Hotels, restaurants and other food service industry are not only packed with an arsenal of cutleries but also demands that they are always in top shape, and when they do broke off and become, there is an immediate remedy that wont take up much of the time. To answer this demands, Chef’s Choice introduced its heavy duty, precise and speedy knife sharpener that gives durability and lasting sharpness for different cutleries.
It is comprehensive and easy to use even for novice employees and apprentices. This model can be with all types of knives, of any materials, and different grinds of blade, double or triple-beveled, a 15° angle Asian knife, or serrated knives. There are three stages of sharpening. Stage 1 has fine conical disks coated with 100% fine diamonds used to set edges of very dull knives. Stage 2 to define the sharpness by creating smaller microgrooves on the edges.
The Stage 3 is equipped with fine abrasive disks to polish and strop the edges and create the third bevel for superior sharpness. Each stage has elastomeric guide springs that secures the knife into place for no angle-guesswork sharpening.
This unit is designed with removable diamond dressing pad to catch the metal filings for easy cleaning. Sharpen the knives in Stage 1 and 2 before making extra pulls in stage 3 for ordinary and commonly used kitchen knives and cutleries. For knives used in butchering, use Stage 1 followed directly by Stage 3. Knives used for games, sports and poultry cutting are sharpened using stage 2 and 3, while serrated knives are pulled through stage 3. The procedure is pretty similar with other units, alternating pulls on the left and right slot of about 10-20 pulls for 2 seconds of an inch.
4. Priority Chef Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives, 2 Stage Diamond Coated Sharpening Wheel System. ($+)
Serrated knives has tiny jagged teeth that couldn’t be sharpened on just any other type of sharpeners. These knives are preferred when cutting fibrous foods and ropes because the saw-like motion can cut correctly and quicker than straight-edged.
They tend to dull out faster than plain knives because it generates lesser friction on the surface of the material, however, when they do become dull, they may exhibit incompetent performance such as fraying the edges of the cut materials. Most sharpeners have aggressive sharpening power that could deform the serrations and convert it into straight-edged knife.
Priority Chef understands the complication and designed this model to precisely take care of the facet of serrated knives while giving it the ultimate sharpness that it needs instead of buying replacements. Designed with two-wheel sharpening system, it enables restoration of the quality of cutting edge of the knife. Stage 1 has diamond coated sharpening wheel for coarse sharpening but this is only used for plain knife. Stage 2 has ceramic abrasives that is used for honing and polishing and is where a serrated knife is re-sharpened.
Place the knife in the slot and make sure that it comes in contact with the ceramic honing. Swipe only for about 3 to 5 pulls with just minimal downward force until the desired sharpness is acquired. Don’t use too much force as it could damage the serrations. Serrated knife’s sharpness can stay longer and is therefore not necessary to be honed and sharpened regularly.
5. Chef’s Choice M317 Sportsman Extreme 2 Stage Straight and Serrated Edge Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener ($$$$)
This rugged electric sharpener is especially fashioned for outdoor enthusiasts’ line of cutting tools that are thick, heavy and sturdy. They were made to withstand pressures and corrosions and are required to be always sharp to cut through stringent materials. These type of knives are also prone to damage because it is exposed to varying materials.
This model is created to sharpen and hone various types of knives providing it the industrial quality and durability to prolong its useful life. It is the best electric knife sharpener for knives of varying thickness- or thinness, and can also be used in sharpening single sided blades.
There are two stages that are made with 100% diamond abrasives that can provide the superb sharpness because of its ability to cut faster and more precise into the metal edges. Stage 2 has flexible polishing/stropping disks that creates the arc-shaped edge to ensure durability of the knife’s edge to be able to carry out its task in an exceedingly superior manner. Some sharpeners, especially the traditional ones are creating the “V’ shaped edge on the blades that easily gets worn out because of lack of metal support. The arc-shaped edge created in this sharpener guarantees sturdiness of the blades that would not chip away easily.
