The best knife sharpeners will help extend the lifespan of your tools, keeping them razor sharp and in top condition. Rather than investing in new knives, sharpeners hone your existing ones to produce a sharp edge that’s like-new, and can effortlessly slice through vegetables, meat and even cold, hard butter. If you’re looking for an easy to use knife sharpener that’s quick to deliver consistently sharp edges, Chef'sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener is our favorite, but there are plenty of other models and styles to choose from—including honing rods, manual options, and a pocket-knife combo.
Knife sharpeners, like this one from Chef's Choice, keep your knives at their sharpest. Band Saw Blade
When it comes to shopping for knife sharpeners, you’ll want to keep ease of use, grip, durability and budget in mind. While you can easily find a manual knife sharpener less than $25, electric knife sharpeners are pricier—though the machine’s powerful motor sharpens knives quickly and without minimal, if any, effort on your part. There are also knife honing rods and sharpening blocks that are often favored by professional chefs for their ability to remove less steel from the blade than other methods. However, these can be trickier to use.
The best knife sharpener for you will depend on your comfort-level with handling sharp tools, how often you use your knives and the effort you’re willing to put into knife maintenance. Below we rounded up the best knife sharpeners on the market in 2022, with options for anyone and everyone who’s searching for one.
This electric knife sharpener comes with three different slots that sharpen, hone and polish straight-edged or serrated knives. The sharpener uses diamond-coated abrasive disks to sharpen and hone 15 degree edges in the first two stages, while the third stage relies on “flexible disks” to give the knife a finished polish. It makes knife sharpening a breeze as you don’t have to do much. Plus, the company says it takes just one minute to sharpen a knife the first time, and you can expect resharpening to take 10 seconds.
This sharpening stone is nestled into a bamboo base, which helps keep the whole setup stable as your sharpen away. It’s made with two sides, one that’s lower grit for knives that have lost their edge, and another that’s higher grit and can be used to sharpen and finish your knife. The kit comes with a guide that attaches to the knife’s spine and helps you keep the blade at the right angle relative to the stone’s surface as you sharpen. The company claims its whetstone, which uses water for sharpening, provides a mess-free process—a bonus if you’re looking for something that’s easy to clean up.
This knife sharpener from Presto offers a two-stage sharpening system. The first stage provides “precision grinding” to begin the process and create a precise edge that's angled. The second stage makes the blade honed, polished and, most importantly, sharp. The sharpener is designed for straight edge (aka non-serrated) knives.
Like others on this list, the PriorityChef Knife Sharpener has two different stages that bring your knives to a fine point. However, unlike some of them, you’ll have to move the knife straight through each slot yourself (the company says it works with either a pushing or pulling motion—what’s best depends on preference and the type of knife). The first slot shapes the angle of the knife’s blade, while the second one polishes it. According to the company, slot two can be used to sharpen serrated knives, too, as long as you use it slowly with more downward pressure, making this knife sharpener versatile.
Wüsthof, the well-known German knife company, makes its own electric sharpener. This option has it all, including different stages and integrated dust suction. The sharpener has three stages you can select from: shape, sharpen and refine. It has slots on either side of a central abrasive belt, which allows you to get uniform sharpness on both sides of your knives.
This pocket knife sharpener and survival tool combo is one of the cheapest options on our list. It has two v-notched sharpening slots, and a tapered diamond rod for serrated edges (that also has a special groove for sharpening fish hooks), a fire starter and emergency whistle. The different v-notch slots sharpen and then polish the blade to a finished edge that’s ready to use. This tool might be small, but it packs a punch for those who like the outdoors, or want a compact solution for knife sharpening.
Unlike many of the other options on our list, this sharpening rod is made from a ceramic material paired with a maple wood handle. While it’s ceramic, you shouldn’t be concerned about whether it’s tough enough—according to the company, it has “near diamond hardness.” Just be mindful of how you store it, because ceramic can be more prone to chipping than other materials if it’s tossed around in a silverware drawer.
This is another multi-stage knife sharpener. The first slot is designed for rough grinding—it’s made with a diamond grinding wheel to work blunt knives into better shape. Second, there’s a steel-based sharpening slot that the company claims can be used for “daily sharpening,” which is followed by a ceramic finishing slot. The kit comes with a glove that makes using the knife sharpener more safe to use, too. The sharpener also has a non-stick base that will help keep it steady as you sharpen.
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