Knife sharpening is a basic life skill every adult must learn how to do. Yet not a lot of us are practicing it. We think it's just as simple as running the knife up and down the sharpener, and it's good to go, but there's a lot more to it than we thought.
To get the best out of your knife, you must know how its edge is angled to get the proper sharpening tilt. So we'll sample some of the most sought-after kitchen knife sets and tell you the optimum sharpening blade angle for these kitchen knives so you can enjoy a razor-sharp blade as you chop and slice things up in your kitchen.
12-Piece Henckels Statement Kitchen Knife Set
Marketplace Ranking: Number 6 bestseller (as of publishing)
Material: Solingen Stainless Steel
Origin: Germany
Henckel's good qualities
It stays sharp for a long time. The Solingen blades of Henckels are proven to hold edges even on frequent and intense use.
Their kitchen knife product lines also improve: Henckels has a Professional S line used by more serious cooks. It is a next-level collection of their best kitchen knife set that will endure in the toughest kitchen conditions and require little to no sharpening.
What's the catch?
Henckels' Statement knife block could be more precise. Its slots may not fit the knives well. On the other hand, you can always buy a magnetic bar as a substitute. It will look better in your kitchen.
What angle should I sharpen Henckels knives?
The best angle for sharpening kitchen knives from Henckels should be within 20 to 22 degrees if they have larger blades (i.e., chef's knife, santoku, and bread knife). For smaller blades, you may opt for 15 - 10 degrees to enjoy optimal sharpness.
Explore Henckels further
This premium knife brand has more to offer than what can be explained here. If you want to see if this blade has the right edge for your needs, you can visit it on Amazon.
15-Piece McCook Knife Set
Marketplace Ranking: Number 2 bestseller (as of publishing)
Material: Stainless Steel
Origin: Germany
McCook's good qualities
It's self-sharpening. McCook's knife block has a kitchen knife sharpener on each slot. So every time you pull a knife out and put it back, the blade gets a sharpening stroke. This push and pull motion hone the edge and maintain its sharpness.
What's the catch?
The blades have below-par sharpness. The McCook's set has knives you'd want to sharpen using these magnificent whetstones. Perhaps it's built this way because they want the self-sharpening block to work on the blade's edges while in use.
What angle should I sharpen McCook's knives?
Most knives of European origin have a thicker blade. Hence, they'll have to be sharpened with a broader angle. For McCook's knife set, we recommend 17 to 20 degrees as this is the best angle for the chef knife and other longer blades in the set. For shorter ones, 10 to 15 degrees are recommended.
Explore McCook further
If you're looking for quality German-made knives on a budget. McCook is an excellent choice if you enjoy knife-sharpening. Get this set on Amazon.
17-Piece Home Hero Knife Block Set
Marketplace Ranking: Number 1 bestseller (as of publishing)
Material: Coated Stainless Steel
Origins: N/A
Home Hero's good qualities
Beautiful design with quantity at the right price point. The transparent acrylic stand looks beautiful sitting on a kitchen countertop. In addition, it's got almost everything your kitchen needs. Plus, the Home Hero set is light on the wallet.
What's the catch?
You can easily scratch the knife's coating. If you're opting for the black-coated knife blade set, take extra care. The coating can be scratched off when you sharpen it. If your sharpening skills need practice, pick the silver variety to avoid a scratched blade cheek.
What angle should I sharpen Home Hero's knives?
Home Hero's knife set is perfect for those new to using sharpening stones. This brand is American or European, so we recommend a 17 to 20 on larger blades and the usual 10 to 15 angle on the smaller ones. You can either use the included knife sharpener or your whetstone.
Explore Home Hero further
If you want something that looks good in your kitchen and has everything you need at the price you can afford, Home Hero is the right choice. See what else this knife set offers on Amazon.
6-Piece Amazon Basics Knives
Marketplace Ranking: Number 4 bestseller (as of publishing)
Material: Non-Stick Coated Stainless Steel
Origins: N/A
Amazon Basics's good qualities
Color-coded and sheathed. You won't have to get confused by knives with the same-colored handle designs. The coated knives tell you which is which by assigning colors to them. Also, the knives are paired with strong, moisture-resistant sheaths to protect you and your blades.
What's the catch?
Knife block excluded. The trade-off for having the sheaths is the knife block. This makes organizing these knives a challenge. We recommend you put them all in a dedicated kitchen drawer.
What angle should I sharpen Amazon Basics’s knives?
These American-made knives are thin. Regular blade angles won't sharpen them well. So we suggest a 15 to 17 degrees sharpening angle for larger knives and at least 10 degrees for shorter ones.
Explore Amazon's Choice further
Amazon Basics is the dominant brand for saving you money. So if you're someone who likes a decent knife set you can practice sharpening with at a good price, go with Amazon Basics.
Home Hero Is Our Choice to Practice Sharpening Blade Angles for Kitchen Knives
Primarily, we feature knife sets and give their grind angles for you to practice your sharpening skills. But in the end, you'll still be using these knives for food preparation. Therefore, they have to be worth it. And Home Hero has the right quality at the right quantity and price.
More kitchen knife sets like the ones above await you when you check out our blogs. In addition, we've got reviews and buying guides that give detailed information about what you need. Explore more blogs here at Knifescout.
August 18, 2022
