Knife sharpening is often thought of as a manual and laborious task. While some methods, like using a whetstone or even pull-through sharpeners, require steady hands and a lot of time and practice, there are more convenient ways to keep your knives sharp, too. Using an electric knife sharpener is one of the potential solutions.

The Presto EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener is great for those who don’t have such a steady hand or are suffering from arthritis and can’t spend a lot of time sharpening knives by hand. It takes away a lot of the moving variables of knife sharpening that can lead to damaging your knife or to self-injury. This sharpener removes the guesswork so that anyone can have sharp knives in their kitchen quickly and easily.

This electric knife sharpener has two blade guides per stage, which keep your knife at just the right angle for sharpening every time. The first stage grinds your knife so it can have a smooth and angled edge. This is also known as the coarse stage. The second stage polishes and hones your knife for shine and realignment. In minutes, you’ll transform your dull blades into sharp knives that will make prepping in the kitchen much easier. As with all sharpeners, there’s still learning and practice to do so you can fully master sharpening your knife and lessening the risk of damage.

The EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener gets its name from its sapphirite sharpening wheels. This ultra-hard material can also be found in professional sharpening shops. Combined with the speed of the machine, the sapphirite does make for a sharpener that is not friendly to serrated knives, which is worth noting before purchase.

Many knife experts can attest that one of the best ways to sharpen your knife is by using a bench stone and slowly mastering the craft over time. However, sharpening knives this way isn’t for everyone. The next best thing would be to use a belt knife sharpener.

Belt knife sharpeners grind your knife’s edge for a super sharp finish. They also offer more control, since you can freely maneuver your knife as you grind it against the belt. Looking for a great knife sharpener to invest in that’s a little more beginner-friendly? Check out the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition.

Co-engineered by world-renowned knife maker Ken Onion, this knife sharpener has an adjustable angle guide so that you don’t have to worry about sharpening your knife at the wrong angle. The guides go from 15 to 30 degrees per side, suiting many knife styles. You can upgrade this machine to have a more freehand style of sharpening, but this is recommended only after mastering the craft. The belts that come with this sharpener are flexible but sturdy, so you can get a super sharp edge on your knife or tool.

Any knife or tool can be used with this sharpener—even scissors and serrated knives. Many customers likened using this sharpener to getting knives professionally sharpened or using a whetstone.

The belts range from extra coarse to extra fine, however, they are not labeled. It’s not difficult to switch between angles or belts, but it is an extra step. This machine is also a bit hard to use if you are left-handed, as the angle guide is fixed on the right side of the sharpener.

Knife sharpeners don’t have to be expensive for them to do the job. If you’re looking for a knife sharpener for everyday utility knives or average kitchen knives, then the Smith’s 2-Step Knife Sharpener may be the exact right sharpener for you.

This handheld knife sharpener is compact and lightweight so you can easily store it in a small kitchen or carry it around in a tool bag. But don’t let the small size fool you! This product is equipped with high-quality tungsten carbide in the first step and hardy ceramic rods in the second step. The blades are angled at 23 degrees, which is a bit limiting in terms of what knives can be sharpened with this machine, but it does the trick for inexpensive knives or utility knives and leaves them nice and sharp for daily use.

Sharpening knives is easy and safe with the Smith’s 2-Step Knife Sharpener. While you won’t get a razor-sharp blade that can slice falling hair, it can get your common knife sharp enough to be efficient and pleasant to use. It might take some time to sharpen your knife if it’s especially dull, but this product is definitely a great maintenance tool for knives that are still slightly sharp.

While this is a great compact sharpener, it can’t reach the part of the blade nearest the handle for some knives. If your knife has a particularly thick bolster, this sharpener won’t be able to reach all the way back. It also can’t reach the backs of paring knife blades and will end up turning your paring knife into a fillet knife if you’re not careful!

Are “As Seen On TV” products ever worth a shot? Sometimes, you actually might just find a diamond in the rough. If you’re in search of a knife sharpener that looks cool and isn’t too expensive or bulky, then try out the Bavarian Edge Kitchen Knife Sharpener by BulbHead, As Seen on TV.

