Equipment expert Adam Ried reveals his top pick for honing rods.
Buy our winning honing rod:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
35 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
If they paid MIT to use their "high end" microscope, they got ripped off. That was basically a $10 toy USB microscope you can get off Amazon. What a joke.
how do you hone with the 2 sided ones? without switching sides
Fantastic.
I spent $8
can't find the double cut for under $70 on sale.
I don't know where $48 came from for the Bob Kramer…most retailers I am finding sell it for 70
Really bad comparison!!! It‘s extremely important how hard is your knife steel you are working with. You tested the honing process with a cheap Victorinox knife it seems like… the hrc rating of this knife should be around 56ish. Good knives…especially japanese ones, tends to have a hrc rating of 59 to 66. The Bob Kraemer is made out of steel, which has probably absolute no effect on really hard steel. …Again: This is a really bad comparison for that reason because the hardness of the rod is essential! Go for ceramic with a fine grid or if you have a super hard Aogami steel consider to buy a „sinter ruby rod“
Lolzzzzz. U had to go to MIT to use a magnifier. 😂 😂 😂 💀 💀 💀 💀
Bob Kramer knife hone now 70 bucks after 9 months from posted video. Damn.
Gotta love hindsight….lol already have a wüstoff honing rod before watching this video 🤣
The more I watch ATK, the less impressed I am. Alot of their equipment reviews and or opinions are inaccurate. Just like this one.
Hello
I used a hotel chef's knife once and honed it. The chef was not pleased but also wasn't angry as he told me to never hone someone else's knife.
Poor logic by the writers, which makes this review suspect. Honing IS sharpening, but not all sharpening is honing. Com'on, get your act together!
Can you use the winning pick on Japanese knives?
I would like to offer this comment as a sacrifice to the great algorithm, so that it might look favorably upon this video.
Why are the actual prices ALWAYS exactly $10.00 more than the prices quoted in the videos? This video is 4 days old!!!
Old bobs12 inch rod huh 🤔
Obsolete tech.
The Mac Black ceramic honing rod is widely known as the best steel. Esp for Japanese knives.
Why don’t you tell us where we can buy these items or give us a web site that works with zip code?
15 degree angle? Not always.
Always enjoyable.
Our testers preferred:
-slightly rougher and smoother
-a longer rod, because it was easier to get the full stroke from the base to the tip
-less flare, because a more dramatic flare can get in the way of the stroke
-Best Buy: I-da-ho(ne) 12-inch rod
😂😂😂
not one german f-dick packing plant smooth polished steel in this?
Z
My top pick: A Whetstone.
Her face when he said 12" rod, shaft and tip… 3:55
I haven’t used a steel for 2-3 years. I’ve switched to ceramic and don’t see that changing. Mine is black and 3/8” diameter and about 8” long. Picked it up at a resale shop for $2. It’s all I use. I would be interested in trying a diamond rod but too expensive for my tastes.
It’s crazy how much prettier she is with longer hair
I bought one at a dollar store for $5 and it works as intended.
There is also a component to consider, at least that is discussed online: the hardness of the steel in the knife blade. Ceramic vs steel honing rods, no clue on their actual merit.
It takes maybe two strokes per side, the longer you go the more likely you are to mess up. Two carefully done strokes per side is all you need. I use a smooth ceramic rod and hone before each use. Also it doesn't take much pressure. A gentle run down the tool is all you need.
Have they tested air fryers yet?
It’s just like sharpening with a manual stone- maintaining the correct edge angle when honing is a difficult skill to acquire and maintain for the ordinary home cook / knife user. Sharpening / honing doesn’t need to be done often enough to get good and stay good. Just as I recommend the Lansky system for sharpening, I recommend the Füri Diamond Fingers for honing. These hold the correct edge angle automatically, result- sharp knives.