Chef's Choice Electric Knife Sharpener FAQ

Chef's Choice Sharpener How do the Chef’s Choice knife sharpeners compare to other knife sharpening options available?
Chef’s Choice Knife Sharpeners are high-quality electric sharpeners that can put an extremely sharp edge on just about any knife in 15-30 seconds. They are not a gimmick like many other sharpeners on the market today. There are two other quality alternatives available for knife sharpening that will give you a similar razor-sharp edge. The first is sharpening stones. While this is the preferred method for many, it is often less practical and more time consuming than using the Chef’s Choice Sharpeners. The second method of sharpening that we recommend is sending your knives out to be sharpened by a professional. While this method may provide you with a sharp knife, it has two major drawbacks, cost and time. Most professionals charge between $5 and $10 per knife. If you have 5-10 knives in your kitchen, that can mean a cost of between $25-$100 approximately every six months depending on your knife usage. The Chef’s Choice Sharpeners allow you to quickly and easily sharpen the knives yourself on a regular basis ensuring you always have a sharp cutting edge.

Why Chefs Choice Sharpeners Vert How do the Chef’s Choice Sharpeners work?
Model 120 uses 100% diamond coated disks in the first two sharpening stages and a patented stropping/polishing disk for stage 3. Model 320 uses 100% diamond coated disks in the first stage and a patented stropping/polishing disk for stage 2. Model 130 uses 100% diamond coated disks in the first stage, a steel in Stage 2 and a patented stropping/polishing disk for stage 3.

What is the difference between Model 120, the Model 130 and the Model 320?
Click here to view a detailed chart comparing the features of each of the three models.

Are the Chef's Choice Sharpeners easy to use?
Yes, the built-in elastomeric springs precisely hold the knife blade securely against the angle guides, eliminating all guesswork. To demonstrate how easy it is to use, we created this video demonstration.

How often should I use my Chef's Choice Sharpener?
It really depends on how frequently and for what purpose you use your knives. In short, if your knives are dull, resharpen them according to the instructions given in your manual. Most often, you can use just the polishing/stropping stage for resharpening whenever your knives lose that razor-sharp, ultra-fine cutting edge. It takes approximately 15-30 seconds to resharpen a knife.

Will the Chef’s Choice Electric Sharpeners sharpen serrated knives?
Yes. All three models are designed to sharpen straight edge and serrated knives. Model 120 and Model 130 straighten, re-align and sharpen serrated knives in stage 3 and Model 320 does so in stage 2.

Is it safe to sharpen expensive knives with the Chef’s Choice 120, 130 or 320 Sharpeners?
Yes, all three of the Chef’s Choice models will sharpen both expensive and inexpensive knives effectively.

Will the Chef’s Choice Sharpeners cause excessive wear to my knives?
No. In fact, most of the re-sharpening takes place during the stropping/polishing stage, which removes only microscopic amounts of metal.

Do I need to use oil, water or any other lubricant with the Chef’s Choice Sharpeners?
No. Do not use any honing oils, water or any other lubricant. The addition of any of these could cause electrical hazards.

Will the Chef’s Choice Sharpener sharpen scissors?
No. It is designed to sharpen kitchen knives, pocket knives and most hunting/sporting knives. However, EdgeCraft (the manufacturers of Chef's Choice) does make an electric scissor sharpener which incorporates 100% diamond abrasives and similar technology to produce an incredibly sharp edge.

Do I need to clean the Chef’s Choice Sharpener?
The stropping/polishing disks can be cleaned if they become dirty and/or glazed. The sharpener is equipped with a manually activated diamond dressing pad that can be used if necessary to clean any accumulated food or sharpening debris off the surface. We recommend that you clean your knives before sharpening them to avoid unnecessary build-up. If you use a clean knife, you can easily go months or even a year before you need to dress the disks. In addition, you can clean the exterior of the sharpener by wiping with a damp cloth. Do not use detergents or abrasives.

How do I know when the stropping/polishing disks need to be cleaned?
If you notice a distinct decrease in polishing efficiency, the disks will need to be cleaned with the manually activated dressing pad.

Does the knive sharpener need to be “emptied”?
Once a year or so (depending on usage), you can remove metal dust that will accumulate inside the sharpener by removing the small rectangular clean-out cover.

Are there any tips for using a Chef’s Choice Electric Knife Sharpener?
Chef’s Choice Sharpeners are easy to use, however the tips below along with the instruction manual, will provide you with everything you need to know to operate the sharpener.
A) Unless you have special blades designed to be sharpened primarily on one side (such as Japanese Kataba blades), you should sharpen equally on both sides of your knife. You can do this by alternating the strokes through the left and right slots of each stage.
B) Never operate the sharpener from the backside.
C) Use just enough downward pressure to insure uniform and consistent contact of the blade with the abrasive disks on each stroke.

Who manufactures the Chef's Choice Knife Sharpeners?
EdgeCraft Corporation, located in Avondale, Pennsylvania manufactures them in the Unites States. The company was founded in 1984 and manufactures many other fine small kitchen appliances under the Chef'sChoice brand.