This unique and rather Viking-looking knife sharpener is a pull-through style sharpener that can handle any knife. Yes, even serrated knives can be given a makeover with this tool! Because of this sharpener’s design, you can sharpen any size and kind of knife. The sharpening blades are raised and connected to spring-action arms that make sure they contour to the edge of your knife. Unlike standard sharpeners that are set at a fixed angle, the Bavarian Edge lets you angle your knife up or down while sharpening.

The manufacturers claim that you can even sharpen Japanese single-bevel knives at 35 degrees with this sharpener. However, it’s not recommended by customers to sharpen very expensive or high-quality knives with this sharpener. This product seems to work best on cheaper knives or mid-range knives, because there’s a chance that you can cause damage to your knife edge. For expensive Japanese or similar knives, it’s best to use a whetstone or have a professional sharpen them for you.

With this sharpener, sharpening your knives doesn’t take too long, nor is it very difficult. This is a good tool for keeping knives sharp (maintenance) or giving slightly dull knives a fresh edge. There is a slight learning curve to mastering this tool, but the price makes it pretty worth it.

Many folks think of knife sharpeners as a noisy and bulky piece of equipment that takes up a lot of space. From afar, these machines seem hard to use and not all convenient. If you’re looking for something that easily sharpens knives while you’re on the go or won’t take up much space in your kitchen drawer or toolkit, then this pocket sharpener is likely for you.

Introducing Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener. It’s lightweight and compact so you can store it anywhere or even dangle it on a lanyard. This is a great sharpener for hunters, fishermen, and campers because of its portability. Its size is good for sharpening pocketknives or hunting knives, but it can also handle larger knives, like kitchen knives, if needed.

Sometimes what you need is to sharpen a knife in a pinch or emergency. If that sounds like your lifestyle, then this is the knife sharpener to keep handy in your home or emergency bag. This knife sharpener won’t make your knife so razor-sharp that it can shave hair, but it does a decent enough job that you can slice things open or chop things. At its price point and its size, it’s a pretty good deal!

One of the great things about this tiny sharpener is that it has a separate tool for sharpening serrated knives. Serrated knives often can’t be sharpened in common knife sharpeners and are best sharpened manually. Luckily, you don’t have to buy a whole new tool if you already have Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener. Simply run the diamond-coated rod in between the teeth of your knife for a polished edge.

Knife sharpeners don’t have to be huge, noisy, or bulky. A compact option that can fit any size of knife is great for smaller kitchens or apartments. If you’re looking for a knife sharpener that is small and inexpensive, you may be in luck with the KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener (model 50009).

This compact knife sharpener holds onto the edge of your table, so you have a safe, full range of motion while sharpening your knife. You can also put this on the surface of your counter, if you prefer.

There are two stages of sharpening with this device: coarse for dull knives, and fine for polishing and touch-ups. The coarse stage has carbide blades that sharpen the edge of your knife. The fine stage has ceramic rods that polish knives—even those that are serrated. While the manufacturer claims that both stages of this product can sharpen serrated knives, some customers noted that the coarse stage doesn’t do much and can even damage serrated knives, so it’s safer to use the fine stage only for your serrated knives.

This sharpener is easy to use, as it is a pull-through sharpener. Make sure to apply even pressure as you pull the knife through both stages. After just a couple of pulls, you should have a well-sharpened knife.

Because of this sharpener’s size and design, it doesn’t last very long. It’s also uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. If you’re using this for kitchen knives that aren’t too expensive, then this sharpener should do the trick; it doesn’t give you the sharpest edge in the world, but it does make dull knives more usable.

Many people are hesitant to sharpen their knives because it looks intimidating. If done incorrectly, sharpening your knife can turn into damaging your knife and rendering it useless. Luckily, there are “automatic” sharpeners that make keeping your knives sharp easy and convenient.

The AccuSharp Knife and Tool Sharpener is a handheld knife sharpener that is compatible with a variety of blades. It doesn’t matter what size the blade is because this knife sharpener doesn’t have to be used on a flat surface. Simply hold the sharpener and run it along your knife’s or tool’s edge.

This works on anything from a cleaver to a pocketknife. Even serrated knives can be refreshed and sharpened with this sharpener, as long as you take a little more time and care to ensure your safety. In about 10 seconds, you’ll have a sharp knife that can easily slice or chop through any ingredient.

This sharpener comes with very hard tungsten carbide blades. They shave off a lot of material, so it’s not recommended to use this sharpener on very expensive knives. If your knives are decent enough and you don’t have any fears of replacing them, then this is a good sharpener to keep them functioning at their best for as long as possible.

