The Best Tools for Keeping Your Knives in Tip-Top Shape featuring Nick DiGiovanni | Gear Heads 

The best thing that has ever happened to me was finding the Chef's Choice Trizor 15 Knife Sharpener new in box in a pile at an Estate Sale for 5 bucks. I almost cried.

I always look at ATK before buying anything for the kitchen.

The chef’s choice electric is good for me as I only have one arm. The other two look good and for a two handed person are probably great but having one arm amputated the chef’s choice is definitely the one for me.

I am finally upgrading my kitchen tools and appliances after cooking for 55 years. I appreciate the research you do, and am enjoying the products you recommend!

I use your top rated electric knife sharpener and love it. The first time I used it I accidentally cut myself on the newly sharpened knife because I had gotten used to it being dull and had gotten careless.

I bought the winning electric sharpener and I couldn’t be happier. For the first time in my life, I can get my knives sharpened ultra sharp without sending them away.

I purchased the Chef's Choice Sharpening Station 130 several years ago. I always thought I was doing it wrong so I don't use it often. After this demonstration I feel comfortable enough to sharpen all of the knives in my drawer. Thank You ATK

First class presentation. Have had chef’s choice for a decade. This video has enhanced our technique

I have been using the electric Chef's Choice model 120 for about 6 years now. I would not change it for any other. It works great in keeping my knives sharp.

Excellent instruction and product reviews. Thank you!

Thank you! I bought this electric sharpener a few years ago based on ATK recommendation. However, I was never sure how to best use it (user manual was not great). This demo is very helpful. Off I go to properly sharpen my knives 😅.

Used the electric model for years. Highly recommended. Love having sharp knives. Much safer to use.

I bought the Trizor XV based on your recommendation and I couldn't be happier. It saves a LOT of time and effort! Thank you for your great testing and recommendations!

Lisa - We’ve been using that exact Chef’s Choice sharpener that y’all reviewed years ago. Glad it’s still ATK’s top choice. Love your reviews!

Alright, yes, I actually had to look away! That hurt! Lol.

Yes, I've been using the Chef's Choice electric sharpener for 20 years and use it for all kitchen knives. Works great

I use the Chef’s Choice and it is great! It says in the manual for average use you may only have to do a full sharpening every 9-12 months with maybe a quick fine tuning ( using the 3rd set of slots) a couple times in between. I have the small manual one as well, and an AccuSharp. My oldest knife is an 8” Henckel that I got in 1977 and is still sharp!

Y’all rock! More please!

I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ru-vid.comUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.

We just bought the Chef's Choice electric and could not be happier. Thank you, ATK, for all your help. Love the videos. We learn something new every time we watch one.

"I've cut my hand doing that several times in the past" Unsurprisingly

I have my chef’s choice for about 7-8 years now. I never looked back. A little expensive to start with but in the long run, it’s well worth it. On weekend once a moth, I sharpen all my knives. It’s therapeutic too. 😊

I bought the Chef's choice 15 XV because of a review I saw from America's test kitchen several years ago. It is one amazing little machine. Quick efficient, easy and turns out razor sharp blades. For some reason I thought the wicked edge pro 3 could do a better job and so I bought that the other day for like a $1000... It seemed easy enough and I followed the instructions. I didn't get near a sharp of a blade. Maybe I did something wrong but honestly who cares. For $1,000 the wicked edge pro3 should have sharpened the damn knife for me. This chef's choice XV15 is the best out there as far as I'm concerned

I've used the previous Chef's Choice sharpeners with rather mixed results. This latest version seems to be a bit better. It looks like you were able to sharpen to 244 BESS in your test. That's good. Although it is a bit pricey, in future tests it would be nice to see something like a KME manual sharpening system.

Great video - thank you thank you!

I learned to sharpen knives on a double-sided India oil stone. I still sharpen my kitchen knives that same way. I use a steel to maintain the edge longer because a "dull" kitchen knife often has simply developed a wire edge (burr) from contacting the food and cutting board. I learned two different ways to use a steel though. At home my dad used the "taking a thin slice" method, essentially the same method shown in the video. But later a chef at a steakhouse where I worked in the kitchen showed me that a strop motion works as well and probably conserves a bit of metal. To do that, you hold the knife against the steel in the same position, but you pull the edge across the steel in a trailing position with the back of the blade leading the motion. The chef never bothered with paper. Thinly sliced tomatoes and tearless onions were the test.

