Just last week I was talking with a foodie friend and I was saying that if I had 2000$ lying around I would so love a complete set of top notch knives. That would be such a wonderful dream. But I don’t and I make do with what I have which is the basic kit I bought when I moved out 12 years ago. It has always served me right. Over the years 3 knives have been added: 2 Global knives, a serrated utility and a paring one, and a ceramic knife. My Global knives were and improvement but still they are not top line. My ceramic one is very new.
My knives are in need of some serious sharpening. I have tried the sharpening stones on a cheap pocket knife and destroyed the blade…that is an art form. I have tried an “As Seen on TV” hand held sharpener….plastic broke on first try and it did not do a good job. I don’t have a budget that justifies a professional service. So when Cookware.com approached me about doing a contest/review I decided to treat my knives to a face lift, or blade lift, by trying out the Chef’s Choice Pronto Diamond Hone® Manual Knife Sharpener. I received one to try out AND they offered a second as a prize for one of my readers! Contest time! But first the review:
A good knife sharpener will restores the 20 degree angle of kitchen knives. This model accomplishes that with 100% diamond abrasive wheels that are conically angled. Both sides of the knife are sharpened at the same time with a precise 20 degree angle. No guessing of the angle like with stones. The pronto has a 2 stage sharpening mechanism. The slot 1 creates and hones a sharp edge using fine diamond abrasives. The slot 2 uses micron size diamonds to ultra hone the edge of your knife. It provides the final sharpness.
I used the paper test to check my knife’s sharpness, before and after. A sharp blade should cut right through a piece of paper, where as a dull will tear IF it cuts the paper at all. My knives all failed this test. To sharpen hold down the handle with your left hand. The handle has a soft touch for a better grip and there are 4 rubber disks under the unit so it won’t slip of your table/counter. Always use the sharpener with the numbers 1 and 2 facing you, holding with your left hand. With the right hand you draw the knife in an ‘in and out’ motion according to the manual.
Each type of knife has specific instructions: smooth blade, serrated, or even Santoku knives. Santoku knives have a 15 degree angle so although you can use this sharpener there is one made specifically for them. I completed instructions for slot 1 and then slot 2 and took out the piece of paper again. This time the knife sliced nicely through the paper. I was really impressed at how fast and well it worked.
utility knife left - paring knife right
I now have a drawer full of refreshed knives and I can touch them up at any time. The compact size of the sharpener makes it easy to store as well in a drawer. This is totally worth the investments. A refreshment sharpening only needs to go through slot 2. To keep clean just wipe down the exterior with a damp cloth (no oiling required). Keep in mind this sharpener is not recommended for scissors, ceramic or single sided knives like Kataba knives.
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WHO WANTS TO WIN A KNIFE SHARPENER ???????????
I will draw a name randomly from the eligible entries and that person will win a Chef’s Choice Pronto Diamond Hone® Manual Knife Sharpener. You have till August 14 2010, 9 PM EST to enter. US and Canadian Residents only. The winner will be announced August 15th on my twitter.
How To enter:
**Leave a comment in this post telling me why you want this knife sharpener.**
Extra ways to enter…
- Tweet about the giveaway, copy paste…1 entry per day
@cheapethniceatz CONTEST Win a Knife Sharpener http://bit.ly/aJdRi5
- Write the knife sharpener’s SKU # in a the comment, click the knife sharpener’s link above to find it…1 entry
Good luck everyone !
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Cheap Ethnic Eatz and Hélène La Coquette, Food & Drinks in Mtl. Food & Drinks in Mtl said: @cheapethniceatz CONTEST Win a Knife Sharpener http://bit.ly/aJdRi5 [...]
Well, I really need this item because I have 2 great knives (one Henckels), but my sharpening steel isnt enought.
“Thursday’s Thingamajig: CONTEST Win a Knife Sharpener”
We have an old old Knife Sharpener which never really served its purpose well! As grandparents we enjoy having our children and grandchildren and friends share a meal with us. Wonderful things happen around the Dinner Table when family and friends can share a meal together. Having sharp knives would make food preparation less difficult. Perhaps this old man could sharpen the knives of family friends/neighbors for “better” living!
