Knife Sharpener Review

Choosing a knife sharpener: more complicated than it looks

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. 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 use an abrasive on the blade, such as tungsten carbide, ceramic, steel or diamond (the hardest, most aggressive sharpening surface). Sharpeners, regardless of style, have a least two sharpening areas; you start with the coarser grit, then use the finer grit to finish your knife edge. The angle at which the knife is positioned during sharpening is key; most sharpeners offer various ways to help you keep your knife properly aligned.

The majority of the reviews we found are fairly dated, but most of the knife sharpeners discussed in those reviews are still available. Cook's Illustrated magazine has the most thorough knife-sharpener review, but it is from 2006. Staffers test six electric, 12 manual and five Asian knife sharpeners (specifically designed for Asian knives that have a 15-degree edge); 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 print helpful buying guides and some newer (compared to Cook's Illustrated) 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. 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 in its review, while The Irish Times conducts its own hands-on tests. 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 tips should visit the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts and Letters at eGullet.org, a website for chefs and avid cooks. The site has eight detailed knife-sharpening tutorials. 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.