Guide to Using a KitchenIQ Knife Sharpener

A knife is one of the most used tools in the kitchen. Unfortunately, with multiple uses, it can lose its effectiveness in cutting or chopping food. But don't throw it away and think that it's from a bad brand. No knife is safe from getting dull.

Thankfully, there are knife sharpeners that you can buy to keep your knives usable for a longer period. Products like the KitchenIQ Knife Sharpener are a must-have in your kitchen, whether or not you are a cook. So, if you are on the lookout for the right knife sharpener for you, check out this guide for KitchenIQ Knife Sharpeners.

What Are KitchenIQ Knife Sharpeners?

KitchenIQ is a brand under Smith's that produces innovative accessories and products for your kitchen using high-quality materials. Their houseware sharpeners, such as those for knives, are among the top-selling products in their catalogue. In addition, their new electric and manual models have garnered them awards for innovation—they’ve received the 2013 Red Dot Design award and the 2016 GIA Houseware Design.

Long-Term Benefits Of Having Knife Sharpeners

Knife-sharpeners are the type of product meant for long-term use, meaning you can use the sharpeners every day for a long time. Therefore, you can save money since you only need to have one or a few for years!

Another long-term benefit is that you don't have to worry about a dull knife. As long as you have these sharpening tools, your blades will stay sharp and useful for as long as you need them to be. In addition, your fruits, vegetables, and meat will be well prepared with a sharp knife that is occasionally honed with sharpening products like the Kitcheniq Edge Grip.

How To Use KitchenIQ Knife Sharpener And The Different Types They Have

Pull-Through Sharpeners

These sharpeners are made for multiple honing features for various types of blades. To use, you place the knife on the bottom part first and pull through until the tip. An example product is the KitchenIQ Diamond Edge Knife.

These are the commonly used blade sharpeners as they are easy to use and don't need special handling. They mostly have one or two stages in sharpening your kitchen knives.

How To Use It:

1. Place the product on a flat surface.
2. For stability, use grip if available.
3. Place the bottom part of the blade and pull the knife towards you in a sliding motion.
4. Put a space between your torso and the counter and use a sliding motion with caution.

Electric Sharpeners

The KitchenIQ Electric Knife Sharpener is a bulky-looking item that requires you to dedicate a space on the counter. In addition, it needs electricity to operate. However, it's beginner-friendly and safer for users who are not familiar with knife-sharpening.

These electric types can sharpen your blades on both sides or areas at the same time. They are safer to use since you don't have to do any additional action except place the knife on the slot and wait for it to sharpen.

How To Use It:

1. Place on a flat surface near an electric socket.
2. Plug into the socket and turn it on.
3. Next, get a knife and place it on the corresponding blade slot.
4. Once it’s done sharpening, turn it off and unplug.

Rod-Type Sharpeners

The KitchenIQ Patented 10'' Oval Diamond Sharpening Rod and Honer is a rod-type sharpener for double-bevelled knives. It re-aligns not only your cutting area but also the edges as well. In addition, it has a plastic tip to protect your counter from scratches.

When you use a rod-type during knife-sharpening, it can sometimes accumulate metal filings on the bottom. To avoid this, Kitchen IQ made a model that can catch the filling for you.

How To Use It:

1. Hold the rubber grip, face the rod downward, and rest the plastic tip on a counter.
2. Move the honing rod to make a 45-degree angle, or you can use it at a 90-degree angle. Choose the angle best for you.
3. Take your knife and sharpen it with a downward stroking motion.

2-Step Sharpeners

Two-step products are commonly used for any standard everyday knife and sometimes even with professional knives. An example of a 2-step sharpener is the KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener, made from metal, copper, and carbide blades.

It might take a while to use the motion you need to make to sharpen your knives. But once you get the hang of it, it will soon be part of your kitchen routines.

