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Our winning sharpener can even make new knives sharper.

Highly Recommended: With diamond abrasives and a spring-loaded chamber that precisely and gently guided the blade, this sharpener purred with perfection, consistently producing edges that were sharper from edge to tip than those of brand-new knives. “I’m cutting this paper into confetti,” said one tester. It was the only sharpener to quickly remove nicks in the blade; in 10 minutes, a severely damaged knife looked and cut like a brand-new model. Another big perk: It can convert a 20-degree edge to a sharper 15 degrees.

*** Our editors proudly maintain an unassailable reputation as an unbiased and advertising-free cooking authority, and our objective reviews are strictly uninfluenced by product manufacturers, distributors, or retailers. ***

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How we tested knife sharpeners:

All knife sharpeners work similarly: The user repeatedly drags the blade against an abrasive surface at a set angle, which trims and reshapes the blade by removing microscopic amounts of metal that are blunted or too far out of alignment. The four knife sharpeners we tested had one or two kinds of abrasives: ceramic and/or diamond. Ceramic abrasives are relatively sticky and can grab at the surface of the blade, while diamond abrasives produce less friction and a smoother edge. The design of the blade support chamber also differs: Some cradle the blade for smooth results, and others let the blade wiggle, producing ragged edges.

Our methodology:

ROUTINE SHARPENING

We assigned new copies of our winning chef’s knife to each sharpener. We dulled them identically and sharpened each according to manufacturer instructions. We slashed sheets of paper and sliced tomatoes and then repeated the dulling, sharpening, and slicing process four more times with different testers. Those knives that made clean cuts without crumpling the paper or damaging the fruit garnered the highest ratings for their sharpeners.

NOTCH REMOVAL

We filed notches in both ends of each blade and ran them through their respective sharpeners, timing how long—and counting the number of strokes—it took to repair the damage. The winning model required 76 strokes to repair the damage; other models required up to 223 strokes.

DESIGN

We compared how clear and precise the instructions were, how intuitive each sharpener was to use, and how easily they cleaned up. Those models that made jarring vibrations or piercing grinding noises were docked for these flaws.

BONUS POINTS

One model’s manufacturer advertised that the sharpener could narrow the angle of a traditional Western-style 20-degree blade to a thinner Japanese-style 15-degree blade. This refers to the angle of the bevel—the slim strip on either side of the blade that narrows to form the cutting edge. The more acute that angle, the sharper the blade will feel. We tested the claim by running a brand new 20-degree knife through this sharpener for 20 strokes on either side of the blade. Testers reported that the 20-degree knife was indeed almost as sharp as a 15-degree knife.

The Chef’s Choice Trizor XV Knife Sharpener excelled across the board:
✓ Intuitive directions
✓ Smart design makes it easy to use and clean
✓ Spring-loaded chamber that ensured constant contact with the blade
✓ Superior diamond abrasives
✓ Slot to repair extensive damage to a blade
✓ Ability to convert a 20-degree blade to a sharper 15-degree blade

America’s Test Kitchen is the most-watched cooking show on public television—up to 2 million viewers watch each episode. The show is filmed in the test kitchen of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, located just outside Boston.

Each episode features recipes we’ve carefully developed to make sure they work every time. The test cooks solve everyday cooking problems, test equipment so you never have to waste money on things that don’t work, and taste supermarket ingredients to save you time in the store. It’s a common-sense, practical approach you won’t find on other cooking shows.

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