I have the electric knife sharpener (and the Victorinox chef's knife) that they show here. It really works -- it's fast and effective. I like to draw the knife through the sharpener at about one second per inch of knife (i.e. an 8-inch knife would take 8 seconds); Lisa says to do it at about twice that speed. It's a pleasure to slice paper into confetti, and to cut vegetables with no resistance. You really can cut onions so they don't make you cry. It's a pleasure to prep food with a super-sharp knife. You can tell by the sound when slicing that they're super-sharp. The only complaint I have about that sharpener is the vibrating, rattling noise it makes. I've seen other videos of it in use and it's noisy in those too. This ATK video minimalizes that vibrating sound but it's still there. It's apparently not a defect in the machine but at first I thought there was something wrong with it. And the third slot is actually more of a stropping function than a sharpening one. I sharpen my knives after about 15-30 minutes of actual cutting time (which can take a few weeks) and now usually only use the middle sharpening slots and the stropping slots, and not the coarser first sharpening slots, because I keep a good edge on them. It's also good to use a honing steel before each use of the knife (if you can remember to do so)---that seems to make a difference too. Really sharp knives make you feel like a pro.

I bought my Chef’s Choice sharpener based on America’s Test Kitchen recommendation. I paid $100 for it nearly 3 years ago and am happy I made the investment. Sharp knives make prep work easier. I really need to pick up that honing steel.

Thank you for this video. I bought this electric sharpener a little over a year ago (I have Wusthof and Victorinox knives), but the instructions that came with the sharpener can be quite confusing to understand and I wasn't very successful with my sharpening, so I put it up on a shelf and just left it. This video cleared up the confusion, so I have pulled it down from the shelf and tomorrow is Knife sharpening day.

I've used a whetstone for over forty years. However, I do use crocsticks for touchups.

How well do these sharpeners work on other knife shapes? More specifically, how well do they work on small paring, boning, or narrow blade knives?

I have that same Chef’s Choice electric sharpener, I love it and my wife loves having sharp knives! I hardly use the coursest level as that thing removes some material! Klaus

Love our Chef's Choice knife sharpener!

Nick + ATK. BEST DAY EVER.

I have the older Chefs Choice 130 electric and the manual one in this video. Both fantastic. Now I'm the official knife sharpener for my mom and sisters houses...and friends and basically anyone that comes over and uses my knives LOL

I have the Chef's Choice, and it is great! Keeps my knives sharp.

I’m a tradesman carpenter and have used oil and wet stones for most of my life. I wouldn’t sharpen my tools any other way, although I can see the need for a fool proof easy sharpening system to keep the home knifes sharp. Once you get your knives sharp using the electric gizmo I urge people to try and use the stones to sharpen their knives….then once you can get a good sharp edge with the wet stone you can step up to a leather strop which will allow you to actually shave with your knife p it’ll be that sharp. Good luck everyone!

I just found a Fibrox Victorinox 8" knife for $2! Love those knives.

Don't forget to clean them after sharpening or the fine metal particles will be in the food you cut.

I have the worksharpe and love it

The knife straight on the grind stone really hurt. Great video and great info. Thank you.

Arkansawyer here. I learned how to use Arkansas whetstones years ago and it's a real pleasure to achieve that beautiful edge with one. They are used all over the world to sharpen surgical instruments. I always hone before and after each use and rarely get the chance to use the stones! That said--it's very tempting to switch to one of these sharpeners. Love your videos.

I have the Chef"s Choice 300, my husband bought it many years ago. It still works but I think I need to upgrade. It has only two slots. My husband always used it but he is no longer here so I am trying to learn how to use it. This video has helped me greatly, but I still think I want to upgrade to a newer one.

Chef's Choice in the manual for the manual sharpener recommends a sawing motion (back and forth). Were the method presented here and the manufacturer's recommended method compared? Which does a better job?

I just purchased an electric knife sharpener. My knives are dull and using them made cooking a chore. Thanks for demonstrating how to use an electric knife sharpener.

My grandpa was a butcher, he use to say, "a dull knife will cut you worse than a sharp one." He was right and here is why; you have to use more force on a dull knife which means less control. Also a dull knife leaves a deeper, more jagged cut, that takes longer to heal and leaves an uglier scar. A little personal experience I give to you, in hopes you won't repeat my mistakes yourself.

