You may find it surprising that we're reviewing an electric knife sharpener. And in all honesty, we wouldn't use one for many of our high-end blades (we explain why below). But if you have mid-range knives, don't want to invest your time in learning how use a whetstone correctly (and who could blame you?), or are looking for the fastest, easiest way to put an edge on your knives, then a high quality electric sharpener is a good solution--and there are none better than the Trizor XV.
The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV is a favorite of several review sites, including America's Test Kitchen and The New York Times. But just how good is it? And is it the right choice for you?
We take a detailed look at the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV: how it works, who it's best for, and more. Plus, we look at some other electric knife sharpeners, including other Chef'sChoice models, to see how they compare (and show why we like the Trizor XV so much).
Chef'sChoice Trizor XV at a Glance
All the models listed here will provide the same sharpening. So if you want to save some money, go with the black finish rather than the gray.
Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Specifications | |
|---|---|
Housing/Finish: | Black finish (see it on Amazon, about $140) Gray finish (see it on Amazon, about $180) Metallic finish (see it on Amazon, about $155) |
Number of stages: | 3; sharpen, hone, polish |
Sharpening Angle: | 15 degrees |
Type of Abrasive: | 100% diamond (synthetic) |
Type of Grinder: | Small internal wheels (not a belt) |
Guides: | Spring-loaded guides to keep blade positioned |
Types of Knives: | Smooth, serrated, double bevel, single bevel (does not do scissors) |
Approximate Time to Sharpen: | About 1 minute for standard dullness; up to 5 minutes for damaged blades |
Size/Weight: | 10"x4.25"x4.25"; 4.4 lbs 12"x6.25"x6"; 5 lbs (metallic model) |
Power/Energy Usage: | 120V standard US outlet; 125 watts |
Operating Decibels: | 65-75 dB |
Country of Origin: | Made in USA with globally sourced materials |
Warranty: | 3 year manufacturer limited. |
About Chef'sChoice
Chef'sChoice is a subdivision of the EdgeCraft corporation. It is headquartered in Avondale, Pennsylvania. Chef'sChoice makes the largest selection of knife sharpeners--both manual and electric--in the world. They sell products in more than 80 countries. Products are manufactured in Pennsylvania from globally sourced materials.
In addition to knife sharpeners, Chef'sChoice makes small kitchen appliances like the SmartKettle, waffle makers, egg cookers, and food slicers for both the home and industrial market.
EdgeCraft also owns Excalibur, known for their food dehydrators; Omega, known for their heavy duty juicers; WestBend, maker of several small home appliances; and a few other subdivisions.
What is the "Trizor" Edge?
From the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV manual:
The Trizor® edge, an innovation from Chef’sChoice® has long been acknowledged for its superior sharpness and durability. Its uniqueness is the result of the triple bevel design of each of the two edge facets that meet to form the edge.The Trizor® design uses multiple diamond abrasives of successively finer grits to shape the facets into a modified gothic arch to create an edge that has added strength, durability, and sharpness.
Thus, the Trizor is Chef'sChoice patented grinding technology that creates a rounded edge that's more durable than standard V-shaped edges.
Not all Chef'sChoice sharpeners have the Trizor technology, so be sure to look for it when buying a knife sharpener.
Types of Knife Sharpeners
You have a surprising number of technologies to choose from when you're searching for a knife sharpener. All of them work, but they have a wide variety of learning curves and will result in different levels of sharpness.
These are the different types of knife sharpeners:
In general, whetstones and guided rod systems produce sharper knives than any other method, but it can take up to 15 minutes to do one blade (in addition to set-up time for the guided rod system). These are systems for connoisseurs who have high-end knives and want the best edge possible.
Pull-through and electric sharpeners, then, are for people who are willing to trade extreme sharpness for "sharp enough," don't want to invest the time or money in using a whetstone or guided rod system, and don't mind having the same angle on all their knives (we talk more about angles below).
For more information on other knife sharpening technology, see our article A Beginner's Guide to Kitchen Knife Sharpeners.
Who Needs an Electric Knife Sharpener?
As we said, electric sharpeners are best for people who want an easy, quick, and convenient way to sharpen their knives and are content with acceptably sharp blades over razor sharp blades (and for most cooks, acceptably sharp blades are good enough because the measure is that they can cut through a tomato with ease).
