3 Best Ceramic Knife Sharpener of 2024 (To Keep Your Knives Sharp)
Who needs a ceramic knife sharpener?
Even the best knives need you to take care about them. Without sharpening, they’ll quickly become dull and won’t be cut as smoothly as they used to when you first got them.
While there are different sharpening tools that you could get, my favorite (and, in my opinion, unbeatable) are ceramic knife sharpeners.
How come ceramic is able to sharpen a steel knife?
Especially considering that we usually associate it with something fragile that’s easy to break?
Almost as Hard as a Diamond
Contrary to popular belief the absolute hardness of ceramic is just slightly lower than that of diamonds (which are used to create even better, but more expensive, sharpening tools). Of course, while hard, it’s also very sensitive to any shocks or sudden damage – that’s why hitting a ceramic rod with a knife at the wrong angle or dropping it on the floor could break it.
If you have a ceramic knife, you'd want to consider using a diamond knife sharpener. This way, it will give your ceramic knife edge the sharpening it needs.
Naturally, I’m assuming that you are a caring person. If you are, you can get a tool that will keep sharpening your knives for years to come.
To help you make the right choice, in this article, I’ll focus on reviewing three of them – each of them being slightly different than the other. But first, let’s look at the most popular types of sharpeners.
Different Types of Ceramic Knife Sharpeners – Which One Is Best for You?
Just like those made of other materials, ceramic knife sharpeners come in different shapes and sizes. Usually, they are made of alumina ceramic – which is slightly different than the ceramic used in a typical teapot. The most popular ceramic knife sharpeners are rods and V sharpeners.
So what are their benefits and the differences between them?
V-Sharpeners
A V-sharpener is probably a much more common knife sharpening tool – one that’s preferred by many especially for its ease of use. In fact, non-professional pull-through sharpeners can often be found as part of a kitchen knife set.
However, I’d advise against using them, as they can do more harm than good. Especially if you don’t know how to use one properly.
The key to using a V-sharpener effectively is to control the pressure. Putting uneven pressure on the knife when you pull it through the sharpener can damage it – especially if you’re trying to repair an already damaged knife.
To reduce the risk of doing so, always put the sharpener on a firm surface and use light pressure when pulling the knife through it. There’s no point in trying to speed things up – the tool makes sharpening quick and easy already anyway!
Benefits
Drawbacks
The obvious advantage of V-sharpeners is their size and ease of use. They are the fastest ceramic knife sharpeners out there, and, considering their great portability, can be used to give a quick polish to your knives anywhere you are.
Ceramic Rods
Those usually come as a single rod or in a set of two. Usually, the former ones are handheld, while the set consists of two rods which are using a single base and are set at around 30 – 40 degrees. They all come in different shapes and sizes – as long as you can sharpen a knife using them, they can be round, square, or even triangular.
Even though they don’t look like a typical V-sharpener you’re probably used to, they can be almost just as quick and easy to use. The key is to hold the knife at the right angle.
Benefits of Ceramic Rods:
Drawbacks of Ceramic Rods:
Regardless of which one you choose – a V-Sharpener or a ceramic rod – the key is to pick a high-quality one. That way you can polish your skills (while polishing and sharpening your blade) and take a true care of your kitchen knives set. What are some of the best models to choose from?
Best Ceramic Knife Sharpeners Reviews – Top 3
Having a sharp knife is key to go in your kitchen. There's nothing like trying to get ready to cook up an omlette in your non stick frying pan, then trying to cut a tomato with a dull knife.
But you know better now.
Now that you know all the benefits of a ceramic knife sharpener, as well as its different types and how to choose one, let’s briefly go over my three top picks.
While each of these sharpeners works in a different way, they all have a common goal – to make your knives sharp, and your life easier.
Keep in mind, that if you would like to go straight to the product page of a given sharpener, simply click the Buy on Amazon link.