Holy cow, lucky you! I’ve heard about these sharpeners, they seem great! Glad to hear the hype was not exagerated.
Um, I need this tool because otherwise I have to rely on Laurent to sharpen the knives, and if I keep nagging him in the long run it will ruin our relationship…
Hmmm. why does a conversation about wanting an awesome set of knives sounnd so familiar, I wonder?
My knives are all horrible, all of them. I NEED this sharpener so bad.
Will tweet too now
7/30/2110
We have an old old Knife Sharpener which never really served its purpose well! As grandparents we enjoy having our children and grandchildren and friends share a meal with us. Wonderful things happen around the Dinner Table when family and friends can share a meal together. Having sharp knives would make food preparation less difficult. Perhaps this old man could sharpen the knives of family friends/neighbors for “better” living!
SKU #: CCE1143
A sharp knife is a safe knife. and when the sharpener guy comes around in his truck that goes ding ding (think ice cream) he just zips by on the street and he’s gone before you can catch him.
i knife are so bad i need this .
SKU #: CCE1143
i tweeted http://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/19969732390
We need this in our kitchen because we had to use a utility knife to cut lamb last Christmas
8/1 I TWEETED http://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/20105125632
I must win this knife-sharpener to preserve my sanity. Since we moved July 1st we have not been able to locate our previous sharpener, and every single time I go near a store I have this thought “what is that thing that I’m missing and want to replace?”
So…
I would rather sharpen my favoarite knives than have to go out and buy ones. So I need this sharpener to save my poor Hubs some money.
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Scones4Me/status/20175843749
SKU #: CCE1143
LOL LOL I could tell you I need a knife sharpener because …I’m a crazy serial killer, right? LOL
But I’ll tell you what really happened to me, and you tell me if you think I need one!?
My darling has been trying to teach me how to sharpen knives with a shapener for the past… hum… I won’t cover myself in shame, so let’s just say… a long time. And frankly, I thought I had it down pack, I thought I had become the master sharpener of my neighbourhood and was ready to go offer my services to Mario Batali, when the sharpening guy rolled by, in my back alley… ringing his bell to let everyone know his sharpening truck was passing by (do you get that type of service in your neighbourhood?). Anywho… for the heck of it, I ran to my kitchen drayer and picked up a couple of my best knives, hoping that he’d offer me a job saying something like: “Oh! Lady, these don’t need any shapening, you are an amazing sharpener!” You know… being really sure by that time, that my newly acquired skills were worth millions. And so, standing next to the truck I heard him start his grind, and waited… and waited… and waited, while he sharpened my knives. I thought I’d never see my knives again, it was taking so much time. But after what seemed like an eternity, the guy came out from the back of his truck, excusing himself for taking so much time… adding that my knives were in serious need of sharpening and that the previous grind had been done in such a crooked way, he had to straighten the hole thing out. Blah… blah… blah. Needless to say, I’m back to “The Darling Grind Co.” and I think they’re about to go out of business… at least, that’s what they said last I checked!
Re: Your kind act of sharing.
Having sharp knives would make food preparation less difficult. Perhaps this old man could sharpen the knives of family friends/neighbors for “better” living!
Thank You!
I have the bad habit of buying new knife instead of sharpenning them …. I need this!!!
Tweeted!
Because I need something that will sharpen my katana.
Thank You for considering me for your Knife Sharpener! What a pleasure it would be to offer to sharpen the knives of family, friends, and neighbors!
LOl, OK guys…
1 entry on the blog per person.
Twitter is once a day!
SKU #: CCE1143
What a kind offer! Thank You for considering me for the knife sharpener! I would be able to put it to good use here at home as well as use it to sharpen knives for family and friends.
i tweeted http://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/20656769460
I use my knives so much that they are in desperate need of a face lift!
Oh wow…I could really use this! I have so many knives!!
All of my knives are hand-me-downs, so I’d love to win a sharpener to freshen them up!
Tweet: http://twitter.com/danacooks/status/20993738258
SKU #: CCE1143…. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Valerie is the winner, picked by a random number picker website, of the Knife Sharpener Contest! Congrats Valerie!