To begin sharpening, placing the knife on the slot on stage 1 making sure that the knife is keeping in contact with the rollers for equal sharpness. Apply a minimum but uniform force when pulling at a speed of 3 seconds for every 6-inch blade. For knives that has a curving tip, gently lift the handle and tip the knife over so that the blade is still drawn across the rollers. Continue honing the knife on Stage 2.
This unit is compatible with single bevel, double bevel, 20° edged, kitchen knives, Santoku, fillet, pocket knives, and serrated blades.
6. Chef’sChoice Diamond Hone EdgeSelect Knife Sharpener Model 120. ($$$)
For extremely fast and easy to use sharpening of kitchen knives, Chef’s Choice designed its model 120 that enables all chefs and home cooks enjoy the benefits of sharp cutleries with simple and speedy swiping of blades in a sharpener. This unit has an EdgeSelect that polishes the edges of gourmet, sporting and butcher knife, as well as serrated 20 degrees knives. It creates EdgeCraft’s proprietary Advance Trizor-Plus edge on edges of knives made up of any steels. This Trizor edge is the durable arc-shaped edge created on the blades that increases the longevity and durability of the knives.
This professional sharpener has three stages that uses 100% diamond abrasives. Stage 1 has fine diamond coated disk that creates the microgrooves for angle bevel. In stage 2, the more fine diamond defines the second bevel to produce the cut for sharp edge. Stage 3 has abrasive polish disk that strops the edges for Trizor edge to be able to withstand the normal wear and tear. Stage 3 can also be used to sharpen serrated knives.
Before sharpening, slip the knife blade into the slot between the left angle guide of stage 1 and the elastomeric spring until it comes in contact with the diamond disk. Gently pull to feel the spring tension, remove the knife and turn the device on. To sharpen a knife for the first time, or for severely damaged knives, use the Stage 1.
Pull the blade into the left slot alternating with the right slot at about 4 seconds for an 8 inch blade. It generally only requires 1 pull on each of the slots for the knife to be sharp. Repeat the steps in stage 2, or use this for re-sharpening knives that are still a bit sharp. Take about 4 pairs of alternating pulls until a burr, or rough edges, are formed on each side. Continue to strop in stage 3 with only 1 or 2 pulls.
To sharpen the serrated knife, simply turn the power button on and swipe the knife’s edge on the Stage 3 slot located in the farther right. Give 5 up to 10 alternating pulls on the slot to develop the micro blades along the fine edge of the teeth. For severely damaged knife, make one fast pull (approximately 2-3 seconds for an 8-inch knife) in the left and right slots of the Stage 2 before proceeding to swipe on Stage 3. It should be noted however that excessive use of Stage 2 can damage the knife. It can only be used in extremely damaged serrated cutlery.
7. Wusthof Black 3-stage Chef’s Choice PEtec Electric Knife Sharpener ($$$)
Wusthof is a popular brand of German knives and the first ever to incorporate the Precision Edge Technology (PEtech) that differs from contemporary knives in terms of its sharpness. The standard blade angle of most knives are at 20° to 22° degrees but Wusthof’s are set at a sharp 14°, even sharper than the Asian knives 15°. German knives are made from stainless steel and special high carbon iron that is why is requires specialized knife sharpener to preserve its form and make. While the safest material to be used are its specialized steel rod that are tempered at a certain degree, the electric sharpener is better because of the pre-defined angle that eliminates the guesswork.
This 3-Stage sharpener is made not only for specialized Wusthof knife but also for most Western contemporary knives. Its sharpener has diamond abrasive wheels. Stage 1 is used for setting edges. Stage 2 has finer diamonds that is used for honing and re-aligning the blades and stage 3 has advanced stropping materials for optimum polishing and is also used for sharpening serrated knives.
The first stage is not for frequent use because of its aggressiveness in sharpening that could remove metals, but the honing stage is designed for re-sharpening to keep the knives as sharp as possible not will not deter the shape and angles of the blade.
To achieve the PEtech edge, gently drag the blade through each stage 2 to 3 times from the heel to the tip. Use the coarse grit for sharpening, and the fine grit for honing. The stropping wheels polishes the edges for a more defined sharpness.
