Ever try to chop fruit but end up sawing it, splattering juices everywhere? When slicing bread, do you smoosh it? Maybe your knife is dull. Through repeated use, knife blades become dull and more dangerous than sharp knives. For many people, the most convenient answer is calling on the best electric knife sharpener they can find.
All You Need to Know to Have the Sharpest Knives
With a dull knife, you have to use more force. The blade may slide off whatever you’re cutting and stab you.
Whereas…
A sharpened knife requires only light pressure to cut. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, this is because sharp knives "grab" onto food more easily.
With a sharp knife, you can chop food more precisely and evenly–into thin slices, fine dices, etc. Even-sized pieces cook more uniformly.
So, what should you do?
Sharpen your knives by:
- sending them to a skilled professional
- using a whetstone or sharpening steel, which you need to know how properly or you may ruin your knives
- using a manual knife sharpener
However,
Taking the above into consideration, an electric knife sharpener sure seems like a logical solution. Read on to choose among the best electric knife sharpeners for your culinary needs.
9 Cutting Electric Knife Sharpener Reviews 2024
The heavy-duty Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener is a collaboration between Work Sharp and famous knife maker Ken Onion. Versatile for home and workshop uses, this sharpener has an adjustable sharpening guide that produces precise edge bevels from 15° to 30°.
The Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener also has five flexible abrasive belts (P120 extra-coarse, X65 coarse, X22 medium abrasive, X4 fine abrasive, and 6000 extra-fine abrasive) and a variable speed motor to handle sharpening tasks from grinding to honing.
Features
- Variable speeds: 1,200 SFM to 2,800 SFM
- Abrasive size: .75" x 12"
- Made in the USA
Sharpens any kind of knife
Easy to assemble and use
Quickly hones blades to a razor-sharp edge
Pricey but worth the investment
Chef’s Choice 15 XV Trizor Professional Electric Knife Sharpener by EdgeSelect combines strong and durable Trizor design with 15ºXV technology. Its flexible spring guides control the sharpening angle to convert traditional 20º factory edges of household knives into Trizor XV 15º edges.
Chef’s Choice 15 XV Trizor Professional Electric Knife Sharpener by EdgeSelect has three slots or stages. Stage one uses conical disks with diamond abrasives to create ‘micro-grooves’ on both sides as well as a 15º bevel. Stage two’s conical disks have even finer diamond abrasives for shaping a second smaller bevel with finer micro-grooves. Stage three’s flexible abrasive stropping disk system creates a smooth ultra-sharp edge and a third smaller bevel.
And that’s not all we loved.
Chef’s Choice 15 XV Trizor Professional Electric Knife Sharpener by EdgeSelect works on both straight-edge and serrated blades.
Features
- Abrasive: 100% diamonds
- Weight: 4.42 pounds
- Dimensions: 10” x 4.25” x 4.25”
Sharpens chef’s, santoku, bread, hunting, fillet and pocket knives
Impressive razor-sharp results
Quick and easy to use
Takes a little practice to use well
Pricey but worth the investment
Wusthof and Chef’s Choice collaborated to create the Wusthof PEtec Electric Sharpener. It’s designed to maintain the unique edge angle of Wusthof’s Precision Edge Technology (PEtec) blades.
The sharpener performs superbly on many other brands as well.
Stage one uses a diamond abrasive wheel to sharpen dull knives and create a new edge on the blade. Stage two’s finer grit diamond wheel refines the edge and hones the blade. Stage three uses an advanced stropping material to polish the knife blade.
Features
- Weight: 4.6 pounds
- Dimensions: 10” x 4.25 “x 4.25”
- Abrasive: 100% diamond
- Made in the USA
Easy to use
Long-lasting
Razor-sharp results
Wobbles during use
Can scratch knives
Pricey but some feel worth the investment
Chef’s Choice AngleSelect1520 Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener takes care of different knife styles from around the world. It shaves 20°edges on Euro/American cutlery and 15° edges on Asian cutlery.
With an adjustable AngleSelect system, you can switch between knife styles and types. The Chef’s Choice AngleSelect1520 Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener has an advanced spring guide system to provide precise control of a blade’s sharpening angle.
Is it hard to use?
Nope.
Use stage one and stage three to sharpen Asian-style knives or modern Euro/American-style knives at a 15° angle. Use stage two and stage three to sharpen Euro/American-style knives to a 20° angle. Stage one and stage two use diamond abrasives while stage three has a flexible stropping/polishing disk for a very sharp finish. Use stage three to sharpen serrated knives.
