Consumer Reports

What we like: Sharpens effectively, allows you to set any angle for sharpening, includes coarse and fine sharpening stones.

What we don't like: Cumbersome to set up, requires you to soak stones, provided assembly directions are not clear.

Best for Most

amazon.com

stamped

expert-review

Wasabi Knives Iki Ruixin Pro Sharpener + 4 Whetstone Set Review - Consumer Reports

TechGearLab

The Brod & Taylor Pro is a robustly built, highly effective, good-looking, manual knife sharpening tool. We like that the unit quickly sharpens a variety of knife styles, including paring knives, serrated bread knives, and chef's knives. There are 3 sharpening tiers: course, hone, and polish. One can reshape the blade's edge as needed by changing the angle to meet one of these tiers as it passes through the sharpener. Moreover, the spring-loaded arms all but guarantee a consistent blade bevel. Lastly, the sharpener loses only half an inch of blade contact where the handle contacts the sharpening arms.   
While we're chuffed with how easily the Brod & Taylor sharpens dull knives, it does have some issues. Firstly, it doesn't sharpen scissors &mdash; this is the biggest knock against it. Also, despite the heavy base and rubber feet, the tool requires two hands to operate safely and effectively. There is also a bit of a learning process to effectively hit all three sharpening tiers correctly. Finally, the Brod & Taylor costs about as much as its electric counterparts. That said, this piece will be well worth the cost in an active kitchen where sharp knives are a must.   

Upgrade Pick

What we like: Very effective sharpening, allows you to set any angle for sharpening, easy to use, includes coarse and fine stones.

What we don't like: 8-inch chef's knives feel a bit large in the tool, more complicated than most sharpeners to use.

Budget Pick

Work Sharp Precision Knife Sharpener Review: Razor-Like Edges on a Budget

Wirecutter

The Chef’sChoice Trizor XV is reliable, fast, and easy to use, and it puts a razor edge on almost any kind of knife.

The Best Knife Sharpener

walmart

Why We Love the ChefsChoice Trizor XV Knife Sharpener

Chef's Choice Model XV 3-Stage Professional Electric Knife Sharpener Review

America's Test Kitchen

Our top-rated sharpener had the winning combination of producing truly exceptional and consistent results quickly, neatly, and efficiently. The manual clearly outlined a few specific steps that must be followed each time, and it took about 2 minutes from start to finish to get a polished, razor-sharp edge. Narrow, spring-loaded slots made it easy and unambiguous to maintain a consistent angle as we moved the knife through the three slots. It rapidly removed a notch we cut in the blade and easily sharpened both our everyday chef’s knife and pricey carbon-steel chef’s knife. We subtracted half a point because the slots left very light cosmetic scratches along the sides of our knives.

"I know, I know: A knife sharpener is not the most glamorous gift, but with this sharpener, you give a gift that keeps on giving. Sharp knives make a huge difference. They make food prep easier, faster, and safer. And when your favorite home cook can restore their kitchen knives to like-new condition within 2 minutes, right at home, they will never have to struggle with a dull blade again." - Lisa McManus, Executive Editor, ATK Reviews

bazaarvoice

yotpo

The compact and easy-to-use Tri-Angle Sharpmaker can bring a dull knife back to life in a matter of minutes.

Spyderco Sharpmaker Review | BladeReviews.com

The KitchenIQ 50883 Edge Grip 2-Stage is a basic two-stage knife sharpener. We've seen the same design sold under different brands as well. Our lead tester has years of experience with a nearly identical product labeled with a different brand. His experience has been favorable, both with the older one and with the tested Kitchen IQ. The two-stage sharpening system can be used to resurface a rough, badly worn edge or to put a fine hone on a more slightly dulled blade. 
The basic nature of this product has some performance drawbacks. A powered sharpener is way faster, and larger manual sharpeners include more gradations of texture and are easier to manipulate. Such are the tradeoffs you must accept to enjoy the low price of this model. You get significantly more than what you pay for with the Kitchen IQ.

