Here's Exactly How To Use Your Knife Sharpener For Shocking Precision

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It's extremely important to keep knives sharp. It make them more efficient, and also safer to use. Plus, the right care can increase the lifespan of the best knife brands, saving you from having to buy new ones every few years. We get it, the idea of sharpening a knife can be a little scary, especially if you've only ever seen them being whipped around a long sharpening steel by a skilled chef. But knife sharpeners make life very easy, and if you use them the right way, they lead to shockingly good precision.

There are a few different types of knife sharpeners, including sharpening stones, steels, and handheld sharpeners. The most convenient ones are electric knife sharpeners, where you place the knife in a slot that contains tiny sharpening stones. There are usually six different slots in the machine, which are labeled as stages one through three. You start with stage one, which sharpens the knife on both sides, then move to stage two to hone and three to polish.

To move through them correctly, turn the machine on and place the knife in the first slot of stage one. Slowly pull it toward you using a light pressure, making sure you get the tip. Repeat the process in the next slot to get the other side of the knife and then continue onto the next stages. It should only take about two to six seconds to run the knife through each depending on its length.

A manual sharpener also works great. These sharpeners again have multiple slots, usually a fine and a coarse one, but there can be a third slot too. To use a manual sharpener, place it on the counter and hold it with a firm grip. Again, pull the knife through the slots with a light pressure in one fluid motion, starting with the coarse slot and making sure to follow the curve of the knife as you pull it through.

While you only need to swipe knives through an electric sharpener a few times, manual sharpeners need a little more — up to 10 pull throughs is recommended, depending on the dullness of the knife. However, you can usually do less for the fine slot, as this works more to refine than sharpen. After you're finished, make sure to wash the knife with dish soap and store in a knife block.

If your knives get a lot of action, especially with items that are tougher to cut like meat, it's good practice to sharpen them at least every three months. This can stretch to six months though for the average home cook. If you're wondering if your knives need to be sharpened, just think about whether or not they're cutting like they were when you bought them. Or, see if it can easily slice through a piece of paper. If not, it might be time to face those fears and invest in a knife sharpener.