I Bought the $6 Knife Sharpener That Amazon Shoppers Are Obsessed with, and … Whoa

I have a shameful secret. It’s something I’ve skirted around countless times in talks of kitchen tools (as one does); when someone brings it up, I casually smile and nod and turn the conversation onto another topic. Here it is for all the world to read (and judge): Never, not once, not in nine years of owning them, have I sharpened my knives. Frankly, I’m not entirely sure how I’ve even gotten away with it. Maybe my Zwilling block has some kind of mystical self-sharpening powers (it doesn’t). Sure, have I noticed my basil isn’t as smooth and precise as it used to be when I chiffonade it? Yes, but in general if I can slice through a sweet potato, my gut tells me I can slice through anything. Someone far more adept in the kitchen might call it ridiculous; I call it food prep optimism. Knife half dull or half sharp? Half sharp, I say!

For anyone reading this article wondering why I’ve avoided a pretty important — some might even say crucial — responsibility as a cooking enthusiast, here’s the TLDR: I’m straight-up lazy. The idea of packing up my knife set to drive them somewhere and pay to get them professionally sharpened … eh, I have better things to do (like risk cutting off an appendage with a dull knife, evidently). But then I read this article recently, right here on Kitchn, about a $6 top-rated knife sharpener from Amazon and, well, I was clicking “Prime 2-day shipping, please!” faster than I could realize I was betraying my own bad habits. I have a long history of succumbing to what typically turns out to be useless kitchen gadgets (what’s up, Yonanas machine?), so I figured, what’s another $6?

Except, folks, it actually freaking works! I’ve been burned by “positive” reviews before, but not this time. The KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener has lived up to the hype. On its maiden sharpening voyage, I pulled out a VERY dull knife that I had retired (one I bought for about $15 two years prior to use at an Airbnb with a tragic kitchen setup) because it couldn’t so much as get through cilantro, and a few swipes through the “coarse” blades followed by a quick dance through “fine” and I was dicing up a carrot with no sweat or risk of dismemberment. “Whoa” was the very word out of my mouth, so I got to work on my other, nicer knives and I’m telling you, they’re like new now — like fresh baby knives, unscathed by years of potato hacking and macadamia nut chopping.

I also want to note that it’s about the size of a hefty lemon and has a grippy bottom, making it secure to use and easy enough to store (although mine has sat out on my counter since it came in the mail, as I now find myself addicted to the sweet nectar of a crisp knife blade).

Should I get with the program and take my treasured knives to a real-life sharpener at some point? Yeah, probably. But I think I’ve bought myself some more time … and it only cost me $6.  

Have you tried this knife sharpener? What’d you think?