Knife Sharpener Review

Cutlery sharpeners go under the knife

Even the most expensive knives can lose their sharpness over time. Fortunately, most dull cutlery can be brought back to life easily with a manual or electric knife sharpener. Each option comes with its own trade-offs. While manual knife sharpeners offer more control, they require more skill to use. They're generally more compact and affordable than electric sharpeners. Electric knife sharpeners, on the other hand, don't provide as much control but they're faster and easier to use. These models also tend to be larger -- about the size of a toaster -- and are designed to sit on your countertop.

There are a few other things consumers should consider. For instance, not all knife sharpeners are designed for left-handed users, and some products cannot sharpen serrated blades (knives that possess scalloped edges or those with evenly spaced teeth).

Knife sharpeners work by using an abrasive on the blade, such as tungsten carbide, ceramic, steel or diamond (the hardest, most aggressive sharpening surface on the market today). Sharpener models, regardless of style, have a least two sharpening areas; you start sharpening with the coarser grit, then use the finer grit for finishing your knife edge. For all types of sharpeners, the angle at which the knife is positioned during sharpening is key; all sharpeners offer various ways to help you keep your knife in the right alignment for the best edge.

Cook's Illustrated magazine offers the most thorough knife-sharpener review. Staffers put six electric and 12 manual models through the paces; editors then use the finished knives to cut paper, slice tomatoes and chop fresh basil. Australia's Choice magazine and New Zealand's Consumer magazine also include helpful buying guides and some reviews on manual and electric knife sharpeners. Unfortunately, methodology for both publications is not as clear as that of Cook's Illustrated and nothing is discussed in detail -- editors only include a brief list of each sharpener's pros and cons.

Several newspapers offer their insights as well. Testers at the Los Angeles Times put several manual and electric knife sharpeners through stringent slicing, chopping and mincing trials. The Washington Post interviews a professional knife sharpener for its review, while The Irish Times conducts its own hands-on investigation. Lastly, one New York Times writer reviews knife sharpeners but only focuses on models that are appropriate for small kitchens.

Consumers thirsty for more extensive knife-sharpening knowledge may appreciate the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts and Letters, otherwise known as eGullet.org, a technically oriented website for chefs and avid cooks. EGullet.org editors offer eight highly technical knife-sharpening tutorials for consumers. Content is separated into six categories: stones, guide systems, rod-and-clamp systems, V-systems and crock sticks, pull-through systems and electric sharpeners. Editors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various systems and provide useful critiques of some individual models.