10 Best Knife Sharpeners in 2022 (Chef-Reviewed)

Danilo is an Italian chef who has grown up cooking traditional dishes under his nonna and mamma's tutelage. He has also worked in Italian restaurants in various countries such as Australia and Japan. 

The skills he has acquired at home and in a professional kitchen have enabled him to preserve and expound on Italian cuisine while dabbling in recipes from other cultures. Read on to see his insight into the article! 

While these may scare amateur cooks, whetstones, also known as waterstones, are the best way for you to sharpen your knives. 

Coarse stones that are less than 1,000 grit are for repairing chipped and damaged knives. Finishing stones range from 40,00 to 8,000 grit. 

For regular polishing, 4,000 to 5,000 grit stones are more than enough. But if you’re slicing fruit and vegetables, or filleting fish, then the 8,000 comes into play. It’ll make your knife delicate - too delicate to force its way through red meat, actually - so don’t overdo it.

If you’re chopping away every day, pull out this medium stone about once a month. If you aren't often in the kitchen, then sharpen your knife once every three.

Besides whetstones, which are a little harder to use, pull-through or electric sharpeners that are more friendly for beginners are also an option. They tend to be more convenient and adjustable, too.

Also, it’s light and compact, so it’ll easily fit into your kitchen drawers. However, there are some sharpeners that aren’t suitable for single-edged blades, so make sure your sharpener is compatible with your knife.

Regularly realigning the blade will help maintain it, so not only do your slices slide like butter, but you also don’t need to pull out your sharpener as much. These are usually made of metal, and you can also find some that have been coated in diamond or ceramic.

So before purchasing, you need to consider some additional factors, such as the type of knife (European or Japanese), the type of blade (single-edged or double-edged), material (stainless steel, carbon steel, or ceramic), the shape of the blade (straight, curved, and so on), and the angle of the blade.

Note that European knives use a 20-degree angle and Asian knives use a 17-degree angle. You'll have to look at this when purchasing a sharpener, but electric ones that can adjust are the easier choice. Serrated blades don't work with all sharpeners either, so make sure to check the product descriptions. 

Danilo says, "If you’re new to sharpening using a whetstone, keep in mind that it’s all about the angle. Put the blade - sharp side inwards - at a 90 degree on the stone. Then, half this to get 45 degrees. Tilt once more in half to get about 20 degrees for European knives and a bit more to 17 degrees for Japanese knives. 

I recommend choosing a sharpening stone with a surface area close to your blade's size and length. This way, with every swipe, you get a more even finish."

Not all knives are equal. Some are better suited for cutting bread, some for fish, and some for spreading jam. If you're looking for more specific types of blades, check out our other articles below.

If you're looking for an amazing knife set that you don't need to sharpen yourself, then check out this set recommended by nutritionist Kara Swanson. They sharpen themselves and stay in tip-top condition regardless of how many years pass.