How well do counter top knife sharpeners sharpen knives?
Are counter top knife sharpeners like the IQ knife sharpener good for sharpening knives (or cheap knives)? I have used the IQ sharpener and it is still hard to cut through big onions. I would like to know if it's problem with my technique or the product category itself just sucks.
Best Answer
A pull-through sharpener will never do as thorough a job at sharpening your knife as a stone, and over time will lose its efficacy and actually dull your blade. In a pinch they can be useful, but be sure to give the knife a few passes on a good quality steel afterwards, as the pull-through sharpeners tend to remove metal quite coarsely.
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Are pull through knife sharpeners any good?
Conclusion. A pull-through knife sharpener is easy to use and definitely a good option for those who want sharp knives, if convenience and speed are a high priority with sharpening. The true 'razor edge freaks' will have to take a look Japanese water stones. These enable you to put the ultimate razor edge on any blade.What do professionals use to sharpen knives?
A honing steel is a tool used by many professional cooks to realign knife blades.Is a sharpening stone better than a knife sharpener?
Sharpening stones offer superior results for nearly every kind of knife. This method of knife sharpening has a learning curve, and it takes more time than pulling your knives through a sharpening machine, but the results are superior.I Bought The Most Reviewed Knife Sharpener On Amazon
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Answer 2
Using a sharpening steel from new is probably the best method - but it takes some practice. You can find plenty of how-to on YouTube but my word of caution would be to ensure that the back of the knife is towards the handle of the steel (and consequently your hand) not the edge.
Sharpen every time you pick up a knife to use it, and then every time you clean and put it down. Just a few strokes in this regime will keep even less expensive knives sharp. Don't forget to wash or wipe off the residue on the blade before you actually use it. The steel will leave micro-sized filings on the blade and probably some dirt from itself. Wipe the blade carefully on a piece of paper towel to see what I mean!
As an aside I have Polish colleagues who sharpen one knife on another - scary stuff.
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