Electric sharpeners can also be an extra technology in addition to a whetstone or guided rod system. For example, you may use a whetstone once or twice a year or for your high-end blades, but for those times a blade needs a quick touch-up--more than a honing rod, less than a full-on grind on a whetstone--or when you don't have time to get your stone or guided rod system out, an electric sharpener is an excellent tool.
Who Needs a Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Electric Knife Sharpener?
Ditto everything in the previous section--but why pick the Trizor XV over other electric sharpeners? Here are a few reasons:
Chef'sChoice offers several other electric knife sharpeners, many of them less expensive than the Trizor XV. One of these may also work for you, so you should check them out, as well (we give a few options below). But the Trizor XV is one of the most popular electric sharpeners on the market because it's easy to use and the spring guides hold the knife in position to get the right angle every time (this can be tricky to do with some sharpeners), and to sharpen along the entire blade, from heel to tip.
Not every electric sharpener has these features (not even every Chef'sChoice electric sharpener has these features).
See Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Sharpeners on amazon:
Is It Okay to Sharpen All Your Knives to 15 Degrees?
"15 degree blades" are marketed by Chef'sChoice as being typical on Japanese knives as opposed to Western blades, which are 20 degrees. However, because of all the modern steel alloys and the Western market shifting towards Japanese design, this is no longer the case. Today, you can find blade angles from 10-20 degrees on both Western and Japanese knives.
For example, Wusthof and Zwilling Western blades today have 14 degree double bevels, while their Japanese knives (santokus and nakiris) are just 10 degrees. Most Shun blades sold in the West are 16 degree double bevel. Classic Global knives have a standard 15-degree angle, but their SAI line has a 12.5 degree angle. Miyabi knives, a Japanese knife owned by Zwilling J.A. Henckels, have a blade angle of 9.5-12 degrees.
We could give more examples, but the point is that today, both Western and Japanese kitchen knives have a range of blade angles. In fact, not a lot of Western knives have a 20-degree angle anymore, and the ones that do are mid-quality brands like Victorinox. (This is because the wider angle helps the softer, lower quality steel hold an edge longer.)
If you use only an electric sharpener like the Trizor XV, you are limited to sharpening all of your knives to 15 degrees.
Chef'sChoice actually markets the Trizor as being able to convert a 20 degree angle to a 15 degree angle, which is true--but the bigger truth is that the Trizor XV will convert all edge angles to 15 degrees.
This may not be a drawback, depending on the knives you own and how picky you are about your blades. And today, there are many knives, both Western and Japanese, that do have a 15 degree angle, or close enough to it that you can be happy with it (like the 14 degree Wusthofs and 16 degree Shuns).
However, if you do have expensive knives, you may want to keep the original angles because they're designed that way for a reason.
The upshot: If you have knives with several different angles, you may want to find a more versatile sharpening technology, and use the Trizor XV only for your 14-16 degree knives.
If you have expensive knives with different blade angles, you may want to find a more versatile sharpening technology than an electric sharpener that does just one angle.
Pros and Cons of an Electric Knife Sharpener
Pros
Cons
What to Look for in an Electric Pull-Through Knife Sharpener
So you've decided you want an electric knife sharpener, but aren't sure you want to invest in the Trizor XV. In this section we'll talk about what to look for in an electric knife sharpener--and show you why the Trizor XV should be a prime contender.
Number of Sharpening Stages
You want an electric sharpener to have at least two sharpening stages, and three is better. Each stage has motorized abrasive wheels that go from coarse to progressively smoother. The coarsest abrasive materials remove steel from a blade to rid it of nicks and bends. The smoother wheels polish the blade, which makes it ready to use.
In general, the greater the number of abrasives, the sharper you can get a blade. (This is one reason why whetstones and guided rod systems get blades so sharp: you can use several different grits to achieve the exact edge you want.)
Most less expensive electric sharpeners have just two stages, but the three stages on the Trizor--sharpening, honing, and polishing--allow you to get a smoother, sharper edge than you can with a two-stage sharpener (this is their Trizor® technology).
You can also use the polishing slot ("3") to sharpen serrated blades, which is a nice feature. It smooths the serrations enough to keep the blade acceptably sharp--but don't put serrated knives in the other slots, or you risk damaging both the sharpener and the knife.