If you manage to wear down the sharpening blades of this product over time, you can easily flip them and double the life of this sharpener, as well.

The AccuSharp Knife and Tool Sharpener is an inexpensive solution to sharpening dull, inexpensive knives. It’s great for home cooks and kitchens stocked with knives that aren’t super high-quality.

Sharpening knives by hand can be tedious and take a lot of time to master. Electric sharpeners are convenient, but they can often be loud and cumbersome to use, and some even destroy your knives because they make it difficult to control how much material is being shaved off on each pass. With the Chef’sChoice 2-Stage Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener, you get a machine that sharpens accurately without the piercing loud noise.

This knife sharpener works for knives that can be sharpened at 20 degrees. The angle at which your knife can be sharpened is an important thing to know about any knife in your arsenal. The smaller the angle, the sharper the edge of the knife. Most American and European kitchen knives can be sharpened at 20 degrees, making this product great for standard use.

Got a serrated knife? While most knife sharpeners aren’t compatible with serrated blades, this sharpener is—and for both stages. The first stage uses 100 percent diamond abrasives to grind the first bevel. The second stage is comprised of unique stropping and polishing disks that also contain diamond abrasives for a sharp edge.

It’s important to always read the manual before using any appliance, but even more so when getting a new knife sharpener. Each knife sharpener comes with specific instructions on how to use it so you can avoid damaging your knives or causing an injury.

This particular machine will be easy to use and will do well for sharpening the common kitchen knife if you use it correctly. While it does the job on keeping average knives sharp, don’t subject any expensive or heirloom knives to this sharpener.

Pull-through sharpeners are one of the more common styles of knife sharpeners available on the market. If you’re not looking to shell out for an electric or motor-powered sharpener but still want to get a decent edge on your knife, then try out something like the Priority Chef 2-Stage Knife Sharpener.

This sharpener is a no-frills type of sharpener that has your safety and comfort in mind. It has a long, ergonomic handle so you can keep the sharpener steady while using it. The rubber grip bottom makes sure that the whole sharpener is stable while you’re pulling a knife through it multiple times.

This is a two-stage sharpener meant for a variety of knives. The first stage uses a diamond-coated wheel to shape the angle of your knife’s edge. The second stage polishes your knife with a ceramic honing wheel. Be sure to pull your knife straight through approximately 10 times. Never go back and forth, rather only go in one direction.

This knife sharpener sharpens at a fixed angle, so it may work for a variety of common or mid-range kitchen knives. It’s not recommended to use this product on very expensive knives as it might not reach the required degree to sharpen them. This is also not suitable for very large, thick, or heavy knives, as the sharpener is a bit small.

The Priority Chef 2-Stage Knife Sharpener doesn’t sharpen the way a whetstone or grinder would, but if you’re a home cook just looking to bring life back to your old knives, this could be a good option. It takes a lot of time to work dull knives to a usable state however, so you are also getting a good workout with this sharpener!

There’s a difference between sharpening your knife and honing it. Sometimes, what you need is to hone a knife to get it to work more efficiently, rather than sharpen it. Sharpening entails the removal of material to get a sharp edge, and this process is necessary when you have chips or nicks on a knife; however, it is usually only then that the material needs to be removed so that the whole blade is straight and sharp again.

Honing doesn’t remove any material. Rather, it realigns the microscopic “teeth” along the edge of your knife. These teeth typically get bent or pushed out of shape as you use your knife. This creates a feeling of dullness while chopping, or the feeling of tearing food rather than slicing it. By honing your knife, you make the edge of it straight again. This makes it feel sharper than it was before it was honed, which is why people often mistake honing for sharpening.

If you already have sharp knives on hand that you want to maintain, then the Utopia Kitchen 10” Honing Steel Knife Sharpening Rod is the best bet for you! The name is slightly misleading, as it is a honing steel rod that doesn’t necessarily sharpen your knife. As mentioned above, while it does make your knife feel sharper and stay sharp, it doesn’t actually sharpen. Still, this is still an important tool to have in your kitchen and a worthwhile purchase.

Honing with this rod is easy and safe thanks to the slip-resistant rubber bottom and comfortable handle. The handle may feel a bit cheaply made but it keeps the rod lightweight and makes it easy to hold.