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Best knife sharpeners and how to use them
A knife sharpener is a must-have for your kitchen if you don't want to end up turning your tomatoes into a pile of pulp rather than sleek slices.
We tested popular manual and electric knife sharpeners from Anysharp, Global, Lakeland and more to see how well they could sharpen a dulled knife edge.
Our tests revealed a big difference across brands, with two knife sharpeners that impressed above the rest and earned our Best Buy recommendation.
The best knife sharpeners
Only logged-in Which? members can view the knife-sharpener test results below.
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| Knife sharpener | Type | Sharpening ability | Ease of use | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Easy | |||
| Excellent | Average | |||
| Good | Easy | |||
| Average | Very easy | |||
| Average | Very easy | |||
| Average | Very easy | |||
| Average | Easy |
Date tested: October 2023. Page last checked: January 2024. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The knife sharpeners we tested
All the knife sharpeners we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best knife sharpeners from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
AnySharp Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges Yes
Replacement sharpening mechanism £4.99 at AnySharp
Need to know 7 x 6 x 6cm (HxWxD), includes suction pad to secure sharpener onto counter
Chantry Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges Yes
Replacement sharpening mechanism £13.49 at Nisbets
Need to know 12 x 13 x 4cm (HxWxD)
Global Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism £25 at Global
Need to know 7 x 24 x 8cm (HxWxD), coarse and fine settings
John Lewis & Partners Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges Yes
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 9 x 13 x 3cm (HxWxD)
Joseph Joseph Rota Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know Open dimensions: 4 x 20 x 4cm (HxWxD), closed dimensions: 4 x 13 x 4cm (HxWxD), coarse and fine settings, folds for storage
Kuhn Rikon Dual Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges Yes
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know Open dimensions: 7 x 18 x 6cm (HxWxD), closed dimensions: 7 x 12 x 6cm (HxWxD), folds for storage
Lakeland International Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 8 x 22 x 4cm (HxWxD), two slots for sharpening and honing, sharpens European and Japanese knives
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ProCook Ceramic Knife Sharpener
Available from ProCook (£12)
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 6 x 17 x 4cm (HxWxD)
ProCook Electric Knife Sharpener
Available from ProCook (£49)
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Type Electric
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 10 x 29cm (HxW), two slots for sharpening and honing
Robert Welch Signature Knife Sharpener
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism £8.95 at Robert Welch
Need to know 7 x 9 x 5cm (HxWxD)
Salter Electric Knife Sharpener
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Type Electric
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 10 x 21 x 9cm (HxWxD), two slots for sharpening and honing, includes removable magnet to collect any metal shavings
See our reviews of the best chef's knives and best knife sets
Tefal Eversharp Sharpener
Available from Argos (£22)
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Type Manual
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 5 x 35 x 10cm (HxWxD), includes Tefal Eversharp Chef's Knife, suitable for sharpening other knives with a straight blade
Vogue Electric Knife Sharpener
Available from Nisbets (£60.99)
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Type Electric
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism £29.99 at Nisbets
Need to know 8 x 22 x 8cm (HxWxD), two slots for sharpening and honing
VonShef Electric Knife Sharpener
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Type Electric
Suitable for serrated edges No
Replacement sharpening mechanism Not available
Need to know 14 x 14 x 9cm (HxWxD), two slots for sharpening and honing, includes a slot to sharpen scissors
How we test knife sharpeners
We choose the most popular manual and electric knife sharpeners available at UK retailers to test. We buy all the products we test and rate them on the two factors below.
Sharpening ability
- First, we blunt 14 identical knives using a whetstone.
- We measure the sharpness of the dulled knife using a sharpness tester scale.
- We then sharpen the knife with its dedicated knife sharpener according to the manufacturers' instructions.
- Once the knife is sharpened, we measure the sharpness of the knife again.
- We calculate the difference between the dulled and sharpened knife to see how effective the knife sharpener has been.
Ease of use
We rate each knife sharpener on how easy it is to set up and use, plus how easy the instructions are to follow.
Things we learnt testing knife sharpeners
- A whetstone combined with a honing steel gives the best results (better than knife sharpeners). But (and it's a big but) only use this method if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, you risk damaging the cutting edge of your knife.
- When the sharpener has more than one setting, the coarse setting is the sharpener and the fine one is normally similar to a honing steel.
- Handheld manual knife sharpeners are designed to keep your blade fresh, and you should use them to top up the blade after every few hours of use. An electric knife sharpener or whetstone would be your best bet for a fully dulled knife.
- Some knife sharpeners can sharpen scissors too, but check with the manufacturer first, as it's not a universal feature.
- Some knife sharpeners let you replace the sharpening mechanism when needed, which we highlight in our reviews. Popular knife manufacturer Robert Welch recommends you change the sharpening wheel after 12-24 months, depending on the frequency of use, to maintain your knife's cutting edge.
How to use a knife sharpener
- If your sharpener has more than one setting, select 'coarse' for very blunt knives. The fine or honing setting is for everyday knife maintenance.
- Put the blade into your knife sharpener at the point where the knife blade meets the handle.
- Pull the knife blade along the sharpening steel towards you, with enough gentle force that you can hear a grinding noise.
- Repeat this action three to six times. You can go for three if your blade is just a bit dull, and more if it's blunter.
- If your knife sharpener has a fine or honing setting, run it through that once or twice after the coarse setting. Do this in the same way, but with less force. To keep your knife sharp, use the fine setting once after every couple of hours' use.
- Rinse the knife and dry it.
How to use a whetstone
Whetstones, also known as sharpening stones, are a different way of sharpening knives. They're basically a two-sided block of coarse stone (with one side more coarse than the other) and a base/holder.
A whetstone is much harder to use. To get a good result, you need skill and practice, plus considerable patience.
- Soak the whetstone for around 10 minutes (or the time it says with the instructions it came with).
- Start with the coarser of the two sides facing up.
- Hold the knife at about a 22-degree angle to the stone. 90 degrees is your knife placed on the stone as if you were going to cut through it. Tilt the knife halfway between that and the whetstone and you'll be at 45 degrees. Then tilt it halfway between that and the stone, and you'll be at around the correct angle you need.
- Apply moderate pressure and slide the knife forwards at that angle 10 times.
- Switch to the fine grit side and stroke the knife down the stone at a 22-degree angle 10 times.
- Finish with a honing steel for best results. Rinse and dry the knife. You may also need to clean up the area around the whetstone.
How to use a honing steel
A honing steel, sometimes also called a honing rod or a sharpening steel, doesn't exactly sharpen your knife. Instead, it realigns the cutting edge to smooth out microscopic bumps and jagged edges.
- Hold the steel with the tip resting on your countertop.
- Place the heel of the blade (where it connects to the handle) against the steel, with the knifepoint angled slightly upwards.
- Tilt the blade to around a 15-degree angle.
- Keeping it at that angle, pull the knife down the honing steel while pulling the handle towards you.
- Do this on both sides of the blade around eight to 10 times.
- A rasping sound means you're applying too much pressure. It should be more like a 'ting' sound.
Should I use a manual or electric knife sharpener?
Manual sharpeners are generally cheaper and simpler to use, but they require more effort, so they may not be ideal for people with limited hand grip or arm strength. They're easier for a beginner to use correctly compared to an electric knife sharpener.
Electric sharpeners are powerful and tend to sharpen faster. They need more practice as their high speed means that they can wear down your knife blade faster if used incorrectly. They're also pricier and noisier.