Sharpening Angle(s)
Probably the biggest drawback of electric knife sharpeners is that most only sharpen to one or two angles. The Trizor XV sharpens to 15 degrees, which is one of the most common angles seen on kitchen knives (but far from the only one).
As we've said, if you have inexpensive knives or don't mind it if all your knives are 15 degrees, then an electric sharpener is a good choice, and the Trizor XV is one of the best options on the market. But be sure this is what you want before you buy any electric knife sharpener.
Chef'sChoice makes several models of electric knife sharpeners that sharpen to 15 degrees--like this one and this one; 20 degrees--like this one and this one; or both angles.
If a pull-through sharpener doesn't say what the angle is, it's probably 20 degrees because that's what most "Western" knives are considered to be (even though many aren't anymore). We agree with Chef'sChoice that your 20 degree blades will probably be better to use if you sharpen them to 15 degrees, so we recommend going with a 15 degree sharpener.
Some electric sharpeners are adjustable, but we haven't found any that we like enough to. recommend. If you want an electric sharpener that can do multiple angles, consider the Worksharp Ken Onion electric sharpener. The Ken Onion is a belt grinder with a steeper learning curve than a pull-through sharpener, but it can sharpen 15-30 degree blades per side. This gives you some more options--but if you own a Wusthof or Zwilling santoku, a Global SAI, or any Miyabi, you won't be able to keep the original angles of 10-12 degrees.
Worksharp Ken Onion belt grinder sharpens from 15-30 degrees.
Type of Abrasive
Abrasives can be ceramic, synthetic diamond, or synthetic sapphire, with the diamond being the hardest and most durable.
The Trizor XV has all diamond abrasive wheels on the first and second stages. The third stage uses "patented, flexible, abrasive stropping disks that create a microscopically smooth, sharp edge with minimal metal removal."
Diamond abrasives are the hardest and will last the longest, so we recommend getting an electric sharpener with diamond abrasives.
In most cases, the grinding wheels in an electric sharpener are not replaceable (including the Trizor XV), which means once they wear out, the sharpener is trash--so if you're going to invest in one, we recommend going with diamond abrasives.
Guides
Trizor XV slots are deep and have spring loaded guides to keep blades in the correct position.
Pull-through sharpeners are only as good as the guides that hold the blade in place; if you can't keep the knife at the right angle, it won't sharpen properly. One of the best features of the Trizor XV is its patented, spring-loaded guides that hold the blade firmly in place throughout the sharpening process.
Good guides mean that you don't have to worry about the knife being in the right position because the sharpener does it for you automatically.
You might think this is a standard feature on all pull-through sharpeners, but this is not the case. Many have no guides at all, so getting the blade sharp is completely dependent on your ability to hold it at the correct angle (which can be hard to do).
On some pull-through sharpeners, the slots are deep enough that the knife stays pretty steady even without guides.
On others, the slots are too shallow to hold a knife firmly, making it difficult to keep the knife at the correct angle.
When buying a pull-through sharpener, electric or manual, look for one with guides, or at least deep enough slots to hold the knife in place.
You can learn to use pull-through sharpeners without guides, but guides make it much easier.
Pull-Through Ability
By "pull-through ability," we mean that an electric sharpener should operate smoothly from the heel to the tip of the blade, ensuring you get sharpening along the entire blade.
Again, you might think this is a standard feature--because it should be--but it's not.
In fact, this is a major drawback of many cheap electric sharpeners: the wheels are supposed to start turning automatically to sharpen the whole blade as soon as they detect one. But if the blade is too short, too narrow, or has a large bolster (i.e., too wide), the wheels do not run smoothly from end to end. The result is that you don't get sharpening on the entire blade.
In fact, any full bolster blade may not fully sharpen on an electric pull-through model simply because you have to be past the bolster before you can push the blade down far enough for the grinding wheels to kick in.
The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV has one of the best pull-throughs we've seen on any of the electric sharpeners we've tested, but it can't quite do a full bolster knife. The spring-loaded guides help, but sharpening starts approximately an eighth of an inch past the bolster, which is pretty good compared to some other electric pull-through sharpeners we've tested.
If your knives have partial bolsters or no bolsters at all, then the Trizor XV will sharpen the entire blade.