How To Use It:

1. Place the item on a flat surface such as the edge of a kitchen countertop.
2. Hold down the grip and get the knife you want to use it with.
3. Glide on the coarse blade first a few times.
4. Then glide over the "fine" edge for final honing.

Angle Adjust Sharpener

An angle adjust-type of honer has a dial in between. You can change the angle of the blades in the slots to Euro/American and Asian standard angles.

This sharpener type isn't commonly needed unless you have blades that don't sharpen right with regular knife sharpeners. You can use this if you want to angle blades to a specific degree.

How To Use It:

1. Before honing your blade, select the degree set by pushing and turning the dial around.
2. Once you’ve picked the right angle, sharpen a few times in the course slot (6–10 slides) and then move on to the fine slot. If present, use the serrated knife option last.

2-in-1 Cutting Board And Knife Cutters

Many chopping and cutting boards offer a knife sharpening feature as a 2-in-1 product. An example product is the KitchenIQ Edge Board 2-in-1 Knife Sharpener and Cutting Board.

This sharpener is perfect for those living in a small apartment and who don't have enough cupboard space for a chopping board and a knife sharpener. Although it doesn't have many features, it still gets the job done.

How To Use It:

1. Place the cutting board on the edge of a flat surface where the curved part cups the counter's edge.
2. Use it as a chopping board when needed. When the knife feels dull, use the sharpening slot on the bottom right.

Counter Safe Sharpeners

The majority of the KitchenIQ products are made counter-safe. For example, the rod-type item has a plastic tip for support when sharpening, and for items that require a flat surface, these sharpeners have rubber on the bottom for cushioning and stability.

If you plan to buy from another brand, make sure to check if they have counter-safe features. Otherwise, your kitchen marble might get scratches from all that pushing and pulling tension when sharpening.

How To Use It:

1. Check if the bottom has a cushion or a rubber to protect your counter from scratches.
2. Place said side on the counter or flat surface. Use a little pressure by adding weight to make it stable enough for you to start sharpening.

Knife And Scissor Sharpeners

There are electric types and non electric types of sharpeners that are dual purpose. These has features that hone knives and scissors. In addition, some electric-type products come with a pull-out feature specifically for scissor sharpeners. For the non-electric tools such as the KitchenIQ Counter Safe Deluxe Knife and Scissors Sharpener, the blade for the part can be seen.

This type of sharpener is such a steal. You can now sharpen the knives you use to cut meat and hard vegetables. So now both your knife and kitchen scissors are sharp to chop anything.

How To Use It:

1. Check if your knife or scissors are supported by the product.
2. Use as intended while practicing caution.

Is There Anything I Should Know Before Using My New Knife Sharpener?

If you are new to owning a knife sharpener, it might be intimidating or scary to think about starting. However, you can ask someone you know to help you by showing how they prepare before sharpening and cleaning their knives after.

Of course, all the tools mentioned above are not one-knife-fits-all. Keep in mind that some sharpeners may be made for specific types of knives. So if you are not using many different kinds of kitchen knives, check for a product that sharpens your standard blades. In addition, some of these items on this list may be hazardous for your children or pets, so store them in a safe area.

Store them up in a high cabinet or a locked drawer. Be reminded to clean the tools after each use, so metal fillings don't fill your storage space.

Sharpening blades is a dangerous endeavor. It is best to watch someone who knows how to do it first to avoid wounds or injuries. You can watch professionals do it on Youtube as well.

Conclusion

This list shows the features that are commonly found in KitchenIQ’s tools. There are many more products from their brand that make your kitchen life easier. In addition, there are more products aside from sharpeners that you might find useful, so be sure to check them out.

Hopefully, this list helps introduce you to different types of knife sharpeners. As a disclaimer, there might be more types out there that are new and not on this list. Feel free to scour the internet for the model that calls your name.

You are now an expert on how to use a KitchenIQ knife sharpener. Use this guide as your go-to reference for Kitchen sharpening products. Now, go out there and get the right products for you and your kitchen, and sharpen your favorite knives or any of your blades!