Features
- Abrasive: 100% diamonds
- Weight: 4.15 pounds
- Dimensions: 10” X 4.25” X 4.25”
- Made in the USA
Sharpens chef’s, santoku, bread, hunting, fillet and pocket knives
Versatile
Razor-sharp results
Easy to use
Pricey, but many think worth the money
Didn’t sharpen as well as some expected
Motor can get hot
Designed to sharpen both ceramic and steel kitchen knives, the Electric Diamond Knife Sharpener for Ceramic Knives and Stainless Steel Knives with 2-Stage Diamond Sharpening Wheel has a diamond grinding stone with two settings–coarse (#600 grit) and fine (#800 grit)–that can grind up to 1mm chips off of blades.
Here’s something to consider:
The slot guide holds your knife at a traditional V-angle bevel edge, fixed angle (18° on coarse setting, 20° on fine setting). In stage one, the coarse setting removes rough edges or visible nicks from a blade. In stage two, the fine setting hones and polishes the knife.
Features
- Dimensions: 75" x 8.75" x 2.75"
- Abrasive: diamonds
- Removable diamond wheel cartridge and cover
Great for removing nicks and chips
Fast and easy to use
Razor-sharp results for some
Easy to clean
Doesn’t sharpen as well as expected
Can’t use on scissors, serrated blades or non-kitchen knives (i.e., hunting, folding and pocket knives, etc.)
The Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener accommodates kitchen knives, outdoor knives, pocket knives, and serrated knives. Combining flexible abrasive belts and an angle-guided ceramic honing, the Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener leaves your knives sharp and ready to use. Its 3M flexible abrasive belts create a convex (not flat) blade edge for better cutting and longer lasting sharpness.
Designed for metal grinding use, the abrasive sharpens any type of blade steel without overheating the blade!
The Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener’s precise 25° angle guide promotes quality sharpening and honing. The tapered fine grit ceramic rod refines smooth edges and sharpens large and small serrations.
Features
- 120V single-speed motor
- Abrasives: two P120 belts by 3M, one fine grit tapered ceramic rod
- Abrasive size: .5” X 10”
- Made in the USA
Affordable
Versatile
Easy to use and effective
Small and lightweight
“Okay” or mediocre sharpening results
Goes through belts quickly and not very powerful
Sharpens at 25° angle only
The Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener is a two-stage sharpener for most non-serrated blades. Blade guides position the knife at an ideal sharpening angle for best results, requiring no guesswork on your part when you pull the knife through each slot.
Using Sapphirite wheels–the same ultra-hard material used by professional shops–this tool grinds and sharpens the blade in stage one and then hones the blade in stage two. Don’t worry about flying sparks when high carbon steel blades come in contact with the Sapphirite wheels–this is normal.
The Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener works well on knives made of alloy, carbon, or stainless steel. It even sharpens non-electric serrated knives that are only serrated on one side.
The Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener is made in China to North American electrical standards.
Features
- Dimensions: 25” x 5.75” x 4”
- Weight: about three pounds
- Plastic cover
- Three bottom suction cups for stability during use
- Two receptacles to catch metal filings for disposal
Effective
Easy to use and clean
Quick
Great for the price
Motor not powerful
Shaves off much metal if not careful
Stalls easily with downward pressure
Made some users’ knives duller
The Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener provides a fast, easy way to sharpen kitchen and sporting knives, including Santoku knives. Its adjustable blade selector accommodates different size knives: thick (hunting), medium (chef's and standard kitchen), and thin (fillet and paring).
Blade guides position the knife at an ideal sharpening angle for best results, requiring no guesswork on your part as you pull the knife through each slot.
Using Sapphirite wheels–the same ultra-hard material used by professional shops–the Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener is a three-stage sharpener. Stage one’s coarse-grinding wheel creates a proper angle on a blade. Stage two has a medium-grinding wheel that gives the blade a precise edge. Stage three’s extra-fine-grit ceramic wheel polishes the blade to a razor-sharp edge.
The Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener is made in China to North American electrical standards.
Features
- Dimensions: 12” x 5” x 4”
- Plastic cover
- Suction cup feet to stabilize it during use
Good value
Quick
Easy to use
Effective
Coarse stage rough on blades
Motor weak
Bulky
Chef'sChoice 290 Hybrid AngelSelect 15/20 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener boasts Advanced Hybrid AngleSelect technology for sharpening both 20° edges on Euro/American cutlery and 15° edges on Asian and contemporary Euro/American cutlery.
What’s great about three-stage sharpening?
