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7 Best Electric Knife Sharpeners – (Reviews & Guide 2023)
Selecting the best electric knife sharpening system for your own personal use can be a lot of work!
If you’re new to electric sharpeners, then you may be amazed at the sheer number of products that are on the market. To further complicate matters, the price range is massive and extends from the bargain bin to spending hundreds, and that’s even before you get to the best commercial options.
Our mission with this project was to test most of the top-rated electric knife sharpeners available. Not only did we want to create accurate electric knife sharpener ratings that you could rely on, we wanted to do it within the context of price so that you could make choices based on your available budget.
There were also certain deal-breakers for us. The products we selected had to feature multiple sharpening stages. They also had to be adequately abrasive, feature an accurate and adjustable angle guide, have safety mechanisms in place and be backed by a good warranty and great customer service.
With that in mind, we’re proud to present our top seven picks for 2023.
Comparison Chart: Best Electric Knife Sharpeners
In our comparison table of best electric knife sharpeners, you will find some basic information about each model that is further down in our review section. We’ve tested, reviewed and ranked these products based on latest innovative features and value offered to the end-user.
3-Stage Kitchen Knife Sharpener: Stages 1 and 2 of the EdgeSelect knife sharpening system use 100% diamond abrasives to sharpen and hone edges; Stage 3 uses patented...
The Chef’s Choice 15 Trizor XV is the best electric knife sharpener by America’s Test Kitchen standards and many other expert sources too, and the includes our team!
The Trizor XV is a superb, reliable machine that challenges even many commercial options but at a much more household-friendly price. It employs a “3-stage Edge Select” sharpening system to deliver a perfect edge for whatever the cutting task, and the first and second stages employ 100-percent diamond abrasives. A patented system helps not only polish your knives but prolong the life of serrated edges.
What makes this the best electric knife sharpener is that not only is it precise, durable and built with quality materials throughout, but it’s super-easy to use. It does an excellent job of holding the blade steady so even as a novice when your hand is unsteady, your blades will come out fine.
Another aspect that makes it perfect for kitchen use is being fully capable to sharpen serrated blades. It even serves as a honing rod to ensure that teeth are in ideal alignment. Using this electric sharpener, serrated knives will cut better and teeth won’t be prone to break. It also features an advanced stropping stage to sharpen straight edge and serrated blades to perfection.
The first time you sharpen a knife with this appliance, sharpening takes a minute, more or less. Then, if you keep up with those blades, you can re-sharpen them to a perfect edge in just about 10 seconds. This is a huge benefit when you’re preparing a meal and need a knife re-edged quick.
Dimensions is also what makes this is a top-rated sharpener for us. It weighs under 5 pounds and is just 10 inches long. It also comes with an excellent three-year warranty, and Chef’s Choice has a fantastic reputation for doing right by its customers when something isn’t right. This product is also the best knife sharpener under high range budget right now and among the finest products for Japanese knives as well.
Factory-sharp edges: The only kitchen knife sharpeners using flexible sharpening belts – the same method used by manufacturers to sharpen their knives.
High-end may be a bit of misnomer depending on your perspective.
Our team tested some of the best commercial knife sharpeners available, and this includes products that cost a thousand dollars or more. Nothing that pricey made our list. Still, the Work Shop Culinary E5 is often up around two hundred bucks, which we think is fairly high-end for the average person using our review.
One of the excellent features you get for the extra money you’ll pay over the Trizor XV is a built-in vacuum. Probably not absolutely necessary for most users, but it’s a nice touch that collects sharpening debris and keeps your work area clean. Although never sharpen near food regardless!
The E5 also provides a Shape setting in addition to Sharpen. Sharpen is the default, and Shape is the most powerful designed to correct edges that are very dull. This is an area where this model really stands out because it saves a lot of time with really worn knives. Of course, once you have a sharpener and keep up with maintenance, this mode may or perhaps should become less useful over time.
In our review, this was the non-commercial product that felt most suitable for a professional kitchen. Our team also found that it may be the best electric knife sharpener for shun knives, but the Trizor XV is probably neck and neck here.
Another advantage it has over the Trizor XV is size. It weighs just 2.5 pounds, but perhaps more importantly, it measures just 7.2 by 4.5 by 5.2 inches, which is quite impressive.
The Chef’s Choice 290 may be the best electric knife sharpener for the money!
The price point is right in line with a lot of other handy appliances that people have around the kitchen. And, the average person probably does not want to spend too much on a sharpener either.
You don’t sacrifice much with mid-range here. You’re still getting a three-stage system that uses 100-percent diamond abrasives. Additionally, it can handle serrated as well as about eight other edge types. The Chef’s Choice 290 can sharpen a lot of different knife styles too, including fillet knives, hunting knives, pocket knives, scissors and even machetes and axes!
Consumers don’t even have to sacrifice in the countertop or shelf space department. This unit weights less than 3 pounds and is just 9.9 inches long, which really isn’t bad at all.
