Monday, 3 January 2011
Electric Knife Sharpener
My son gave me a high quality chef's knife a year ago. I kept the knife sharp using a sharpening steel. I had never used a high quality knife before and the difference was remarkable. It was a real improvement over all the knives I had ever used. I really enjoyed using it.
Then, after about 4 months, the knife suddenly got dull. No matter what I did I could not get it back to the way it was when it was new! I used 6 different sharpening gadgets including an oiled wet-stone, a powered work-shop knife sharpener, two traditional kitchen knife sharpeners and even a special diamond coated gadget from our local gourmet shop. They all got the knife sharp, as sharp as all my other knives, but it was no longer dramatically better than the cheap knives.
Based on the 5 star reviews, I decided to give the Presto 08800 Pro EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener a try. After carefully following the instructions, the knife was restored to it's like-new scary sharpness on the first sharpening. It has stayed sharp for 2 weeks with much use.
We have since sharpened several other knives with similar high quality results.
Don't do what I did, instead buy this sharpener first! It is a great tool!
My advice is to carefully read the instructions and follow them. It worked for me.
I read all the reviews before buying and just had to write my review (my first ever of any product). I have worked in kitchens in the past and prepare meals regularly. I am a cajun cook and we chop crazy amounts of onions, celery, garlic, bell peppers and everything else from the garden. I also have a catfish pond, and I need a very sharp filet knife. So needless to say I have a drawer full of old filet and chef knives of varing quality and dullness. I have tried so many sharpening techniques and nothing I tried could restore the original sharpness without spending a ton of time an energy.
Well let me tell you, all the positive reviews are correct, this is a marvelous little gem and its the best $24 dollars I ever spent. Less than the new knife I was going to buy. I have knives of every metal imaginable and this little baby put an edge on them that is crazy sharp. I had to warn the wife about how sharp the knives were. Before if a burgular would come at me with one of my knives I would have died laughing, now I have to worry how they are stored in the drawer so not to accidently cut myself rummaging around in there.
Trust me, if you need your knives sharper than this baby gives you then you just are plain crazy. I believe I saw my onions cowering in the fridge! I had to cook a big seafood gumbo with extra onions and celery just to celebrate my new sharp knives.
This baby gets The Cajun seal of approval!!!
Have fun and be safe with your like new sharpness!
***Update***
It has now been almost three months since I first sharpened my knives and wrote this review. I use my knives everyday and they have held their edge ever since, this sharpener is just collecting dust now because I have had no need to resharpen them. I of course use a good piece of steel to keep a razor edge but otherwise I don't foresee having to resharpen for awhile yet.
***Update 2***
Its has been over 6 months now. My knives are sharp as razors with only two sharpening times. And they get heavy use, cleaning huge catfish from my pond and also chicken and all sorts of heavy kitchen use. Coupled with a nice piece of steel this sharpener is so good I just can't live without it. With so much usuage out of my knives and only having to sharpen 2 times in the last 6 months I would have to say it is the best 24$ I have ever spent!
***Update 3***
It has now been 2 years since purchasing this excellent knife sharpener. It is funny, I took this sharpener down from the top shelf to sharpen my 12" chef knife before cutting up a ton of meat to make sausage and I had to wipe all the dust off of it before using it, that is how infrequent I have to sharpen my knifes, and I use my knives for heavy duty use! Love this sharpener! Get yourself a decent piece of steel, a good chopping board and you got it made.
***Update 4*** It now has been 4 years! It is funny 2 years ago my wife bought me this exact sharpener by accident. I had it on my Amazon wish list...for review purposes and she didn't even realize I had one, that is how infrequently I have to sharpen my chef knives. I kept a hold of it to see how long my original one would last, well I am tired of waiting, I am bringing the unopened 2 year old sharpener to work today to sell it.
And I do a lot of cutting and I just took it down from the cabinet and had to dust if off again to see how well it worked before letting go with the unopened one. Knives didn't need it just wanted to 'top em off', all like new again.
*Note to commenter, all my knives in use are in their original cases, or original sleeve.
Next year will be my 5 year review. The person I am selling the unopened sharpener to is a hard core hunter and trapper. We will see how it handles. Stay tuned.'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information