Knives are the life of the kitchen!
Without a knife, you will not be able to cook a single thing. It is one of the essential things in the kitchen. The food quality depends on the type of knife you use for cutting, chopping, and slicing.
When the knife is dull or weak, you will not cut the food pieces evenly. It will not only make the food look bad but also spoils the taste of the food.
A dull knife will take more time to cut food, whereas a sharp knife can do the same task in minutes. Although sharp blades can easily cut your hand, kitchen accidents mainly occur when you use a dull knife.
When using a dull knife, you have to put too much pressure on the blade. While doing so, the knife can easily slip and cut your hand.
So it is not safe to use a dull knife in the kitchen. However, you don’t need to throw these knives or invest in new ones.
A better deal is to invest in a knife sharpener. As for knives’ loose sharpness from time to time, you can use this device to sharpen them again instead of purchasing a new blade. It helps to save you a lot of money.
Electric Knife Sharpener:
When it comes to knife sharpeners, there are many different options available. You can either use a manual knife sharpener, an electric sharpener, or a whetstone.
While all the options will give you satisfactory results, it is better to choose an electric knife sharpener. As it works on electricity, you don’t have to put in much effort.
An electric sharpener is an electrical machine that helps you to sharpen your dull kitchen knives. There are spaces or stages in the sharpener where you need to place the knife’s blade and power on the machine.
The machine has some sharp material in the slides, which rolls faster to make the blade sharp. It would help if you held the knife at a correct angle for better results.
You don’t need to move the knife to sharpen it manually. The machine works on its own. You need to place the blade on the stage and hold the handle of the knife firmly.
Choosing an Electric Knife Sharpener:
There are various styles, designs, and sizes of electric knife sharpeners available in the market. You will get many different options to choose from. So before you make the actual purchase, you need to consider various factors. It will help you to choose the right type of electric sharpener.
Abrasive Materials:
Knife sharpeners come with abrasive materials. You cannot see it as it is placed inside the sharpener. This is the material that gives the actual sharpness to the blade. There are different types of sharpening materials used to sharpen knives. Most electric sharpeners use diamonds, ceramic, and sapphire.
Out of all these materials, the best one is a diamond. Although it is expensive, it helps you to sharpen the blade quickly. Most of the high-quality sharpeners come with this material. It allows you to sharpen the knife in just a few seconds. Ceramic is also used in a knife sharpener.
It is mainly used in the final sage so that the blade can get a smooth finish. While the diamond is used in the first two stages, ceramic and sapphire is used in the final step. You need to check the material before you purchase an electric knife sharpener.
Number of Stages:
This is another thing you need to consider. You need always to choose a knife sharpener with multiple stages. More stages mean more options to sharpen the knife. Even the cheapest sharpener comes with at least two stages. A single-stage has two slots.
It helps you to sharpen both sides of the blade evenly at the same angle. It is better to go with a 3 stage knife sharpener as you will give different slots for honing, sharpening and polishing the knife. Some machines also have a stage for sharpening serrated knives.
Sharpening Wheel/ Belt:
Knife sharpeners need a sharpening wheel or belt to sharpen the knife. While some machine has wheels, others have belts. It rotates with the help of an electric motor to move across the blade and sharpen it. Most of the multi-stage machines have wheels. Each wheel has different material and different grit.
However, in a belt sharpener, you need to change the belt with the grits. Here, you will have control over the belt. You can swap it in any way as per your requirement. On top of that belts are cheaper than wheels, so you don’t have to bear a high replacement cost. So it is better to go with a sharpening belt.
Sharpening Angle:
This is a significant factor you need to consider. Different knife sharpeners have different sharpening angles. So you need to check the type of knife before you purchase a machine. European knives are sharpened at a 20-degree angle. But for a Japanese knife, you need a 15-degree angle. So you need to check the type of knife and then purchase a knife sharpener. Make sure it has the sharpening angle your knife needs.
Warranty:
You also need to check the warranty of the knife sharpener. Most of the manufacturers provide a 1-year warranty. However, there are some which give a warranty for more years. So you need to purchase a machine with the most extended warranty period.
Price:
This is another critical factor. The machine should fit your budget. Make s list of all the features you need in a machine and then compare various products to make the right choice. It will help you to choose a device with a lesser price and more features.
Durability and Portability:
Always purchase a portable knife sharpener. It will help you to move the machine from one place to another quickly. You can use it in your kitchen as well as your garage. Apart from that, you need to check the durability of the machine. It is wise to choose a durable device to not have to spend money on repairs.
These are the factors you need to consider to choose an electric knife sharpener. Make sure you check all these things before you purchase the machine.
