If you’ve ever looked at your dull chef’s knife or entire knife set and thought it was time to replace them, you can save some big money by restoring what you already have instead. Many dull knives are just one sharpening away from performing as well as new.
There are several ways to breathe new life back into your older knives: There are handy tabletop manual models and even electric knife sharpeners, but professional chefs will tell you that a whetstone is the best way to care for your knives. With a whetstone, you control the angle, grit, and pressure while sharpening, allowing you to restore the edge of any knife to a high degree of precision. Whetstones do have a learning curve, but with some practice, you’ll be honing every blade in your collection to scalpel-like perfection.
Ultimately, a sharpened edge brings new life to an old knife, making cutting easier, more precise, and — perhaps most importantly — safer. But not every whetstone is ideal for every knife-wielder. We tested 20 sharpening sets, including full kits, dual-sided stones, and tri-stones, to determine the best one for each type of cook, from total beginners to experienced chefs.
Our Favorite Whetstones
The King Whetstone Starter Set is a good choice for beginners and experienced users alike, providing a good selection of grits on a sturdy, dual-sided stone (and at a reasonable price). A kit with added accessories like cut-resistant gloves and an angle guide is ideal for beginners, and the best one of those we tested was the Cangshan 7-Piece Kitchen Knife Care & Sharpening Kit.
Our Top Picks
Cangshan 7-Piece Kitchen Knife Care & Sharpening Kit at Amazon $120