ATK, LISA, I bought the CHEFS SHARPENER just before FORTUNOFFS CLOSED MANY years ago, but I also have the little one someone used on the show, then there is my sharpening steel ,the JAPANESE knives I own, will get the whet stone when ready, cheers 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I have a Chef's Choice sharpener and have used it in commercial environments for seven years. What I'm considering now though is a belt sander from Harbor Freight with the fine belts and leather strap sold from another source. Still necessary to manage the angle but there's also an angle guide available from the same seller that offers the leather honing strap. I'll expound with links if anyone is interested.

Great info, thanks! I'd love to get the Chef's Choice manual sharpener, but it's not available on Amazon right now. Do you know where else I can get one?

Lisa is sooo cool! Just the cutest!

I do use an electric sharpener, the same Chef's Choice you demonstrated.

What a great site...!

I felt a chill when she ran the knife across the whetstone.

Great video, guys! My questions (unless you've already answered them before and I missed it): What is the least number of different grits I should pass my knife through for optimal sharpening?

LOL the irony of having this dude join when he is the epitome of bad knife safety and care with his knife throwing lmao

I be been using the sharpener I bought for my garden tools. It works, not pricy.

I own the Trizor 15. Nothing compares to a decent whetstone and strop. I guess Trizor is the quick and easy "best," but it's no match for a stone on higher-end knives. If you buy your knives at Target or a department store, it really doesn't matter.

I love my Chef’s Choice sharpeners

Can anyone help? I tried looking up where to get these sharpener's locally to me. I live in Newfoundland, Canada just outside the capital city of St. John's. From what I saw there are a multitude of sharpeners online depending on the type of knife you are trying to sharpen (at least on the manual side of things). Santoku knives are at 15 degrees, others are 20, and others are straight! Is there a general, all purpose, knife sharpener that works for most of the knives?

Check out worksharp machine. It uses sandpaper belts and a leather belt for stropping. Produces shaving sharp edge.

Thank you ladies and Nick! I already have a honing rod but I'll def be getting a manual sharpener soon

I've enjoyed great results from Chef's Choice Edge Select 120 for years. I just went to their website. There are so many models - how can anyone tell the differences/value???

“From the base to the tip, even strokes” 😅 noted!

I bought one of these after a lot of reflection because of the cost. At the time it was $49.00CND. Now the same thing sells for $180.00CND. I still have and use the sharpener 30 years later.

The Chef's Choice 463 is for Asian Knives. I'm sending it back.

When using Nick's method it can be helpful to put a slightly damp folded kitchen towel down on your cutting board. Also, if you find your cutting board slipping around on the counter you can do the same, just lay the towel flat instead of folding it once or twice.

Good video. I love my Chefs Choice sharpener. I wish you had talked about everyday care. Don’t toss knives in the sink! I’m struggling to train myself (and DH) to wash after every use & put away in its knife block. Knives stored resting on their blades should be kept upside down in the slots. I’m sure ATK can come up with more.

Please consider wiping the blade as you finish sharpening (unless I missed that step somehow) . There are tiny metal particles from the grinding and you really DO NOT want those in your food. Otherwise - nice and simple review.

So if we sharpen daily with the electric, do we just pull through stage 3? Or do all 3 stages regularly?

Nick: talks about caring for knives Ends segment by treating it like a dart

We’ve had a Chefs Choice electric sharpener for years, used it a lot initially and then relegated it to the basement. Tried it again recently and I’m wondering if the stone or other parts can/should be replaced after so many years? It didn’t sharpen any of our chef’s knives as well as I remember years ago.

I use the metal stick nick uses it works sometimes it doesn't but it's all i have

I guess if you have a lot of heavily used knives an electric sharpener might be worth while, but a simple whetstone and honing steel gets my knives sharp enough to shave with. Takes up very little room and can be used on any (non-serrated) knife, scissors, etc. Does take some practice and skill, though.

Ken Onion Knife and Tool Sharpener is the best. I gather together all my dull knives every six months or so and set up and knock em all out. Absolutely perfect. Like dropping them off to a pro for sharpening. I can even do Japanese knives perfectly with it. The angle is adjustable. The options you mention are the wrong angle for Japanese knives.

I have that same 15 chef’s choice electric sharpener. I also have a set of Shun premier knives, which are at 16 degrees. For the life of me I can’t hone those knives, after trying I see no improvement. Can I use my electric sharpener on the last step only just to hone them. I don’t use them very often because I don’t know how to hone them and I send them in to shun every here for inspection. I’d love to have an easier way to hone them.