For the avid cook, there are few more valuable tools than a solid and dependable knife—and taking optimal care of one is of utmost importance. This double-sided sharpening stone comes with both a coarse and a fine side, which provides exceptional sharpening and an exceptionally sharp edge via the fine side. CR editor Paul Hope found that the Sharp Pebble Whetstone put an edge on the knives that none of the electric or manual sharpeners could match, making it a top choice for cooks who are serious about sharp blades.For more options: Best Knife Sharpeners 

Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone Review - Consumer Reports

For anyone lacking time, space, or attention, the Sunrise Pro Supreme is a dream. It's small, with one coarse grinding sharpener surface, and it suctions securely to your countertop. For "quick and dirty" edge replenishment, this is our top recommendation. If you don't want to take up valuable time and space with sharpening tools and aren't particularly discerning about the final edge of your blade, the Sunrise Pro is for you. This model is faster and easier to use than any of the other manual options, especially if you seldom sharpen your blades. It is way less expensive and smaller than the powered choices. 
The single surface of the Sunrise Pro is very coarse. It removes significant amounts of metal with each stroke while leaving a workable, but less sophisticated, edge. If you want a lasting and super-refined edge, choose one of the other options identified above. But if you need a quick edge sharpener to live in the back of a kitchen drawer for occasional use, this model is undeniably handy and fast.

The Sunrise Pro Supreme is a dream for anyone lacking time, space, or attention. It's small, has one coarse grinding sharpener surface, and it securely connects to countertops. This sharpener is our top recommendation for "quick and dirty" edge replenishment. If you don't want to take up valuable time and space with sharpening tools and aren't particularly discerning about the final edge of your blade, the Sunrise Pro is for you. This model is faster and easier to use than many manual options, especially if you seldom sharpen your blades. It is also much less expensive and smaller than the powered choices.
The single surface of the Sunrise Pro is very coarse. Each stroke removes significant amounts of metal while leaving a workable but less refined edge. If you want a lasting and super-refined edge, choose one of the other options identified above. Still, this model is undeniably handy and fast if you need a quick edge sharpener to live in the back of a kitchen drawer for occasional use.

What we like: Small size, sharpens quickly.

What we don't like: Can't sharpen serrated knives.

Best Knife Sharpeners for Chef’s Knives

The Work Sharp EDC Pivot is the model we recommend for camping, traveling, hunting, and fishing. It is small enough to disappear into all but the tightest travel bags. It is versatile and can sharpen blades as well as fish hooks. The main, coarse sharpener surface is mounted on a flexible spring attachment that helps correct for sharpening sloppiness. You can also "lock out" the flexible attachment if you wish. 
The most peculiar thing about the Work Sharp EDC Pivot is that its two main sharpening "V"s are set at different angles. For the most part, those with multiple texture options mount those options at the same angle as one another. This allows you to make rough and fast adjustments to a blade and then polish and refine that edge with the fine-textured sharpener. This isn't the case with the Work Sharp, and it is noticeable in use. Edges come out fine, but matching angles &#40;or even angles closer to one another&#41; would make for smoother edge surfaces. This minor issue aside, this is our favorite portable model to date.

The Kitchellence 4-in-1 Kitchen Knife Accessories is simple, comprehensive, and reliable at sharpening a variety of blade styles across a vast range of sharpening needs. Whether you need to completely refurbish a neglected blade or simply resurface a well-maintained tool, the Kitchellence is our favorite manual sharpener. It features three different sharpening textures, a handle that accommodates a full fist, and rubberized surfaces that sit securely in hand or on your counter. In our opinion, you can't do better than this one when it comes to manual, guided sharpeners. The price is also accommodating to most budgets. 
As expected, the Kitchellence is quite a bit slower than electric versions, especially when sharpening knives that have been neglected for too long. Kitchellence doesn't explicitly encourage the sharpening of serrated knife blades with this tool, but there is no reason you couldn't do so. For the typical domestic kitchen, this product hits the mark for performance, utility, and price over the rest, and it is the product we recommend to most people.

The Kitchellence 4-in-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener is simple, comprehensive, and reliable at sharpening a variety of blade styles across a vast range of sharpening needs. Whether you need to refurbish a neglected blade or resurface a well-maintained tool, the Kitchellence is a good economy option. It features three sharpening tiers, a handle that accommodates a full fist, and rubberized surfaces that sit securely in hand or on your counter. We think you can't do better than this one at the price.
As expected, the Kitchellence is noticeably slower than the top-ranked models, especially when sharpening knives that have been neglected for quite some time. The manufacturer doesn't explicitly encourage the sharpening of serrated knife blades with this tool, but there is no reason you couldn't if you needed to. For the typical domestic kitchen, Kitchellence hits the mark for performance, utility, and price over the competition and is the model we recommend to most individuals.

Knife Sharpener Comparison