To sharpen serrated knives and ceramic knives, look for a model that specifically states its suitability for these blades. Using a standard sharpener on a serrated or ceramic blade will drastically reduce the useful life of the knife. Material

A honing steel, sometimes also called a honing rod or a sharpening steel, doesn't exactly sharpen your knife. Instead, it realigns the cutting edge to smooth out microscopic bumps and jagged edges.Design: We highlighted sharpeners that featured multiple stages for maximum efficiency or different slots for different blade sizes. Knife sharpeners can be bulky, so we also focused on compact sizes that you could store easily in your kitchen. While this mess-free system could work just fine on the kitchen counter, it takes up about 1 square foot of real estate. Storage is another consideration that should be factored in, since the unit is big and weighs almost 18 pounds with the base. The tool can be disassembled and stored in the box, but frequent users may prefer to create a dedicated workstation. Whetstonesare the classic and most-preferred manual method for sharpening kitchen knives. These perfectly flat sharpening stones have a gritty surface across which the user drags a knife’s cutting edge. This reshapes the cutting edge by removing any misshapen metal. Potentially, users can even customize a knife’s grind angle with a whetstone faster than with other sharpener types. The EverSharp sharpened very effectively, leaving one blade 80% sharper than we found it. But, it also left scratches down the slides of the blades. If this doesn’t bother you, the Presto EverSharp may be worth a closer look. It feels sturdy enough to last a while.

A brand-new knife has (in theory) a perfectly straight blade, ground down to a precise cutting edge at a specific angle. As you use it, the metal on the edge gets damaged on a microscopic level, causing uneven spots that can get caught on foods and create a ragged tear rather than a clean cut. A sharpener does for a metal knife basically the same thing that sandpaper does for a wooden board: It shaves off a layer of uneven material to make the surface smooth and even again. Different models of sharpener use different materials and methods to remove metal, along with different methods of holding the knife in the correct position while doing so.Many kits come with safety gloves intended to be worn on the hand that holds the sharpener. These gloves will minimize—but not eliminate—the chances of accidentally slicing a finger while pulling a blade through the sharpener. The flexible belt helps accommodate knives of all different sizes, though we found that it also leaves a lot of wiggle room for the blade, making it somewhat difficult to keep knives at the exact correct angle through the entire sharpening process. The Easy Edge theoretically can sharpen a serrated knife, but it only sharpens the flat edge and not the serrations themselves, so we recommend against it. This knife sharpener is simple to use and sharpens very well, but with its high price, it's probably best for someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen or is a professional chef. We did not expect a knife sharpener at this low of a price to work as well as it does, but the Longzon 4-in-1 really delivers. As the name suggests, the manual sharpener has four slots—three successively finer ones for standard knives and an extra-wide one especially for sharpening scissors and shears. Some manual sharpeners take a little practice to use correctly, but the Longzon's design and included directions make things simple. There's even a QR code link to video instructions if you're more of a visual learner. The most versatile sharpeners can accommodate knife blades of different lengths and widths, and generally will offer more than one type of grit to ensure a smooth, even edge. To discover the best knife sharpeners on the market, we collected an array of dull knives—plus several boxes of Band-Aids—and tested their performance slicing through paper, carrots, and tomatoes (and a baguette, for serrated blades), both before and after sharpening. We also measured each knife's sharpness scientifically, using an Edge-on-Up tool to record the exact amount of force needed to cut through a standard material.

The Mueller cut through produce easily, for the most part, but its edge wasn't clean enough to finish off carrots without them splitting. We found it did a better job of sharpening the middle of the knives than the tips. It's also not compatible with serrated blades. We really liked the fast-working design of the Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener. It operated more quietly and efficiently than other electric models. With only four to six strokes per side on progressively finer-grit belts, we completely renewed a damaged and dull chef’s knife in about 5 minutes. The finest grit belt honed the edge to a mirrorlike finish. We choose the most popular manual and electric knife sharpeners available at UK retailers to test. We buy all the products we test and rate them on the two factors below. Sharpening ability Sharpening ceramic knives requires a more precise, delicate touch than sharpening stainless or high-carbon blades might. Shenzhen Knives’ Electric Diamond Knife Sharpener is up to the task with diamond grinding specially designed for ceramic blades. According to Blake Hartley, Executive Chef at Lapeer Seafood Market, a sharpening steel removes material from your knife by moving the edge alongside the steel to restore the V-shape of a blunt edge. A honing steel is not used to sharpen but to restore the bent edge so that it's straight again.

ROLL YOUR WAY TO SHARPER KNIVES

Most knife sharpeners require users to pull the blade through the device, but with whetstones, circular motions that include both pulling and pushing are necessary. This guide on how to sharpen a knife should help. Q. At what angle should a knife be held when sharpening? If your sharpener has more than one setting, select 'coarse' for very blunt knives. The fine or honing setting is for everyday knife maintenance. Sharpening and honing are not interchangeable terms. They are different tasks that complement each other to keep knife blades keen. Each method requires a tool. If your knife sharpener has a fine or honing setting, run it through that once or twice after the coarse setting. Do this in the same way, but with less force. To keep your knife sharp, use the fine setting once after every couple of hours' use. Before buying a knife sharpener, bone up on the difference between sharpening and honing as well as various key factors and features—including material, suitability, and safety—of these precision tools. Sharpening vs. Honing

It really depends on how much you use them and how much abuse they take, but knives generally need sharpening once or twice a year. If a knife feels dull or has trouble cutting, sharpen it. Just note that every time you sharpen a knife, it removes a little bit of metal. After many repetitions, there won't be enough left to sharpen, and it'll be time to replace your knife. Includes a diamond rod for sharpening serrations, a coarse carbide notch, and a ceramic finishing notch We calculate the difference between the dulled and sharpened knife to see how effective the knife sharpener has been. We also tested the diamond rod on the serrations of an old bread knife, and it made a nice edge. Even severely damaged blades were temporarily improved, but this tool cannot reprofile a fully blunted edge. This model is great for routine maintenance during heavy use or to improve an edge temporarily.Most pull-through V-notch systems sharpen at preset 18- or 22-degree angles. An 18-degree angle is sharp but will require more frequent sharpening, ultimately reducing the life of the blade. Electric sharpeners usually sharpen at 15- to 20-degree angles. The Wüsthof Easy Edge Electric Sharpener edged out the competition thanks to its effectiveness and ease of use. It is capable of standing up to professional environments as well as home kitchens. For sharpening on a budget, the Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener offers an impressive price-to-performance ratio.