Love ATK ❤️ I want a review of best juicer...

8:34 "You wanna make sure you get from the base to the tip in an even stroke." -America's Horny Kitchen

Hope the 2 step xv is as good as this as it is lacking the really coarse one. I think it fits better into my needs anyhow as I only want to keep the sharpness not do a major blade correction

What was the brand of cookware that Chef used to cook the tuna?

I noted on Amazon, the video states you can use the last slot (first one on the right), to sharpen serrated knives. Did you guys test this or can you confirm it? Thank you.

If you have any skills at all, the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition is a superior sharpener.

Regarding the electric sharpener, how are you creating a burr? The edge should even out if you're alternating strokes, no?

So do prefer the Manuel or electric?

Chef's Choice Trizor 15 Knife Sharpener is the goods...... Used to send my high $$ cutlery out for sharpening but getting the same results from the CC Trizor..... Excellent investment for quality home chefs

I use dmt diamond stones and leather for honing

I use a much older model of the electric sharpener and I’ve used it for years reliably. I’ve been rough on it, toting it to nearly every personal chef gig I’ve had. Do you think there have been enough improvements over the years to warrant an upgrade to a newer model?

Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. I've been using the Chef's Choice Pronto Diamond Models 463 and ProntoPro Diamond 4643 for 10 years. They are the best knife sharpener I've found for the average home cook (who isn't a knife-nut) who wants sharp knives with no fuss. Easy to use, fast and economical. I've given half a dozen 4643's as gifts. The instructions clearly state you should move the knife back and forth in a sawing motion while applying 4-5 pounds downward pressure. The sawing and pressure sharpens even harder steels in some Japanese knives quickly. ATK didn't saw or mention the optimum pressure. Be carefully when shopping, Chef's Choice sells 20 manual models, many cost less than the Pronto models but don't work nearly as well.

How do you sharpen serrated knives?

I've been cooking for over 50 years and have destroyed my fair share of knives using cheap and not so cheap knife sharpeners. About ten years ago I got serious about my knives and started buying Japanese knives. Not wanting to destroy them I bought a high end Wicked Edge sharpener. It does a great job on knives down to 14 degrees but that is where the WE ends. I can't sharpen a knife with a finer than 14 degree bevel on my WE. So I had only one option, learn to use a wet stone. Today I can put an edge on any of my knives with a stone in less time than it takes to get the WE of of the pantry and set it up.

I use a spyderco sharpmaker on my knives. I never had any luck with pull thru sharpeners

Does the Chefs choice work on Japanese knives’ angles?

I know what I want for Christmas/my birthday the chefs choice.

Question: the electric and manual sharpeners are for knives at 15 degrees and what about knives designed to be other angles?

Can Kyocera ceramic knives, straight edge & serrated edge, be sharpened on this sharpener? Please and thank you.

I bought the electric winner it’s the very best.

Are these sharpeners able to sharp japanese knifes with high carbon steel?

Holy Chit! An actual old-skool iPod sighting in 2021 (I'm viewing in 2022, but nevermind). Who knew that consumer electronics would last that long - especially in the hands of Product Testers? Anyone else miss the click-wheel?

I have had a Chef’sChoice 1520 for years. While it does not have the coarse wheel, it does have both 15 and 20 degree wheels. Same technique. I only sharpen once or twice a year but touch up with a steel regularly using Nick's technique. I am obsessive about sharp knives.

I recommend avoiding the most coarse slot of the Chef's Choice unless the knife is obviously severely damaged, or chipped, or if it is actually as dull as a butter knife. The most coarse slot is very aggressive and removes a lot of metal, not recommended for your nicer knives. I generally get by with using only the finest honing slot. I know that some of the stores that sell nice knives offer a sharpening service, but it may just be a commercial version of the Chef's Choice in the back room that the clerk runs it through rather than being sent to a professional knife sharpener.

There is a third option to knife sharpening: take your knife to a professional knife sharpener. The knife sharpener at my local farmer's market sharpens my chef's knife for $7. While I have not done an ATK-level test, my personal subjective experience is that the edge the professional puts on lasts longer than what the Trizor can do. And, yes, I do have an old Trizor, which I used to use, but haven't in a very long time. All that being said, use a sharpening steel regularly and safely!