There’s a lot to like here, so what’s not to like? Well, it really just comes down to the work load you’ll put on your sharpener. For the quick sharpen here or there, then this is among the premium electric knife sharpeners around. If you have a lot of dull knives to correct or will be sharpening frequently, then you’ll definitely getting your money’s worth by moving up just in terms of time saved.
This sharpening system from Linkyo is easily the best electric knife sharpener under budget!
It actually costs a lot less at most times and when the product is assessed within context of price point, it’s hard not to be impressed.
It’s worth pointing out that this is only a two-stage sharpener. Single-stage appliances didn’t make our list, and this is the only two-stage product to make it, and it’s all about the price. The first stage reshapes, sharpens and rejuvenates the edge, and the second stage hones and polishes.
This is a great starter appliance for the bachelor/bachelorette or newly married couple. Performance is quite excellent for a product that costs a fraction of what the other items on our list do. Sure, the speed at which this sharpener operates leaves a little to be desired, but it’s a sacrifice that we can live with. We also like that LINKYO managed to conserve counter space. The appliance only weights 2.65 pounds and measures under 10 inches in length.
Clean up is very simple as well. You’ll just need to wipe it with a damp cloth when finished. Then, from time to time, empty the receptacle that collects the metal shards.
There are some cons as you’d expect in the budget range. Only certain knife and edge styles are supported. You can’t sharpen serrated blades or scissors, for instance. Another concern is durability. This product does feel plastic-y, and a few years of life may be the best that you can expect.
ADJUSTABLE SHARPENING GUIDE - produce precise edge bevels from 15° to 30°. motor- 120Vac/1. 5 amp. Duty cycle-1 hr. Continuous
Our mid-range runner-up is the Ken Onion edition from Work Sharp.
We love this machine in so many ways but perhaps none as much as its aesthetics. That may seem a bit shallow, but this sharpener just oozes cool. It would fit right in in a workshop, and it’s actually perfect for that since its among the top electric knife sharpeners for hunting knives and pocket knives and all other manner of utility knives.
For kitchen use, the aesthetics are probably going to be polarizing. It’ll look out of place certainly. Perhaps that doesn’t matter if you keep it under the counter most of the time, but it’s not an appliance you’ll want on the counter to add to your modern or even rustic kitchen theme.
All this talk of looks aside, this is a fantastic tool in terms of sharpening. It’s not just the best electric pocket knife sharpener. It can sharpen just about anything: kitchen knives, serrated knives, fillet knives, scissors, gut hooks, axes, hatchets, shovels and even lawn mower blades!
Work Sharp even sells handy belt replacement kits so that you can keep your appliance running like new but also tailor it to the tasks at hand. Options include diamond, coarse, fine and even assorted.
There’s really a lot to like about this product, and the price is incredible to boot. As mentioned, it may not be the best kitchen machine—it’s even a bit long at 11 inches. But if you have somewhere else to set it up and use it, then you really can’t go wrong with the Ken Onion edition.
Beautiful black and stainless steel housing; Made in USA by Chef's Choice
Our high-end runner up is the 3-Stage PEtec from Wusthof.
This product came about through a collaboration between Wusthof and Chef’s Choice. The idea was to make the best electric kitchen knife sharpener specifically for Wusthof knives. As we’d expect from Chef’s Choice, the result is much more versatile than that. If you have these German-made knives, then great, but even if you don’t, this is one of the best automatic knife sharpeners on the market.
So, what makes this Wusthof-specific? Well, it has to do with Wusthof’s Precision Edge Technology or PEtec blades. This edge according to Wusthof is difficult or perhaps impossible to maintain with even the best-rated electric knife sharpeners. Enter this collaboration.
Whether that claim is true or not, we are not sure. We are testing the finest electric knife sharpeners after all—not the best knives. What we did notice was that it was a superior machine and worked well with all types of non-PEtec knives. It was particularly effective with fillet knives and scored quite well in our testing.
The black finish with stainless steel accents gives the appliance a strong modern look. If we have one complaint, it’s the size. It measures 12.2 by 6.3 by 6.1 inches, and that’s quite large compared to many of the comparable sharpening systems that we tested.
The Diamondstone electric knife sharpener from McGowan is consistently among the best-reviewed electric sharpeners with expert sources. This includes Consumer Reports but also outfits that specialize in reviewing culinary accessories for both home and restaurant use.
The biggest issue that we had with this product—and something that other reviewers noted as well—was the sheer amount of sharpening dust that it creates. It was considerably more than all of the other products that we tested, and it’s the reason it dropped down to this honorable mention spot. It’s unfortunate, but we think this messiness will be a deal-breaker for a lot of prospective buyers.
What we did really like about this product and what we think makes it one of the best electric knife sharpeners is that it’s very fast. First sharpens take well under a minute, and re-sharpening takes mere seconds. It does this while still being very accurate and delivering a fantastic edge every time.