Also, it takes some practice to get the pressure right in order to evenly sharpen an entire blade--but you will find this to be true for all electric pull-through sharpeners.
To learn more about bolsters, see our article How to Choose the Right Kitchen Knife.
Power
If you've ever been curious about the wide price range of electric knife sharpeners, look at the power.
By power, we mean wattage: all electric sharpeners (that aren't commercial or industrial grade), will plug in to a standard 120V power source, but they can have widely varying amounts of wattage, from 1-1800 watts. In general, the more wattage an appliance uses, the more powerful it is.
The Trizor XV uses 125 watts, which is quite powerful compared to other sharpeners on the market, such as this Presto sharpener (60 watts) and this Waring Pro "commercial" model that goes for more than $300 (32 watts!).
Even this Chef'sChoice model has just 45 watts.
Less wattage doesn't necessarily mean a sharpener won't be any good, but more is almost always better: higher wattage means the motor is more powerful, which has obvious benefits to the sharpening process.
A very powerful sharpener may remove more steel than you want it to. While this is a concern for all electric sharpeners, the spring-loaded guides on the Trizor XV do a great job of keeping that loss to a minimum.
And even if removing too much steel is an issue with more powerful knife sharpeners, it's a good problem to have: You're much better off learning how to control a powerful sharpener than struggling with an under-powered one that doesn't do a satisfactory job.
We can't give an exact number because there are so many designs and options on the market, but the 125 watts of the Trizor XV provides an excellent amount of power, and we probably wouldn't go below 40 watts.
Build Quality
Build quality is another reason for the wide range of prices you see on electric pull-through knife sharpeners. You can pay $20 or 20 times that much. In addition to power, build quality is a determining factor in price.
Good build quality means that the sharpener has a durable housing, high quality sharpening abrasives, and a powerful motor. The quality range for all of these is huge.
We Iove the build quality of the Chef'sChoice sharpeners. They are also made in the USA, which almost always guarantees a higher quality product.
You may not have to pay Trizor XV prices to find a good quality electric sharpener. But the Trizor XV is an excellent combination of durable housing, top notch abrasives, and powerful motor that we think makes it worth its asking price.
Convenience of Use
Think about factors that make a knife sharpener convenient: weight, size, and portability are all good things to think about. You may also want to find a sharpener you can use for other tools, such as scissors, lawn mower blades, axes, screwdrivers, and more.
The Trizor XV weighs about 5 pounds, but it's good only for knives. If you want to do other tools--or do knives to more than just a 15 degree angle--you may want to consider a belt grinder, or possibly a guided rod system.
The pull-through electric sharpener is one of the easiest, convenient ways to sharpen your kitchen knives, but it is limited. Think about if this is enough versatility for you.
Price and Warranty
Of course you want to look at price and warranty, as you would for any purchase. The Trizor XV is not cheap, but it comes with a full 3 year warranty, and has a durable build quality that should allow it to last in your home kitchen for several years. The New York Times Review site says they've had one in their test kitchen for more than 5 years now and it still works like new.
If you have the budget for the Trizor XV, or something equally well built, we don't think you'll regret the purchase--and a 3 year warranty is longer than you'll see on most other brands.
SEE CHEF'SCHOICE TRIZOR XV SHARPENERS ON AMAZON:
Trizor XV Chef'sChoice FAQs
Is the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Easy to Use?
We found the Trizor XV easy to use, primarily because of its patented, spring-loaded guides that hold the blade in place during sharpening. These guides hold the blade at the perfect angle and ensure that a knife gets evenly sharpened from heel to tip.
However, some reviewers complain that the Trizor XV is hard to use and that the instructions are "too detailed" and "hard to follow."
The instructions are detailed, but this is a good thing: you want to read the manual carefully and follow the directions in order to not damage your knives or the sharpener.
But once you understand how to use the Trizor XV sharpener, it really couldn't be easier--or faster--to use. You simply feed a blade into the slot and pull it through evenly and lightly, without pressing down.
So if it's so easy, you might be wondering, why are the instructions so "detailed"? This is a powerful tool, and you need to make sure you're using it correctly. For example, the "1" slot should only be used on seriously dull or damaged knives, or knives with a 20 degree angle that you want to convert to 15 degrees. If you use this slot for mildly dull knives, you could remove too much steel unnecessarily.
