Knife Sharpeners
Every
knife will eventually become dull after regular use. Honing
the
blade will straighten the edge but at some point you will actually need
to sharpen the knife. Knife sharpeners are designed to
actually
grind some of the metal from the blade, creating a new edge.
The
basic theory is that you need a surface or substance that is harder
than your knife. The most common hard surfaces are diamond,
ceramic, tungsten carbide and steel. When you are looking for a knife
sharpener, there are a few things to keep in mind. First,
does
the sharpener maintain the exact angle so you have consistent results.
Second, how quickly does it work? Third, does it
have
different levels of grinding from course to fine? Can it
accept
different sizes of knives? Is your knife likely to be damaged? Whether
you are a professional or a home cook and if you are looking for an
electric or manual knife sharpener, there are some great sharpeners
available.The Grip
To give you the highest degree of control and safety, the preferred method for holding the chef's knife is to have the last three fingers gripping the handle and the thumb and forefinger gripping the blade at the bolster (see glossary below). This grip allows your hand to be right at the balance point for most knives. It also keeps the knife from twisting from side to side, reducing the risk of injury, and gives you the best control over cutting. Done right, this way of gripping the knife allows you to feel as if the knife is an extention of your arm.
Manual Sharpeners
Many of the manual sharpeners are compact in size and can be effective in regular sharpening jobs. Many use metal or ceramic rods set at aspecific angle to sharpen the blade. A few models allow the user to select the angle that the blade will be sharpened.
| A
favorite of mine is from DMT (www.dmtsharp.com). - They have a system where you have stones of different coarseness with diamonds embedded in a metal mesh. The real beauty of this system is that you have excellent control of the angle of sharpening and that exact angle is maintained throughout the sharpening process. - They have stones ranging from extra course through extra fine and a ceramic stone as well. - They also have a serrated knife sharpener as well as a bevel sharpener. |
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| Spiderco 204MF Tri-Angle Sharpmaker System - Has received many good reviews from different sources - The manual is complex but good - Downside is that it can take a long time but the results are good and it takes off just the amount of metal that is needed |
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| AccuSharp Knife Sharpener - This item is recommended in cooking magazines - It does a good job for a low price - It is safe to use - It has only one sharpening coarseness - The sharpening material is diamond honed tungsten carbide - One angle available |
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| Anolon Universal Knife Sharpener 3-stage Wet - 3 different levels of coarseness - Works with water - Some users have found that this item is not durable - too much downward pressure can damage the unit - It uses 3 different angles |
Electric Sharpeners
Both professional chefs and home cooks who want faster results use electric sharpeners. In a busy kitchen you may not have the time to sharpen your knives by hand or you may have many knives to sharpen at once. If you have a knife that is damaged, it is strongly recommended that you either send it out to have it sharpened or use an electric sharpener. Sending it out can take a long time. You will look for similar features in the electric models that are available in manual models.
- The best sharpeners have three different levels of sharpening - coarse medium and fine. To accomplish this, they have 3 different grinding wheels.
- Look for the models that hold the knife firmly and at a consistent angle.
- Look for models that guard the sharpening wheels for safety.
- Look for models that take off a minimum of metal and do not risk damaging the knife
- Not all models can sharpen the blade from the tip to bolster
- Is the model to be used for all makes and models?
Recommended Sharpeners:
| Chef’s Choice Model 120 - Precision angle control for "Trizor-Plus" Edge - for use with chef's knives, butcher knives, sporting knives and serrated blades - 3 levels of coarseness - Levels 1 and 2 use diamond abrasives to sharpen and hone - Level 3 uses stropping and polishing |
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| Chef’s Choice Model 130 Professional - This is the "Cadillac" model of electric sharpeners and can be used in professional kitchens - It can be used for all makes and models - They claim that their edges are superior to factory edges - For use with both fine edge and serrated blades - Very consistent results - The blades are held firmly and safely - It removes a minimum of metal - Stage 1 uses diamond - Stage 2 uses super hardened steel - Stage 3 uses flexible stropping discs |