How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives Rightly

Sharpening your kitchen knives is a task that should never be overlooked as it will help lessen the difficulty of your job and will give you a safer feel. Dull knives will require more pressure compared to a sharpened blade which increases tendencies for slipping up and injure you.  So it doesn’t matter if you have the best of all knives in the market and you don’t consider sharpening them. Nonetheless, we shall discuss how to sharpen different knives in your set rightly.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are negligent enough to not sharpen their knives on time. If cooking is what you do on a daily, a weekly sharpening would be needed. Otherwise, do it on a bi-weekly basis for lesser cooking activities. So, what is the best way to sharpen a chef of a kitchen knife?

To know how to sharpen kitchen knives effectively, you need to read on the fundamental details that we have mustered for your benefit.

Pick a Suitable Sharpening Device 

So, how do you sharpen a kitchen knife? There are many ways, really – one of which would be through a sharpening device. There are wide varieties of selections available to choose from. It is better to use handheld/manual sharpeners rather than using an electric sharpener for chef knives because electric knife sharpeners will strip metal from your knife overly – thus, obliterating its blade. But if you’re looking for the best option, we suggest you go for whetstones.

They are also called sharpening stones for chef knives and recommended by experts due to many factors, one of which would be the rectangular shape of the stone and also for the composite stone they are made of. These two factors make a great sharpening tool along with fine and coarse grit on opposite sides – providing you full control over-sharpening.

What Is the Best Knife Sharpening Angle

For chef knives or kitchen knives, the best sharpening angle is 15 to 20 – degree angle. This angle makes the blade edge sharp enough whilst retaining durability through constant use. Asian knives are sharpened mostly at 17 – degree angle whereas western style knives are sharpened at 20 – degree angle, so Asian knives are sharper then western knives.

If you sharp lower than 17 – degree angle you will get sharper blade but the sharpness will not last long so you have to sharp more frequently. And if you sharp greater than 22 – degree angle your knives won’t be as sharp but the cutting edge will last a lot longer.

Honing or Sharpening, should I go for both?

The answer? Of course, you should! First of all, honing is something different than sharpening. When it comes to honing, you have to a honing or butcher’s steel, it’s that elongated metal rod coming out from the knife block’s center and what you use for to hone your knives, not sharpen them. What difference does that make? Honing means to straighten the blade of your kitchen knife, particularly the edge to bring back it’s usability.

Frequent usage of your knife can lead its blade tip to curl and bend in the long run. By honing on a regular basis, you can maintain the precise cutting edge of the blade that can give off. Additionally, honing can contribute to the sharp factor, vital for any chief.