I’m generally not a big fan of electric sharpeners. They can remove a lot of metal in a hurry. With that said, the Chef’s Choice sharpeners are the best out there. However, they should come with a big red warning label and a system that won’t turn the sharpener on until the new owner has read the manual — twice. The biggest problem with electric sharpeners is with Stage 1, which really shouldn’t be used unless a knife has been used to chop cinder blocks or been beaten on the sidewalk for a while. The trick to using an electric sharpener is to use it backwards. Use Stage 3, the finest stage, the keep the edge touched up and ready to go. When that stops working, go to Stage 2 to refresh the edge, then refine it on Stage 3. Going back to Stage 2 should happen about once a year in an average household. Only go to Stage 1 in an emergency, and even then use it sparingly. Electric sharpeners can only set one angle on your knives, usually one that leaves the edge too thick.

The EdgePro Apex is a manual system that is infinitely variable, meaning that you can set just about any edge angle you want. The EdgePro also will create much finer, much sharper, edges than an electric sharpener. The downside is that it is more expensive, takes more time to use, and has a learning curve before you really master it.

A third option is professional sharpening. Not the guy down at Sur la Table or Joanne’s Fabrics, but a real professional at a cutlery shop or someone who does mail order sharpening. If you don’t mind being without your knives for a couple of days, somebody like Dave Martell at D&R Sharpening can do a remarkable job.

In my opinion, if you own a lot of knives that you need to keep touched up, an electric sharpener is okay. If you have fewer, higher end, knives and don’t mind spending time and money to fuss over them, the EdgePro Apex is a great choice. If you love your knives but they are primarily tools, try professional sharpening and see what you think. It could very well be that sending them out once or twice a year is all you need to keep them in top shape.

Thank you for your response.

– Kim

– Kim

Best of luck,
Chad

Found your website after reading Russ Parson’s article on knives from the LA Times. I own a 8″ Mizuno chef knife and I am looking into figuring out how to properly sharpen my knife without ruining it.

Have you ever heard of this sharpening tool called Edge Pro? Here is their web link so you can see how it looks and how it is used. http://www.edgeproinc.com/sharpening-Tips-11.html

Just curious if you would recommend something like this to sharpen your knives instead of trying to figure out how to use stones.

Thanks for you time in responding to my question.

George

My husband calls it the Kitchen Tractor, you just swap out attachments and the tractor does the work…if only John Deere made household appliances…

What concerns me is that the machine started to sound ‘funny’ shortly after the first few uses and it’s getting worse, like it needs to be lubricated. A google search is how I landed here and I’m glad for the information, it would appear I need to think about getting my KA serviced before it grinds to a screeching halt.

The electric 5 burner stove we bought from KA has performed ok considering the amount of use (abuse) it gets and the pro version burr grinder has performed exceptionally well, so overall I would say I’m satisfied with the KA products. However…if my kitchen tractor dies, I will shell out the bigger bucks and go for something more professional grade.

Thanks,
Mike