ChefsChoice Hybrid Knife Sharpeners for 20-Degree Straight and Serrated Knives Combines Electric and Manual Sharpening With 100-Percent Diamond

All of our knives, high quality and not so high, have become increasingly duller. There used to be a guy at the farmers market that would sharpen them for $5 to $8 but he disappeared. Locally it runs $8 to $15 per knife. I did some online research and found this well priced chefs choice machine. A respected and highly rated brand. It did not disappoint! I followed the instructions provided…started with the less expensive working through all. Spectacular results on 20 knives…from a 14” chefs knife, serrated steak knives and paring knives. The machine paid for itself in an hour. It’s a no brained and highly recommended. Read more

My original 3 star review of May, 2019 is below. This edit date is May, 2021. After many uses, I have found the way to get better than utility edges consistently using this device. The key seems to be to lay the knife being sharpened against the side of each groove putting no pressure to press it down or raise it off the surface as you go. I lay the knife down and pull it it with two fingers to as not to change the sharpening angle. I give our 10" chef's knife 5 seconds per pass through doing each pass 5 times for a total of 20 passes (4 grooves). This suffices for normal 2 weeks dulling in our rather busy kitchen. I move shorter knives at the same rate so they take less time per pass. If you care about sharp knives, this technique will give them to you when you add a few swipes with steel before each use. ************************************** I know you can get a superb edge using this tool since I managed to get one out of the eight knives I tried sharpening just now that way. The downside is that the edges on the other seven varied from disappointingly dull to all right but not great leaving only that one which stood out. This experience mirrors my other tries using this device. All our knives have a Euro-American bevel so it’s not that I’m trying to create an edge on some exotic Japanese knife which uses a different edge angle from that which this sharpener will deliver. I accept that learning to use a tool takes practice which I’d be willing to do but my failed edges don’t give me any hints as to what I did wrong so I can apply remedial action. I believe those who say they get perfect edges every time, but for me; it remains, after a month and a half sharpening experiences, a mystery. A very few of my edges come out spectacularly while the same number seems hardly sharper. The majority fall somewhere in between. In sum, it works but meh. Read more

Nice little sharpener, especially for abused knifes but be careful on your good knifes as it will mark the sides. I had a cheaper set of forged kitchen knifes that I tested it on and verified that it will mark the sides of the knifes as they slide through and marks can't be polished out. Not sure if is the plastic used or the abrasive disks used. The solution I found was to cover the sides of the knife with packing tape with just a small area of the blade exposed that is actually sharpened. Works like a champ, but a pain, that's why only 4 stars. I also finish with my steel rather than the final step they have. You probably won't need step 1 unless the edge is pretty bad, as my paring knife was, but saved it. Read more

I thought my knives were sharp because I kept them that way with a manual sharpener and a stone. I was wrong! Apparently I didn't have the angle right, or something, because knives sharpened on the Chef's Choice 250 are a LOT sharper than they were; almost razor sharp. It takes a little while to get the hang of sharpening, but once mastered is quite easy. In about 2 hours time I resharpened every one of the 12 kitchen knives that I frequently use. None are cheap, most are pretty high quality, so it takes a while to sharpen the better knives because of the harder steel. Of course, they'll hold their edge longer, so it's worth the time spent. I like the fact that the third stage sharpener is manual so I can do a quick touch-up each time I use a knife. I guess the "triple edge" concept really has value, because my knives are super sharp. This inexpensive little sharpener has exceeded all my expectations. 5 stars plus! Also, I have a couple other Chef's Choice products, and they are also a good value and very good quality. Good products, good company, happy customer. Read more

Let me start off by saying , I don't own any hundred dollars knives , if I did I would be looking at a 50.00 sharpener . I think I'm an average mid 50's person , and what I mean is my knives are like my plates, over 20 years old. In my kitchen I only need my knives to cut , that's it . I'm not shaving with them or trying to cut paper,I don't want my kitchen knives to be razor blades because I don't wont to lose a finger while washing dishes . My two filet knives started of in my tackle box and I liked them so much I moved them to my kitchen . Those two knives are both over 20 years old and never been sharpened . They were so dull that I stopped calling them filet knives . I have about 8 knives in the Kitchen and all of them are old and dull. My sharpener arrived on 2/20 and I was about to cook some 15 inch ribeye's and decided to sharpen all of my knives while my stakes cooked . I didn't read any instructions , i just pulled each knife through the slots about 6 times , looked at the blades , then washed and left to dry . When my stakes were finished I grab one of my over 20 year old filet knives and it sliced the stakes like hot butter and I smiled . Today after work I pulled of some potatoes and grab another knife and it was so Sharpe that I put it in the sink and used a peeler . I will probably only used it a few times in the next few years but I love it . Read more

It sharpens but not like I hoped. I was hoping after sharpening it would cut like butter through any food. Read more