Stage one is for pre-sharpening, stage two is for sharpening, and stage three uses ultra-fine diamond abrasives for honing and polishing the blade to an extremely sharp finish.
The Chef'sChoice 290 Hybrid AngelSelect 15/20 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener works on both straight-edge and serrated knives. Use it for chef’s, Santoku, bread, hunting, fillet, pocket, and ceramic knives.
Features
- Abrasive: 100% diamond
- Advanced CrissCrosssharpening technology
- Weight: 2.81 pounds
- Dimensions: 9.875” x 4.125” x 3.875”
- Stainless steel cover
- Made in the USA
Fast and easy to use
Razor-sharp results
Versatile dual angle
Doesn’t sharpen scissors
Can scratch knives
Do You Really Need An Electric Knife Sharpener?
Try these tests:
- carefully and lightly running your fingertips over the blade’s edge to feel for a sharp, not rounded, edge
- dangling a sheet of paper in front of you and trying to slice it in half. A sharp knife cuts through the sheet; a dull knife slips off the edge or rips it unevenly.
- slicing a tomato to see if it cuts–not smashes–the tomato
- placing the knife on an onion. A sharp blade easily cuts through skin and layers; a dull blade slides off the skin.
- gently skimming the knife over your forearm. A sharp blade cuts straight through arm hair; a dull blade folds over hair.
Reviews Of The Best 9 Electric Knife Sharpeners We Tested
THE WINNERS
There’s one more product that entered our radar after we finished our reviews. It stole our hearts just as quickly as it caught our eyes. So if you’re still not convinced of any the options above. You should really check out this professional knife sharpener.
It’s gorgeous! And, it works.
Now…
Find some dull knives?
Don’t worry!
If your knives need sharpening, consider an electric knife sharpener.
They’re surprisingly easy to use and your knives will be in super sharp in no time.
3 Pro Tips To Keep Your Knives Sharp Longer
#1 Don’t Put Your Knife In The Dishwasher
Your knife may say dishwasher safe on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s always recommended. In fact, the professional chefs we talked to and researched told us putting your knives in the dishwasher will deteriorate them much quicker.
#2 Consider The Knife’s Cutting Surface
Different kinds of surfaces can break down and damage your knife more quickly than others. That means you’ll need to spend more time sharpening your knives if you’re using the wrong cutting board. The best cutting boards are made from wood or bamboo, plastic, or a wood/plastic composite. Avoid using glass, stone, and steel.
#3 Designated Knife Storage
It’s tempting to just toss your knives in the drawer with the rest of your flatware, but all that jostling around can make them more dull quicker. Instead, find a designated knife stand or magnetic strip to store your knives in.
Still need help figuring things out?
Let’s learn from a pro:
How The Heck Do You Use This Thing?
Chef Eric Crowley, the owner of the Culinary Classroom, demonstrates.
Have A Knife Even An Electric Knife Sharpener Can’t Save?
Dispose of it safely!
- Wash metal filings off knife and dry before using
- To dispose of a knife safely, wrap the blade in thick material (i.e., cardboard, newspaper, bubble wrap) and seal it in a box before tossing or donating.
- If your local recycling center accepts old knives for metal, recycle them.
So, What’s Our Favorite Electric Knife Sharpener?
We we sat down to write this review, we wanted to give a conclusive answer on which electric knife sharpener we found to be the best of the best.
So we started looking back on all the different knife sharpeners we tested–and we saw a lot of great products. It took some time. But it was all worth it.
So without further ado, here’s the sharpener that caught our eye the most:
Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition
Having a hard time cutting foods? Sounds like your knife is dull. Sharpen those knives and cut out the slowdowns with the best electric knife sharpener.
Show MeChef’s Choice 15 XV Trizor Knife Sharpener
Having a hard time cutting foods? Sounds like your knife is dull. Sharpen those knives and cut out the slowdowns with the best electric knife sharpener.
Show MeWusthof PEtec Electric Sharpener
Having a hard time cutting foods? Sounds like your knife is dull. Sharpen those knives and cut out the slowdowns with the best electric knife sharpener.
Show MeFrequently asked questions
How should I store knives to keep them sharp?
Don’t just toss the knives into a drawer where they clatter against each other. A knife block, a magnetic strip, and a slotted drawer insert are better options.
How can I keep the electric knife sharpener clean?
Wash food and debris from the knife before inserting into the slots. Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
How many times do I need to pull the knife through a slot?
That depends on how dull the blade is. Very dull or new unsharpened knives require more pulls through slots. Less dull blades usually need fewer passes. Don’t press the knife down while pulling it through a slot.