How To Sharpen Kitchen Knives

Use a honing rod or a sharpening stone to sharpen your kitchen knives.

If your kitchen knives are starting to feel dull, don’t despair! With a little time and effort, you can easily sharpen them back to their original sharpness. Here’s how:

First, gather your supplies. You’ll need a sharpening stone (also called a whetstone), some water, and a cloth or towel. You might also want to use a honing rod to help keep your knives in good shape between sharpenings.

Next, prepare your workspace. Place the sharpening stone on a non-slip surface, and wet the stone with a few drops of water.

Now it’s time to sharpen! Hold the knife you want to sharpen in your non-dominant hand, and position the blade at a 20-degree angle to the stone. Use your dominant hand to hold the knife handle, and apply light pressure as you move the blade back and forth across the stone.

Repeat this motion 10-15 times on each side of the blade. If you’re using a honing rod, you can also give the blade a few strokes on each side to help keep it sharp.

Finally, rinse off your knife and stone with water, and dry everything off with a towel. Your knives are now sharp and ready to use!

How To Sharpen Kitchen Knives?

Use a sharpening stone to sharpen your kitchen knives.

1. Find a sharpening stone. There are many kinds available on the market. For our purposes, we will use a medium grit stone. If your knives are extremely dull, start with a coarse grit. If they are just a little dull, use a fine grit.

2. Soak the stone in water for 10-15 minutes. This will help keep the stone from getting too hot and damaging the blades.

3. Place the stone on a non-slip surface. A wet towel placed underneath the stone will help keep it from moving around.

4. Hold the knife at a 20-30 degree angle to the stone and use a back and forth motion to sharpen the blade. Start with the heel of the knife and work your way to the tip.

5. Flip the knife over and repeat step 4 on the other side.

6. Wipe the blade clean with a damp cloth and dry it with a clean, dry towel.

A honing steel is a great way to keep your kitchen knives sharp between sharpenings. It’s quick and easy to use and only takes a few seconds per knife.

1. Place the honing steel on a stable surface.

2. Hold the knife by the handle and place the blade against the honing steel at a 20-30 degree angle.

3. Use a back and forth motion to sharpen the blade. Start with the heel of the knife and work your way to the tip.

4. Flip the knife over and repeat step 3 on the other side.

5. Wipe the blade clean with a damp cloth and dry it with a clean, dry towel.

What Is The Best Way To Sharpen Kitchen Knives?

The best way to sharpen kitchen knives is with a honing rod and a honing steel.

This is a common kitchen gadget that looks like a long metal rod with a handle. It’s sometimes called a honing steel, sharpening steel, or butcher’s steel.

To use it, hold the honing steel in your non-dominant hand and the knife you’re sharpening in your dominant hand. Rest the heel of the knife blade on the honing steel at a 20-degree angle. Use your other hand to hold the end of the honing steel so that the steel rod is pointing up.

Now, start moving the knife up and down the length of the honing steel. Apply moderate pressure as you move the blade back and forth. You should hear a light shhhhhhhhhhhsound as the blade moves over the steel.

After a few swipes on each side, test the blade on a piece of paper. If it cuts cleanly, you’re done. If it still drags or feels dull, continue honing for another minute or so.

FAQ

If you’re still unclear about how to sharpen kitchen knives, let us know in the comments section and we’ll be happy to help.