Also, if you're going to sharpen serrated knives, you must use the "3" slot only. Serrations can really only be polished with a pull-through sharpener, so if you try to actually sharpen or hone a serrated blade, you could hurt both the blade and the sharpener.
It's also a little tricky to get a feel for pulling the blade through the slots. How much pressure do you use (if any)? How fast do you go? How do you know when the knife is sharp?
All of these important factors are explained in the user manual (which we think is excellent).
You may also not like that you have to do each side of a knife separately. This means that each slot actually has two sides for both sides of a knife. This extends the time it takes to sharpen a knife, but doesn't make it any more difficult (and you can do most knives in about a minute, so it's not a long time).
Once you learn and have a feel for using this sharpener, there really is no easier way to sharpen a blade.
Can the Trizor XV Really Sharpen Serrated Blades?
Sort of. Serrated blades are a special case, and the only way to really sharpen them is by filing each tooth individually, with a special tool. However, you can use the polishing slot ("3") to align the blade, which does somewhat sharpen the bottom of the teeth.
Be sure to never put a serrated blade in the other slots, or try to sharpen it as you would a smooth blade. You could destroy the knife and the sharpener.
How Long Will the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Last?
The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV has a 3 year warranty, but it should last much longer than that. Chef'sChoice says that the sharpener should last a home user for six to eight years, and probably longer than that.
As we said above, The New York Times said they've had this sharpener in their test kitchen for more than 5 years and it's still going strong. So eight years is likely a conservative estimate.
Note that the internal parts are not replaceable, so when the wheels wear out, you have to buy a new sharpener. This is pretty standard for electric knife sharpeners, but it's a question that we get often (so now you know).
How to Care For the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Sharpener?
There's not a lot to using and caring for the Trizor XV. However, you do have to occasionally empty a tray where metal shavings collect. We can't give a time period because it really depends on how often you use your Trizor and on which settings. But if you dump it our a few times a year, you'll probably be in good shape.
What Are the Drawbacks of the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV?
People tend to either love or hate the Trizor XV (and electric pull-through sharpeners in general). If you are an average home cook with moderately priced knives, you will probably love this sharpener; if you come from a background of whetstones, guided rods, and high-end knives, you will probably find this sharpener mediocre at best.
Amazon review photo of scratches from the Trizor XV.
Other Electric Knife Sharpeners to Consider
If you're set on an electric knife sharpener, there are other options to consider. Here are some that we think might be worth a closer look.
Chef'sChoice 1520: Can sharpen to 15 degrees and 20 degrees. Gets excellent ratings and reviews. About $160.
Presto EverSharp 08810: Sharpens to 20 degrees, 3 slots with adjustable guides for thick, medium and thin blades. Excellent deep slots and angle guides. About $70.
Tormek T-2 Pro Kitchen Knife Sharpener: Commercial grade belt grinder, adjustable angles, silent motor. Overkill for most home kitchens, but an impressive tool. About $750.
Worksharp Ken Onion: Belt grinder electric sharpener. Probably the main contender to the Trizor XV. Powerful and can sharpen any angle between 15-30 degrees with add-ons to do other angles and tools. Also, you can swap out belts to achieve the exact finish you want. Very highly rated, will have a steeper learning curve than a pull-through sharpener but is more capable and more versatile. About $140.
Final Thoughts on the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Electric Knife Sharpener
The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV is a great electric knife sharpener. This means that it will get your kitchen knives acceptably sharp for kitchen use, but not razor sharp, as a whetstone or guided rod system can do (despite claims to the contrary). To paraphrase one Amazon reviewer, this is "not recommended for those who know what a truly sharp knife feels like."
You also may not want to use it on your expensive knives for two reasons: the first is that it grinds every bevel to 15 degrees, and the second is that it can leave scratches all over the blade. Most reviewers who have expensive knives say that they won't use this sharpener on them.
But despite these drawbacks, there is a time and place for the Trizor XV, and there are many users who are extremely pleased with the performance of this knife sharpener.
If you have mostly inexpensive knives that you want to have a 15 degree angle, and you want a fast, easy way to get your knives sharp, then the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV is a great solution. It's well made and should last for many years--and it's the fastest, easiest way to sharpen your kitchen knives.
SEE CHEF'SCHOICE TRIZOR XV SHARPENERS ON AMAZON:
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