Electric sharpeners

Independent, accurate and unbiased information about kitchen knives used for the preparation of food and how to sharpen them and keep them sharp

Electric sharpeners

Typically, an electric knife sharpener has two or three slots in the top of a box-like casing. The knife blade is swiped through one of the slots where is abraded by rotating abrasive wheels or discs. Different kind of abrasives are used diamond hardened steel and ceramic. Cheaper sharpeners have just one slot.

Knife sharpening experts have differing opinions about the use of electric sharpeners. For some, the practice of using an electric sharpener on an expensive chef’s knife or favorite slicer is abhorrent.

Others think that if they are OK because, when they are used carefully, they can sharpen knives effectively and quickly. Mostly, the experts agree that the coarsest abrasive slot should be used very occasionally and only in cases where the knife is very blunt.

The angle is pre-set on most of the electric sharpeners, but some skill is required to swipe the knife lightly and evenly through the slots.

The best of the electric sharpeners have a very fine grade honing or finishing slot that can produce a very sharp cutting edge. These edges can be quite smooth and so they will remain sharp after considerable heavy use.

Many of the major knife manufactures have electric sharpeners in their catalogue. This online knife shop lists over 100 different versions of electric sharpeners, which you can see here >>>

What we like about electric knife sharpeners:

oThe sharpeners are very popular so there are many to choose from

oOnly a little skill is required to use the sharpeners in a way that does not remove too much metal.

oThe angle is pre-set and constant

oThe sharpeners produce a sharp edge quickly

oThere is a wide price range available

What you might not like about the electric sharpeners:

oGood electric sharpeners are relatively expensive

oCheap electric sharpeners with coarse abrasives can damage a good knife very easily

oEven expensive electric sharpeners with coarse abrasive can damage good knives

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Knife blades and their shapes or profiles