Knife sharpeners review and compare

03.Product profiles

Profiles - what to buy

Cuisinart KS-80A

Price $199

Good points

• Safe to use
• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Secure.
• Either hand use.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.
• Claims to sharpen serrated knives.

Bad points

• Requires electrical connection.

Anolon Universal Sharpener

Price $80

Good points

• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Secure.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• May damage the bench if knife slides out of sharpening slot.
• Right-hand use only.

Breville BKS600 Ikon

Price $115

Good points

• Easy to sharpen with.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.

Bad points

• Requires electrical connection, not very portable.
• May damage the bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.
• The switch requires some effort to push.
• Right-hand use only.
• Screwdriver required to clean the wheel housing.

Chef’s Choice 2 stage Sharpener 450

Price $60

Good points

• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Secure.
• Can be used with either hand.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• May damage bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.

Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpening System FUR626

Price $50

Good points

• Easy to carry.
• Safe to use.
• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Secure.
• Either hand use.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• Nothing to mention.

Minosharp Water Sharpener 220/GB

Price $60

Good points

• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Secure.
• Either hand use.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• May damage bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.

Kuhn Rikon Kyocera Knife Sharpener KR-2941

Price $32

Good points

• Easy to carry.
• Easy to sharpen and handle.
• Second model tested had an excellent performance score.
• Secure.
• Either hand use.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• Our first sample achieved a very poor sharpening score, so we retested a second model.
• May damage bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.

Profiles - the rest

The remaining models - not included in the What to buy list - are profiled below in rank order.

Scanpan Sharpener Classic 3 Step Knife Sharpener

Price $60

Good points

• Easy to sharpen with.
• Secure.
• Either hand use.
• Very good performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain

Bad points

• May damage bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.

Zwilling JA Henckels Twinsharp 32590-200 Blue

Price $43

Good points

• Easy to sharpen with.
• Either hand use.
• Excellent performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• May damage bench if knife slides out of sharpening slot.

Victorinox Knife Sharpener 7.8715

Price $36

Good points

• Easy to carry.
• Easy to sharpen with.
• Moulded grip handle.
• Either hand use.
• Very good performance score.
• Quick to use.
• Easy to clean.
• Blades exchangeable.

Bad points

• Extra attention for safety - knuckles move over the edge of knife.
• Achieves a slightly serrated edge.

Wiltshire WILT595064 Knife sharpener

Price $30

Good points

• Easy to sharpen with.
• Either hand use.
• Excellent performance score.
• Quick to use.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• Achieves a slightly serrated edge.
• May damage bench if knife slides out of sharpening slot.
• Slippery base.
• Handle is not moulded.

Accusharp Knife and Tool Sharpener

Price $39

Good points

• Easy to carry.
• Easy to sharpen with.
• Either hand use.
• Very good performance score.
• Quick to use.
• Easy to clean.
• Blades exchangeable.
• Claims to sharpen serrated knives.

Bad points

• Extra attention for safety, knuckles move over the edge of knife and guard is removable.
• Achieves a slightly serrated edge.
• Grip is smallish for large handed person.

Smart Chef Knife Sharpener with Grind Stone

Price $4

Good points

• Easy to sharpen with.
• Either hand use.
• Very good performance score; achieves a smooth edge.
• Easy to maintain.

Bad points

• May damage bench if the knife slides out of sharpening slot.
• Slippery base.
• Handle is not moulded.

Russell Hobbs RHKS1000

Price $40

Good points

• Safe to use.
• Easy to sharpen with.
• Handling secure.
• Either hand use.
• Easy to maintain.
• Claims to sharpen a serrated knife, scissor and screwdriver.

Bad points

• Requires electrical connection.
• Does not sharpen well.

Saphire Knife and Tool Sharpener

Price $35

Good points

• Easy to carry.
• Easy to sharpen with.
• Either hand use.
• Easy to clean.
• Blades exchangeable.

Bad points

• Extra attention for safety, knuckles move over the edge of knife and the guard is removable.
• Grip is small for large handed person.
• Requires more effort for sharpening.

Wusthof Knife Sharpener 4344

Price $80

Good points

• Secure.
• Either hands use.
• Easy to clean.

Bad points

• May damage bench if knife slides out of sharpening slot.
• Sharpening takes a long time as it tends to make a hollow shaped edge.
• Sharpness not achieved in allocated time.