Tim Heffernan is a writer who covers air and water quality and sustainable-energy technology. He prefers Flare-brand match smoke for purifier testing.
In our many years of testing, the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV has proved to be the most foolproof tool for keeping kitchen knives in their ideal state: razor-sharp.
Our pick
The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV is reliable, fast, and easy to use, and it puts a razor edge on almost any kind of knife.
I did not expect to ever like an electric knife sharpener, let alone recommend one to our readers. I’ve always sharpened knives by hand, starting when I was a kid with my dad’s set of natural Arkansas stones, moving on to commercial oilstones as a cafeteria cook in college, and then to a set of Japanese waterstones after graduating. I still sharpen my main knife, a santoku, with those waterstones—and an old razor hone I picked up years ago on eBay, for the final polish. No machine can create quite as perfect an edge as hand-sharpening on stones will.
Why you might want to consider a machine knife sharpener
Manual knife sharpening takes a fair bit of practice—and usually some real failures—to become proficient. It’s also a time-consuming process, even once you’ve got the hang of it. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the electric Trizor XV does a really impressive job of sharpening kitchen knives—and very quickly. We’ve tested it against 10 other competitors, and none of them really came close.
How we tested the Trizor XV
Using coarse sandpaper, we thoroughly dulled and chipped the blades of two brand-new chef’s knives, resharpened them, and compared their ability to cleanly slice tomatoes with the factory edge and the Trizor-resharpened one. Even on the Mac Mighty MTH-80, a high-quality Japanese chef’s knife known for its incredible keenness out of the box, the Trizor held its own. We noticed no diminution of the Mac’s cutting ability after dulling and resharpening with the Trizor XV.
Even better, taking these horribly dulled knives back to tomato-slaying sharpness took less than four minutes and zero skill on our part. Built-in guides set the blade at the correct angle, and rotating stones rapidly cut the new edge, refined it, and honed it. Even first-time users find the Trizor intuitive and easy to use.
So, although I still use waterstones a few times a year on my santoku, all of my other knives go through the Trizor XV. The cheap “Little Vicki” Victorinox paring knives that we love aren’t worth the hassle of manual sharpening. And the same goes for my inexpensive boning knife and my heavy-duty German chef’s knife, which I use for chopping bones and hard vegetables. The Trizor keeps them more than sharp enough for anything I ask them to do.
Make it last
The Trizor XV needs little maintenance. A small tray on the back of the machine should be emptied once in a while—it’s where the metal shavings collect. Frustratingly, replacement sharpening wheels are not available. But it’s unlikely you’ll wear out the original ones, unless you’re running a commercial kitchen.
Chef'sChoice says its sharpeners are expected to last six to eight years in a typical home. Using a manual honing rod—like the ceramic Idahone that we recommend—will keep your knives keen between sharpenings, saving wear and tear on the Trizor.
This article was edited by Connor Grossman and Ben Frumin.
Further reading
The Best Knife Sharpener
by Tim Heffernan
Easy to use, reliable, and able to put a razor edge on almost any type of knife, the best knife sharpener for home cooks is the Chef’sChoice Trizor XV.
Will an Electric Sharpener Ruin Your Expensive Chef’s Knife?
by Tim Heffernan
Should I use an electric sharpener on my expensive chef’s knife?
Build Your Own Knife Set
by Raphael Brion
The best knife set is the one you put together yourself. Here are the knives we've come to love after decades in professional and home kitchens.
The Best Chef’s Knife
by Lesley Stockton
We’ve tested 24 chef’s knives, chopping over 70 pounds of produce since 2013, and we recommend the Mac MTH-80 since it’s sharp, comfortable to use, and reliable.
