electric knife sharpener

Electric knife Sharpener

Here is the deal; nobody ever loves working with a blunt knife. You do not have to be a professional chef to enjoy slicing, chopping or dicing with a razor-sharp knife. Even an ordinary amateur like me and you never really appreciate a dull blade in our kitchen accessories.

Most knives are bought sharp but get blunt after a while. You, therefore, have to sharpen the blades regularly for easy slicing of meat. But what do you use? Traditional methods tend to be too time consuming and require certain skills to pull off.

So what is the solution? Use an electric knife sharpener to hone the blades within seconds or minutes. They not only save time and keep you safe from the sharp edge but also shield the knives from damage by removing a consistent layer of metal.

Choosing the best electric knife sharpener is what troubles most consumers as the market is rich in these devices. Making a choice, therefore, becomes a bit harder. In this buying guide, we will highlight all that you need to know about electric knife sharpeners.

Pros and Cons of Using an Electric Knife Sharpener

A knife is to some extent an extension of your hands. A sharp one projects your personality and cutlery skills. Since the invention of electric knife sharpeners, maintaining the sharp blades has been made easier.

However, if you have not bought one, you might be still grappling weighing the potential pros and cons of owning one. These are some of what to expect when using one.

Pros of an Electric Knife Sharpener

1. Time Saving

Sharpening a knife manually or seeking a professional to do it takes some time. With an electric sharpener, all you do is plug it into the kitchen power outlet, draw the knife blade into the slots and then slowly drag the knife out. It’s as simple and quick as that.

If your knife is not too blunt, then this takes just seconds. But if it had become too blunt, then you will have to pass it through the slots multiple times. In whichever case, it still saves you valuable time.

2. Requires No Skills

Operating an electric knife sharpener requires no special skills to perform. Provided that you know how to use the knife, determine when it is sharp enough and switch the device on, you are good to go. The same cannot be said of the manual sharpeners which need balancing of the blade.

3. Saves You Money in the Long Run

If you usually take your knives to a professional for sharpening, then owning an electric sharpener will be cheaper in the long run. Although the initial cost of a sharpener is high, it won’t be as much as the cumulative total you would pay a professional.

4. Does not Damage Knives

There are certain expensive knives which require extreme care when sharpening. This care is provided to a great effect by the best electric knife sharpener by removing a consistent amount of metal on either side of the blade.

When using a manual sharpener, it becomes hard to sharpen both sides at the same time. Such a maneuver may damage a delicate knife.

5. Keeps You Safe

Using an electric sharpener needs you to hold the knife at the handle and drag it through the slots. The device automatically does all the sharpening work for you. It’s unlike some manual models which require you sometimes to hold the blade when sharpening. Any slip could lead to a cut from the sharp blade.

6. Suitable for Various Knives

There exists an array of manual knife sharpeners and sharpening stones as well. However, none of these can be used to sharpen all the types of knives in your collection. I don’t think there is a sharpening stone you can use for both serrated and kitchen knives.

With an electric knife sharpener, you can be sure to hone most of your knives. It could be different blade materials and design; it does all these.

Cons of an Electric Knife Sharpener

. Expensive to buy

Electric knife sharpeners do not come cheap. More so, if you are looking for the high-end options ones with multiple slots for sharpening, polishing, steeling and stropping. These will easily cost you upwards of $100.

2. Needs Care When Sharpening

If you do not take care, the sharpener could damage your knife. It is imperative you firmly hold the knife and avoid over pressing it down while passing it through a slot. Doing so could lead to an overgrind and scratches on the blade.

3. Occupies Considerable Space

Some electric knife sharpeners are not as compact as the manual ones. They, in turn, occupy more space on your kitchen tables. Some are also bulky and big.

Although they have a fair share of disadvantages, the pros out rightly outweigh these cons. When in need of a razor shape knife, you need a sharpener that is quick, efficient and keeps you from cutting your fingers. They are, therefore, a worthy investment for you if you are a knife person.