Knife Sharpeners: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentChoice magazine, Australia's equivalent to ConsumerReports.org, puts 16 knife sharpeners through the paces, testing for sharpening abilities, left- and right-handed use, required maintenance and safety. Top picks have a list of pros and cons but without any detailed discussion. A sortable results table provides product specifications and test scores, and the review also has a buying guide. Of the three electric and 13 manual models, seven make the grade -- including the Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpening System and MinoSharp Ceramic Water Sharpener 220/GB.

Our AssessmentCook's Illustrated magazine tests five knife sharpeners made specifically for Asian knives, which have a 15-degree angle as opposed to the 20-degree angle found on European knives. Editors also test an Asian knife on a standard 20-degree knife sharpener to see if it makes a noticeable difference. The top three models are all from Chef's Choice.

Our AssessmentThis review of electric knife sharpeners also discusses manual sharpeners. The magazine's editors test six knife sharpeners; the top three products end up coming from the same manufacturer, though one of them isn't as highly recommended. In addition to ratings, this article also explains in detail how knife sharpeners and sharpening steels work.

Our AssessmentPete Thibodeau at the Los Angeles Times tests a number of sharpening systems designed for home use. The author considers dozens of different types of sharpeners and puts each type through its paces in several hands-on tests. Manual grindstones in one form or another work best. The Spyderco 204 Tri-Angle Sharpmaker gets the highest marks for its flexibility, ease of use, effectiveness and relatively low cost. A similar system, the 1-2-3 Sharp by Morty the Knife Man, also earns high ratings for stability and for the excellent edge it delivers.

Our AssessmentCookingCache.com, a website devoted mostly to recipes, reviews knife sharpeners and steels and lists its four favorites by category. Editors don't indicate how many they test overall, but their reviews, although not in-depth, do reveal that their panel has a thorough knowledge of kitchen knives and knife sharpeners. In the manual sharpener category, they list their favorite for German knives and another for Japanese knives.

Our AssessmentDenise Landis makes it clear upfront that she is looking for "something in between" her electric sharpener and sharpening steel; "a simply designed sharpener I could keep handy to bring a slightly dull knife back to life." This review is far from comprehensive and reflects the author's needs. The sharpeners that receive the highest ratings suit the author's collection of knives and the set-up of her kitchen. She focuses on smaller products -- specifically mounted, countertop, handheld knife sharpeners -- to suit the needs of her cramped kitchen. The Smith's 10-Second Knife and Scissors Sharpener was easy to spot in the reviewer's "crowded utensil drawer," and the Chef's Choice 460 "seemed indispensable" to her collection of "wavy-edge and serrated knives."

Our AssessmentConsumerGuide.com lists only two reviews for knife sharpeners. The electric Chef's Choice Professional Sharpening Station 130 is strongly recommended despite the fact that the overall rating is only average. The Wusthof Knife-Life Sharpener is also reviewed and also receives an average rating. Testing methodology is not clear.

Our AssessmentThis article provides some basic information about sharpening methods, but it doesn't discuss individual sharpeners. There is also some misinformation here about butcher's steels; Cook's Illustrated magazine explains that steeling can prolong the period between sharpening, but it does not replace sharpening, while this article refers to butcher's steels as "perfectly good" at sharpening. Cook's Illustrated explains that sharpening steels are effective at sharpening soft carbon steel knives but says that most knives are now made of harder stainless and high-carbon stainless steel. No product ratings are included in this overview.

Our AssessmentCooking.com features user ratings and reviews on every cookware product imaginable. Of the 80 or so knife sharpeners listed on this site -- about two-thirds of which are rated -- more than 40 of them are Chef's Choice models. Although most models only receive one or two reviews, a couple are rated and reviewed more than 100 times. All knife sharpeners at this website receive above-average overall ratings, however. This site may be more useful as a tool for further research once you've narrowed down your choices.