8. Smith’s 50281 Adjustable Edge Pro Electric Knife Sharpener ($$$)
Knives’ blade edges vary differently in its factory angle. This is due to the varying roles and services that it plays in the humanity, and to each, his own. Contemporary knives has 20° angle which is widely acclaimed, however, there are knives that are common to some cultures that offered a little deviation from the standard. This is again, because of its purpose. Asian knives has 15° and German knives has 14°. Smith’s innovative idea is the creation of its electric sharpener that enables the equipment to be serviceable to these types of blades at a twist of a knob.
Its electrical slot features interlocking sharpening wheels with medium grit diamond and extra fine ceramic abrasives that are considered indispensable metals in knife sharpening because of its faster cutting rate and excellent sharpening performance. A special manual sharpener was also incorporated to hone serrated knives making this unit versatile and functional.
When using this sharpener, always turn the dial to 10° first before making necessary adjustment to the desired angle to allow the machine to adjust its mechanism. If the angle for the knife is unknown, use the common sharpening angle suggestion that is printed on the adjustable knob.
To use the unit, set the knob on the correct angle then turn the power knob on. Insert the blade into the coarse diamond sharpener until comes in contact with the wheel. Pull the blade from the heel to the tip using a consistent stroke and with little amount of downward force with about 10 to 20 pulls. For severely damaged knives, increase the number until the desired sharpness is set. Repeat the process in the ceramic slot with about the same pulls as the first to hone and polish the edges.
This unit can be used on all double-beveled stainless steel, alloy or carbon knives.
9. Presto 08800
This kitchen knife sharpener has two stage of sharpening, the rough and the fine stage that gives supreme sharpness for the blade. It can be used for knives with 20° to 28° angles which will accommodate most of kitchen cutleries. This sharpener is an economical choice for home use. It has a sturdy base and three suction cups at the bottom for stability during sharpening a remarkably lesser noise than other electric sharpeners which is favored by most users.
Using Presto 08800 is also as simple as drawing the blade of a dull knife through the slot and over the motor three times per stage and per side with moderate and uniform pressure. Make sure to properly set the machine in an even surface that the suction cups could easily latch itself to avoid accidents. It can be used to sharpen straight edge kitchen knives but may not be able to fit thick hunting knives. Its high bevel angle wont also work for thinner knives like those used for filleting.
10. Chef’s Choice 1520 AngleSelect Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener ($$$$+)
Chef’s Choice also has their sharpeners with pre-set angle to be utilized for blade types of 15° and 20°. This versatile electric knife sharpener can be used with all types of blades of these edge angles. This innovative designs of electric sharpeners that does not only provide the same superior sharpness but at the same time ensure proper treatment of the blades to preserve the lifetime of cutleries.
Chef’s Choice latest products are also able to produce the Trizor edge or triple bevel edge for durable sharpness that allows the knives to be used many times before it becomes dull again. But for quick touch-ups and prevention of damages on the knives, running the blade in the honing stage of the sharpener ensures this durability of the sharpness.
Chef’s Choice Angle Select Knife Sharpener contains 100% diamond abrasives that polish and hone the blades for superior quality of sharpness. It also has spring precision knife guide that properly that holds the knife in place to avoid twisting therefore ensuring accuracy with the work. The different stages of the sharpener has roles to play. Stage 1 is specifically designed for 15° blades, while stage 2 is where 20° blades are sharpened.
Insert and pull the knife in the left slot, then right alternatively, until a burr is developed or a rough raised portion on the facet of the knife. Thicker blades may require more pulls to create a burr, while thinner 15 degree knives may need only 2 to 4 alternating pulls. Continue running the knife in the slot if the burr is not yet present. If the burr is developed, proceed to stage 3 and make 4 pairs of pulls on the slots. Stage 2 is designed to create the Trizor edge. In this, two pairs of pull can be made after the Stage 1 to create smaller burr before proceeding to Stage 3.
For single sided blades, use only the slot where the blade is facing. Usually, right-handed knives have blades on the left, so use the left slot for honing.