Work Sharp Professional Electric Culinary E5 Kitchen Knife Sharpener

Great Value, lives up to its reputation! Superb knife sharpener.

I tried out the WorkSharp E5 today on an old set of forged Faberware knives after scratching up my prized Wusthof Chef's knife with the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV15 (which I returned). I followed the WorkSharp recipe for "Shaping" on the Chef's knife, since it had never been sharpened professionally before. I did not get the result I wanted after two "Shaping" recipe tries. So I switched to the "REPAIR AND RESTORE" recipe, only found in the E5+ and the E5 Upgrade Kit manuals. (Note that by buying the Master Belt Kit, I had on hand all of the belts necessary to do the "REPAIR AND RESTORE" recipe with my E5 purchase). Yes, I was working at a 17 degree angle, not the 15 or 20 degrees available with the Upgrade Kit, but the "Repair and Restore" recipe worked fine at 17 degrees. The key factor was having the blue, coarse grit belt available to do the "Repair and Restore" recipe, which worked wonders on that old Farberware Chef's Knife! It now cuts magazine paper effortlessly, just like you see in all of the YouTube sharpener reviews. Compared to the Trizor XV15, the WorkSharp E5 simply gives you more control over the sharpening process. There is a very small learning curve with the E5, but once mastered, you have much more control over the sharpening process and can switch to whatever recipe is necessary for the condition of your knife (provided you buy the Master Belt Kit). I don't think my Wusthof Classic knives will need the "Repair and Restore" recipe as they are fairly new, but its good to have it as part of my sharpening arsenal, in case I need it. So get the belt kit and don't be afraid to use the "Repair and Restore" recipe if necessary (just download the manual for the E5+ or the Upgrade Kit, which contain the specifics for the "Repair and Restore" recipe).

Pros: This is a very nice machine. The timing feature is a bonus. Cons: It has very limited features for the price #1. It comes with only one grinding angle 20 degrees. Good for only one type of knife. #2 It comes with 2 medium grit and 1 extra fine grit belts. #3 The "upgrade" kit (at an outrageous $60) should have been a standard feature. It has 2 sets of grinding angle holders. A 17 degree holder, and a 15 degree, which is the one necessary for Japanese knives. Even an everyday cook has a good collection of Japanese knives. To purchase an "upgrade" kit to cover these knives is reprehensible. This kit also comes with a limited set of grinding belts. A very coarse grit, 2 medium grit, one fine grit and one extra fine grit. If you take care of your knives you will probably use ONLY the fine and extra fine grit belts. All the others can be tossed or used to strip paint off of an aircraft carrier. #4. The extra cost set of belts, $18, also have the same limited, and mostly unneeded set of belts. One very coarse, 2 medium coarse, one fine and one extra fine belt. I find it difficult to believe that an expensive kitchen tool has not been thought through. If you carve bones all day or drop your knives on a cement floor, you will not need this plethora of extra coarse and coarse belts. The "upgrade kit" should have been a standard no cost feature. A set of fine grit belts should be made available. Yes, I'm upset, because I spent a lot of money on things that just will clutter some drawers in my kitchen. Will take a couple of days to cool off and decide whether to return this collection of gew gaws that have such limited use.

I recently purchased the Work Sharp E5 electric knife sharpener, and I'm thrilled with the results. It's incredibly user-friendly, making it perfect for someone like me who isn't a pro chef but still values sharp knives. I've noticed a significant difference in my knife's performance after using the E5. Honestly, it feels like I've extended the life of my knives and upped my cooking game. Highly recommend this to anyone in need of a reliable sharpener! I used this with the additional sharpening guides to sharpen my Wusthoff knives. I know Wusthoff has a similar sharpener for more money and looks exactly like the Work Sharp.

Great product works as advertised

Works great. Would recommend the upgrade kit for 15 degree and 20 degree guides and additional belts. Very happy with this sharpener.

Package showed up. Plugged the item in and it didnt work. Wouldnt turn on…completely dead. You would think for the price they would QA stuff like this. Oh well. Amazon returns are great and there are other options out there for knife sharpening.

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