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The 7 Best Knife Sharpeners, According To A Professional Chef

A great knife deserves a great knife sharpener.

By
best knife sharpeners
Alexandra Folino

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If you've investing in a good chef's knife, you should treat it right with a good knife sharpener. "Your cutting board and the items you're cutting are constantly dulling your knife. And while it may go against what you may think, if your knife is dull, it's actually more dangerous because it won't slice cleanly through your food," says Adrienne Cheatham, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. "When you're cutting items like herbs and vegetables with a dull knife, you end up crushing the cells instead of slicing through them. Having a sharp knife helps your food, too, so that you aren't bruising it."

To keep your knifes at their best, here are the best manual, electric, and stone knife sharpeners that you can buy. We also have plenty of picks for other useful utensils and tools like these 47 kitchen gadgets and the best steak knives.

1
Best Knife Sharpening Stone

Sharp Pebble Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone

Sharp Pebble Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone
Credit: Sharp Pebble

Whetstone is Cheatham's go-to. You have to soak the stone for at least ten minutes prior to using and rewet it periodically, so it's certainly more work than an electronic or manual sharpener. But you can control the angle and firmness as you sharpen, giving you professionally sharp knives. You can't go wrong with the Sharp Pebble Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone.

2
Best Electric Knife Sharpener

Work Sharp E2 Kitchen Sharpener

Work Sharp E2 Kitchen Sharpener

Electric knife sharpeners make it easy to sharpen your knives regularly. With the push of a button, the sturdy Work Sharp E2 Kitchen Sharpener will give any knife a clean, sharp blade.

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3
Best Manual Knife Sharpener

KitchenIQ Edge Grip Knife Sharpener

KitchenIQ Edge Grip Knife Sharpener
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Credit: KitchenIQ

Don't let the size of the compact KitchenIQ Edge Grip Knife Sharpener fool you; it packs a punch. With coarse, carbide blades for reshaping and a fine, ceramic blade for touch-ups, it'll fine-tune all of your knives.

4
Best Professional-Grade Knife Sharpener

Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

Diamonds are a knife's best friend, apparently. The Chef’s Choice Professional Electric Knife Sharpener uses diamond abrasives on conical disks to create "micro-grooves" that sharpen both sides of the blade. If you're using a range of knives daily, this thing is worth every penny.

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5
Best Honing Rod Knife Sharpener

Wüsthof 10" Sharpening Steel

Wüsthof 10" Sharpening Steel

A honing rod shouldn't be your standalone sharpener, but running a blade along the Wüsthof 10" Sharpening Steel will keep your knives in tip-top shape in between full sharpening sessions.

6
Best Knife Sharpener for Safety

PrinChef Anti-Cut Knife Sharpener

PrinChef Anti-Cut Knife Sharpener

The PrinChef Anti-Cut Knife Sharpener suctions to your countertop, so there's no need to worry about it slipping while you use it. And with a two-stage sharpening system, it doesn't skimp on sharpness for safety.

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7
Best Knife Sharpener Set

Edge Pro Edge 4 Knife Sharpening System

Edge 4 Knife Sharpening System
Credit: Edge Pro

With whetstones ranging from coarse to fine, honing roads, grit polish tape, and a carrying case to hold it all, the Edge 4 Knife Sharpening System makes a great gift for friends who love to cook.

8

How We Picked These Products

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When selecting the best knife sharpeners we went to the experts. Adrienne Cheatham, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, gave us her picks for the best knife sharpeners on the market.

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9

How Often Should You Sharpen Knives?

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As for how often you should be sharpening, it depends on how often you use your knives. "If you cook a lot, you should sharpen your knives one to two times per week," Cheatham said. "And if you don't cook a lot, one time per month should be fine."

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