The Best Electric Knife Sharpeners for 2021
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Best Electric Knife Sharpener
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These versatile sharpeners are a must-have for any kitchen. To help you select which one is best for you, I have outlined the various features below along with a list of the best electric knife sharpener currently available.
UPDATED: September 3, 2021.
MY TOP PICK:
If you are looking for the best overall, I recommend the Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV because it can sharpen both straight edge and serrated blades, uses diamond sharpening abrasives, and provides a three-stage system.
To help you select the sharpener that works best for you, let’s go over some of the basic components and features of a standard kitchen knife.
Blade Materials
The two most common materials used for blades are high-carbon steel and stainless steel. High-carbon steel has the benefits of maintaining a sharp edge and being resistant to staining and rust. This should not be confused with simply “carbon steel” which is prone to discoloration.
Stainless steel is also resistant to rust and corrosion but tends to not hold an edge as long as high-carbon steel.
Straight-Edge Knife
The straight edge knife simply refers to a blade that is without serrations and offers a continuously sharp edge as with a standard chef’s knife. This type of blade is easy to sharpen and creates a clean cut.
Serrated Knife
A serrated blade is typically found on bread or steak knives. The serrations form a cutting edge that creates pressure at each point of contact. This cutting action removes the material being cut, creating a relatively rough end result compared with a straight-edge blade.
A serrated knife is typically harder to sharpen, however, some electric sharpeners will also work on serrated blades, making it great for steak knife sets.
Why use an electric sharpener?
The main benefit of using an electric sharpener is speed. Many models can complete the sharpening process in one to two minutes. This allows you to always be working with a sharp edge which makes it much easier to cut and chop ingredients.
Electric sharpeners are typically used for kitchen knife sets but also have the ability to sharpen blades such as kitchen shears and pocket knives.
How does a sharpener work?
The specific method will vary by model, however, the process is fairly straightforward. There are slots located at the top of the unit that the blade is slid through. These slots are known as guides and determine the angle that the blade will make against the sharpening surface. Some guides are interchangeable to enable a customized angle for the specific item being sharpened.
There are typically two guide slots per stage: a left and a right. This allows for both sides of the edge to be sharpened into the desired “V” shape. The actual sharpening is performed by either spinning grinding wheels or belts.
How to use an electric sharpener
Turn on the sharpener and place the back of the knife at the top of one of the guide slots.
Using even pressure but not pushing too hard pull the knife at a consistent speed all the way through.
Switch to the adjacent slot and perform the same motion.
Repeat this process until the blade has reached the desired sharpness. The number of pulls will vary depending on the dullness of the blade when you started.
Depending on the model there may be additional stages of sharpening as described below.
Sharpening Stages
The number and specific type of sharpening stages will vary based on the model. The general concept is to start with a course stage at the beginning which quickly removes material and shapes the blade edge. Then the later stages move to progressively finer wheels or belts to create the final honed edge.
Here is an example of a typical three-stage process:
Stage 1: Coarse-grinding wheel to make the correct angle.
Stage 2: Medium-grinding wheel.
Stage 3: Extra-fine grit ceramic wheel that polishes the blade.
Non-slip Feet
Some models will include non-slip silicone feet or suction cups. This makes it much easier to use because it prevents the sharpener from sliding around on the countertop.
So here is my list of The Best Electric Knife Sharpeners for 2021.
Enjoy!
Best Overall: Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV Electric Knife Sharpener
The Chef’sChoice 15 features the Trizor edge along with the 15-degree XV technology.
Converts standard 20-degree knives to Trizor XV edges.
Features flexible spring guides to accurately control the sharpening angle.
Equipped with a three-stage EdgeSelect system.
Features a diamond and advanced stropping stage.
Designed to sharpen both straight edge and serrated blades.
Check out this brief video for an overview and demonstration of the Trizor XV:
Runner-up: Chef'sChoice 250 Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener
The Chef'sChoice 250 features a hybrid system that combines electric and manual sharpening for 20-degree class knives.
Works for both straight edge and serrated blades.
Features a Stage 1 and 2 for manual honing.
Offers a Stage 3 pass for creating a polished edge.
Equipped with diamond abrasives in Stages 1, 2, and 3.
Best Budget Option: Shenzhen Knives Electric Knife Sharpener
The Shenzhen Knives sharpener features a diamond grinding stone and universal knife guide slots.
Offers the ability to quickly remove chips of up to one millimeter off of a ceramic blade.
Features two settings:
Fine (#800 grit).
Coarse (#600 grit) to sharpen dull and rough stainless steel and ceramic knives.
Features a diamond wheel cartridge that can be removed for easy cleaning.
Best Classic Design: EdgeKeeper Electric Knife Sharpener
The Edgekeeper uses a two-stage sharpening process.
Includes blade guides that position the blade at the correct sharpening angle.
Features a removable magnet to catch any metal shavings as a result of sharpening.
Equipped with diamond-coated sharpening wheels.
Includes non-slip silicone feet.
Best for Tools: Work Sharp Knife and Tool Electric Sharpener
The Work Sharp Knife and Tool sharpener uses flexible abrasive belts which makes it able to sharpen a range of different tools and blade types.
Offers the ability to sharpen scissors, axes, mower blades, and more.
Equipped with a 40° guide for sharpening filet and similar blades.
Includes a 50° guide for pocket and hunting knives.
Able to operate without guides for custom sharpening applications.
Best Versatility: Presto 08810 Electric Knife Sharpener
The Presto 08810 features an adjustable blade selector for a range of blade types.
Offers three blade thickness options:
Thick is for hunting knives and similar.
Medium is for standard kitchen knives.
Thin is for fillet and similar blades.
Features three stages:
Stage 1: Sapphirite coarse-grinding wheel to make the correct angle.
Stage 2: Sapphirite medium-grinding wheel.
Stage 3: Extra-fine grit ceramic wheel that polishes the blade.
Easy to Use: LINKYO Electric Knife Sharpener
The LINKYO sharpener features automatic blade positioning guides.
Includes a system that stops the sharpener if too much pressure is applied down on the blade.
Features a two-stage sharpening system:
Stage 1: creates the edge angle.
Stage 2: polishes and hones the blade.
Equipped with non-slip suction cup feet keep for stability.
Note: sharpener is designed for straight-edged blades only.
Best Compact Design: Work Sharp E5 Electric Knife Sharpener
The Work Sharp E5 features a compact design with three automatic settings to either shape, sharpen, or hone an edge.
Features a program that automatically shuts off when complete.
Equipped with a 17-degree sharpening guide angle.
Features leather-lined guides to avoid accidentally dulling the blade when sharpening.
Includes a ceramic honing rod to quickly touch up a knife between uses.
Offers interchangeable guides: 15 and 20 guides are also available and are sold separately.
Best Value: Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener
The Presto 08800 features a two-stage sharpening system with Sapphirite grinding wheels.
Equipped with guides that set the blade at the correct angle.
Works with carbon, alloy, and stainless steel blades.
Includes suction cups on the bottom to keep it in place when in use.
Features two containers to collect the metal filings.
Best Premium Option: Wusthof Electric Knife Sharpener
The Wusthof easy edge electric premium belt-driven knife sharpener uses Precision Edge Technology (PEtec).
Equipped with three speeds.
Includes an internal vacuum system to collect any metal shavings.
Includes three belts: the P120, X30, and X4.
Features a timing system to allow for better sharpening.
Sharpens both straight edge and serrated blades.
Assembled in Oregon.
I hope this list of the best electric knife sharpeners was helpful.
If you think I left out one that is important or have a suggestion for a future article, let me know in the comments below.
Brandon Hubbard, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
