How To Sharpen Kitchen Knives The Right Way | Kitchen Guide

Say no to dull knives and learn how to sharpen kitchen knives so you can keep them in tip-top shape and slicing for years to come.

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How to Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives Properly in 3 Ways

1. How To Hone Kitchen Knives Using Honing Steel

What is honing? It’s the act of re-aligning your knife blades to its original position using a special steel rod.

Honing doesn’t exactly sharpen your knife, but it can make it seem sharper because it’s re-aligned to its desired position.

1. Hold the honing steel point-down with your nondominant hand with its tip resting on your cutting board.
2. With your dominant hand, hold your knife perpendicular to your sharpening steel. Make sure the back of the blade touches the steel.
3. Tilt your knife at a 22.5° angle.
4. Pull the blade towards you and glide along the entire length of the steel. Make sure to keep a consistent angle the whole time. Do this 10 times.
5. Repeat with the other side.

Tip: Make sure to hone your knife at least once a week to keep it working in optimal condition.

2. How To Sharpen Kitchen Knives Using Whetstone

What is a whetstone? It’s a coarse rectangular stone block that shaves off material to sharpen the knife’s edge.

A whetstone is a cheap way to keep your knives in optimal sharpness.  To prepare, place a damp towel or rubber on a flat surface. If you need your whetstone to be wet, dunk it in water until there are no more air bubbles.

To sharpen your knife with a whetstone:

1. Hold your knife at around a 22° angle.
2. Slide your blade back and forth the coarse side of the whetstone 10 times.
3. Repeat step 2 with the other side.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the finer side of the whetstone.
5. Hone your blade with your honing steel to finish off.

Hacks and Tips:

• If you don’t own a whetstone, use the back of a ceramic plate or the bottom of a mug and sharpen your knife the same way you would on a whetstone.
• When sharpening with a whetstone, work slowly and make sure to maintain a consistent angle.
• If you’re a first-timer, try practicing on a knife you don’t care about first before reaching for your more expensive ones.

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3. How To Sharpen Kitchen Knives Using Electric Sharpener

If you have an electric knife sharpener, the process is much simpler. Electric knife sharpeners provide a quick way to give you a sharp edge, but at the expense of control over how much material gets shaved off.

Reminder: Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

1. Place your knife blade in the “coarse” sharpening slot.
2. Slide your knife through the slot at the angle your sharpener requires. This would depend on what sharpener you’re using.
3. Do Step 2 twice.
4. Repeat steps 1-4, but this time, use the “fine” option.
5. Rinse your knife to remove any excess shavings

Bonus Tips!

How to Sharpen Serrated Knives

Serrated knives (like bread knives) look different from ordinary kitchen knives, so they require a different approach.

1. Drag a sharpening rod across every indentation on the knife. Depending on how many serrations the blade has, this may take a while.
2. Smooth out the flat side of the blade using the fine-grit side of your whetstone.

How To Keep Kitchen Knives Sharp

• Always use a cutting board: A knife’s worst enemy is a hard surface. While it can be tempting to just slice something on your countertop, this can quickly dull your blade.
• Hand-wash your knives: Always wash your knives by hand. Putting them through the dishwasher can dull your knife because it will end up banging against objects that can dull the blade.
• Store your knives properly: Don’t store your knives along with your other kitchen utensils. Use a plastic knife guard and keep them in a knife block.

General Tip to Test Kitchen Knives for Sharpness: Do a tomato test. It’s an easy way to find out if your knife needs sharpening. If your knife glides like butter on a tomato, you’ve got a sharp knife. If you have no tomatoes on hand, try slicing your knife through some paper.

A dull knife not only doesn’t make for a good experience but can also be dangerous. Hope these tips on how to sharpen kitchen knives keep them sharp and kitchen-ready.

What’s your go-to kitchen knife? Share your experiences in the comments section below!

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