Whether you own a set of high-quality knives or a discount set you picked up for cheap, chances are that your knives are probably due for a sharpening. Sharpening your knives regularly cuts down on the amount of time it takes to prep your food. It also keeps your fingers safer because you don't have to apply as much pressure when you're cutting. Remember: a sharp knife is a safe knife.
There are two main types of knife sharpeners — electric and manual. Electric knife sharpeners work much faster but they do cost a lot more than their manual counterparts. In terms of ease of use, these two types of sharpeners are about the same.
Before you buy a sharpener, take a look at the type of knives you own because not all sharpeners are appropriate for all types of knives. European style blades are sharpened at a different angle than Asian style blades. If you try to sharpen a knife at the wrong angle, you can seriously damage the blade. Serrated knives must also be sharpened with sharpeners that are specially designed to accommodate them.
Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, it's a good idea to keep your knives as sharp as they were the day you bought them. Working with sharp knives speeds up your food prep considerably. It also helps keeps your fingers because since you don't have to apply as much force when you're cutting with finely honed knife. When examining the best electric knife sharpeners, we chose models that are compact, easy to use, and popular with cooking enthusiasts.
A manual knife sharpener is a great tool to have on hand, especially if you have a good set of knives. Manual sharpeners can grind a knife to the correct angle, clean up the cutting edge, and polish the blade so that it's razor sharp. The sharpeners on this list are all easy to use and much less expensive than comparable electric sharpeners. When choosing the best sharpeners, we also considered versatility, selecting sharpeners that can be used with a variety of different knives. A good sharpener is a great investment, as it will keep knives working like new for a lifetime.