Our team did find the design a bit awkward. It’s not ideal for particularly long blades, and we were having to have a second team member hold the unit in position as another held the blade. But this was only with the longest kitchen knives so may only be a hassle every so often.
Size is great. It weighs just 3.52 ounces and measures 8.2 by 7 by 6.2 inches. If looks matter, this model leaves a bit to be desired. The Silver Edition—which seems to be more expensive often—is the best-looking, but the black model is dull and the white model looks very outdated from current standards.
How We Tested and Selected the Best Electric Knife Sharpeners
Testing the best home and commercial knife sharpeners was among the most straightforward reviews that we’ve conducted in a while. Everyone on our team is an adult who have lots of experience in the kitchen and with using both manual and electric knife sharpeners .
We wanted to test a wide range of products on the market. Our team also tested different commercial options so that we had that point of comparison as well. It was our prime objective that we not only test the most popular electric sharpeners but also the ones that are prominent across a wide range of price points.
Obviously, we are going to put great focus on the ultimate result: the fineness of the edge. But we also spent considerable time to evaluate both ease of use and speed at which the edge was achieved. Often, needing to use your sharpener is a spur of the moment thing and you want it to be both easy and fast.
Finally, we judged the edge visually and on actual foods, including various meats and vegetables. We had someone manning the grill all day and ended up eating more than we care to admit. But using those sharpened knives in a real-world setting like a barbeque was really important to precisely assess them.
Are Electric Knife Sharpeners Safe to Use?
Absolutely! In fact, these electric appliances are safer to use than manual options because there’s very little chance of slipping and cutting yourself. Nevertheless, all electric appliances must be used with proper precautions and adult supervision. With that in mind, here are five safety tips for you to consider:
Read owner’s manual: Read it all from front to back at least once. These devices seem simple and it’s easy to disregard that information, but most common mishaps can be avoided with this knowledge.
Never use electric knife sharpeners around water: Don’t use them with lubricants either. Preferably, use them with a GCFI outlet or similar, which will shut down power if an unintended path is detected.
Stick to the intended use: Not all electric sharpeners are intended for all knives. Your kitchen sharpener cannot necessarily handle your hunting knife or your pocket knife and so forth.
The highly rated electric knife sharpeners offer a polarized plug: The plug will only fit in one way, so better not force it. If your outlets are incompatible, call an electrician for what is relatively an inexpensive job.
Every electric sharpener is intended for indoor use only: This often happens to the kitchen, so be very careful about using it around hot surfaces—such as a stovetop—that can actually melt the cord.
Can Electric Sharpeners Damage Knives?
Not all sharpeners are made equal! While the answer to this question is yes, it is important to know that the best electric knife sharpener will not damage knives.
The sharpeners that damage knives are cheap automatic sharpeners that only provide single stage sharpening function. These products are often found at discount stores or are sometimes integrated into electric can openers, etc. All of the products that we tested and selected are multistage and perfectly safe to use (source).
Most of the other complaints about electric knife sharpeners include being unsafe, outdated or have to do with upfront costs and how these appliances instill bad habits, etc. When using sharpeners, the important thing is that you understand your machine, knives and use them appropriately.
A good electric knife sharpener will definitely cost more than a manual device, but time is quite valuable nowadays. And sharpening all knives in the kitchen can be very time-consuming activity!
Our team did not include any product in our list that is single-stage, use harsh abrasives, throw sparks—which indicates an overheating blade, gouge knives or simply remove too much metal. As long as you buy a high quality sharpener, your knives will remain fine after sharpening.
Yes, absolutely! In fact, one of the pervasive and frustrating misconceptions about electric knives is that they don’t need sharpening and they can’t be sharpened at all.
While it is true that electric knives tend to hold edges longer than traditional carving knives. It is because of serrated edges and more uniform motion, however those edges eventually wear down with passage of time. When buying an electric sharpener, just make sure that your chosen device supports serrated edges as most of the top-rated power knife sharpeners do!
In addition, remove blade from the machine. It is much easier to control this way and you gain access to the entire edge. At this point, follow guidelines for any serrated edge which can be a bit trickier, so make sure to read your user’s manual and watch a video online if required.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it! Our team worked hard to answer the most common questions asked by consumers about electric knife sharpeners. A top-notch sharpener is the one that you’ll never want to quit using once you own it.
Among the most frustrating challenges faced in the kitchen is grabbing your favorite knife only to realize that its edge is worn and you need to work harder or use another sharp knife. With the best electric knife sharpener on hand, it will only take just a minute or less to get your knife sharpened like brand new.
Paul is a compulsive tinkerer and inventor who loves writing about latest machines technology. He is especially inclined towards home improvement, exercise and outdoor equipment that every sports enthusiast and house dweller would love to get their hands on.
