Knife Sharpeners: Reviews

Updated February 2011

Although knife sharpeners aren't an essential kitchen tool, they can come in handy if you cook frequently. But choose carefully; some knife sharpeners can't handle serrated blades. Other things to consider: Manual models require more skill than electric sharpeners, and not all are designed for left-handed users. Electric sharpeners are more convenient to use, but they're bulkier and most expensive.

FONT
PRINT

Kitchen Knives

Compare All

Best knife-sharpening system

Spyderco 204MF Tri-Angle Sharpmaker System

*Est. $50 Compare Prices

The biggest advantage of the Spyderco manual knife-sharpening system, which can sharpen both straight and serrated blades, is its ability to restore dull knives without removing too much metal. Using the Spyderco… expandSharpmaker requires some patience and practice, and it takes longer than using an electric sharpener, but reviewers say this system is flexible, stable and practically foolproof -- once you learn how to use it. The Spyderco knife sharpener also can be used on scissors and some pocket and hunting knives. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Los Angeles Times: Pete Thibodeau tests more than a dozen knife sharpeners.

eGullet.com: This long article discusses knife sharpening in incredible detail.

Cook's Illustrated Magazine: In this large head-to-head test of a dozen manual knife sharpeners, the Spyderco 204MF Tri-Angle Sharpmaker System is one of the tested sharpeners.

Amazon.com: About 125 owners give the Spyderco Sharpmaker a high overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from Amazon for $56.12
Altrec.com for $89.95	Cabela's for $69.99

Best electric knife sharpener

Chef's Choice 120 Diamond Hone 3-Stage Professional Knife Sharpener

*Est. $140 Compare Prices

Electric knife sharpeners are quick and easy to use, but they don't offer the same amount of control as a manual sharpener. They also usually cost more. The Chef's Choice 120 is a heavy-duty electric knife sharpener that… expandquickly and … quietly sharpens straight and serrated knives. Reviews say built-in guides make knife sharpening easier, but it takes vigilance because it's easy to over-sharpen knives. The Chef's Choice 120 has two slots for sharpening (one coarse and one fine) plus a third polishing slot. The process takes about a minute, and users say the Chef's Choice 120 works best for knives 3 inches or longer. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Cook's Illustrated Magazine: Cook's Illustrated's review of electric knife sharpeners is based on rigorous tests.

The Washington Post: Writers Joe Yonan and Bonnie S. Benwick enlist the help of professional knife-sharpening expert Frank Monaldi Sr.

CookingCache.com: CookingCache.com, a website devoted mostly to recipes, also has knife-sharpener reviews.

About.com: With the Chef's Choice 120 Diamond Hone 3-Stage Professional Knife Sharpener, "there's one less thing to worry about in the kitchen," says Jessica Harlan, About.com's guide to cooking equipment.

Amazon.com: Amazon.com lets owners share their experiences with their knife sharpeners.

Cooking.com: Cooking.com features user ratings and user reviews on a variety of knife sharpeners, many of them Chef's Choice.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from Amazon for $131.45
eBay for $148.42	Home Depot for $197.99

Budget electric knife sharpener

Chef's Choice Diamond Hone Multi-Stage 110

*Est. $80 Compare Prices

The Chef's Choice 110 doesn't sharpen knives as quickly as the more expensive Chef's Choice 120, and it lacks a polishing slot, but it can sharpen an entire blade from tip to bolster. However, the Chef's Choice 110 can… expandonly sharpen straight blades (though it can touch up the tips of serrated knives). Bottom line: This dependable budget model does a nice job on straight-edged kitchen cutlery as well as some hunting and pocket knives. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Cook's Illustrated Magazine: Six electric knife sharpeners are compared in this head-to-head review.

eGullet.com: In this detailed and lengthy tutorial, reviewer Chad Ward says he prefers manual sharpeners, though he does say that if you must have an electric sharpener, the Chef's Choice Diamond Hone Multi-Stage 110 is the one to buy.

Amazon.com: Amazon.com has more than two dozen user reviews for the Chef's Choice 110, the majority of them positive.

Cooking.com: More than a dozen owners share their experiences with the Chef's Choice Diamond Hone Multi-Stage 110, and most say they would purchase it again.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from Amazon for $69.67
CHEFS Catalog for $79.95	eBay for $80.20

Budget manual knife sharpener

Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener

*Est. $20 Compare Prices

The lightweight Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener earns praise for its compact size and ease of use. The Furi Ozitech has a single row of diamond-coated steel "fingers" that bend during each pass of a knife to… expandbetter sharpen the blade. Reviewers say the Furi Ozitech sharpens quickly and produces a smooth edge. It also suits both right- and left-handed users. However, the lightweight Furi Ozitech must be held down firmly during use so the sharpener doesn't slip, and this sharpener cannot be used on serrated blades. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

Choice magazine: Choice magazine, which is Australia's equivalent to ConsumerReports.org, puts the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener to the test along with 15 other manual and electric models, testing for sharpening abilities, left- and right-handed use, required maintenance and safety.

Consumer magazine: New Zealand's Consumer magazine tests 10 knife sharpeners for ease of use, required care and the number of passes needed to sharpen a knife.

The Irish Times: Reporter Conor Pope tests five knife sharpeners for size, ease of use, angle correctness, sharpening performance and required care.

Amazon.com: More than 180 owners of the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener praise it for its simplicity, compact size and fast sharpening.

Cooking.com: More than 200 reviewers at Cooking.com rate the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener, giving it a high overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from Amazon