Image | Name | Best For (Category) | Rating | Material Used | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Under $15 | Tungstel carbide and ceramic | ||||
Mid-Range | Ceramic Alumina | ||||
High-End | Alumina ceramic stones, medium-grit stones, and fine stones. |
Best Knife Sharpener #1:
Zulay Manual Stainless Steel Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives
The Best Knife Sharpener under $15
Let’s start with a knife sharpener for any budget. Of course, it’s possible to get one even cheaper and still sharpen a knife using it. I’m sure you can find one for a buck or two at a local supermarket. But, the goal of this review is not to find the cheapest sharpener, but the best one in its respective category. And, when it comes to affordable ceramic knife sharpeners, Zulay Manual Knife Sharpener takes the lead easily.
Inexpensive Yet Effective
At first glance, it looks like a typical cheap manual sharpener.
But what differs it from its cheapest equivalents is its effectiveness.
Thanks to two different slots, it can both revive the blade as well as sharpen and polish it. And it does so very well.
What I Like about this Knife Sharpener?
And What I Don’t Like?
You can’t expect a product for less than $15 to be able to sharpen knives to a level required at five-star restaurants.
But, if that’s not your goal, and you’re looking for an affordable ceramic knife sharpener to use at your house, you can’t go wrong with this product.
Hit the below button to learn about its details and read other reviews of its users.
Best Knife Sharpener #2:
Cooks Standard Professional Ceramic Rod
Best Mid-Range Knife Sharpener
Ceramic knife sharpeners, like the aforementioned Zulay’s are great for sharpening standard kitchen knives. Sadly, it won’t work with all the knives, and it’s very easy to damage the tip of the knife if you don’t do the sharpening and polishing correctly. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay much more to get a professional ceramic rod, which is an excellent alternative to manual ceramic knife sharpeners.
Big or Small, Recurve or Not
What knife do you use?
Big, small, straight-edge, recurved?
When working with the Cooks Standard Ceramic rod, you can use any knife you want. It works great even with recurve knives, which are impossible to sharpen in standard manual ceramic knife sharpeners.
What I Like about This Knife Sharpener?
And What I Don’t Like?
It won’t Repair the Knife.
It’s impossible to reprofile your blade or fix any chips - at least not to a level which you could find satisfactory. This ceramic knife sharpener is great if you want to sharpen or polish your blade, but it’s been not designed for anything beyond that.
If you work with knives of different shapes and sizes, you will love Cooks Standard Professional Ceramic Rod. While it’s fragile and takes some time to master, you don’t need much practice to start using it effectively.
This, together with its potential, make it a very high-quality product, which is worth recommending to anyone who wants to keep the knives sharp. To learn more about it, hit the button – you will be taken to the official Amazon product page:
Best Knife Sharpener #3:
Triangle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener
Best High-End Knife Sharpener
Have you’ve ever watched a cooking show only to wonder how the hell do those cooks slice and chop everything so fast? The secret is in the knives – and, more specifically, in their sharpening and polishing process.
Professional-Grade Sharpening and Polishing
Naturally, the quality of the knife and the material used to produce one matter too. But you need to make its sharpness A+ to be able to play with it the way professionals do. That’s where a ceramic knife sharpener such as Triangle Sharpmaker can help you.
What I Like about This Knife Sharpener?
And What I Don’t Like?
If you don’t mind paying the extra price for this ceramic knife sharpener, and can spend some time learning the system, it’s hard to find a better product. Especially considering that you can “upgrade it”, what could take the results of your knife sharpening to a whole new level. To read more about the product, and see why others love the system so much, hit the button and visit the official product page:
The choice of a ceramic knife sharpener will inevitably come down to how sharp you want your knives to be. If you just want them to work, and value efficiency, a V-sharpener is the way to go. On the other hand, if you are a passionate cook, need sharp knives to make a living (not assuming anything here ), consider getting ceramic rod or a complete set.
That way you can become better with each sharpening, what will result in super-sharp knives that’ll last you a lifetime. Still not sure which product to choose? Scroll back to the table and click one of the links to see more details on its product page.