Chef’sChoice 15XV Professional Electric Knife Sharpener With 100-Percent Diamond Abrasives And Precision Angle Guides For Straight Edge and Serrated Knives, 3-Stage, Black

So I researched all the electric knife sharpening models from Chef's Choice and landed firmly on the Model 15XV. When I received and opened the Amazon delivery I was surprised to discover that it was packed in a generic brown box with nothing more than styrofoam end caps, a plastic cover, and a manual. It was very underwhelming, and my first thought was "did I receive a refurbished item"? My concerns grew more serious when I noticed that the sides of the unit, where all photos clearly showed the text "Model 15XV" was blank.. missing on my unit. I flipped it over and a plate from the manufacturer simply said "Model 15", along with other identifying elements, like the serial number. I was worried that my "great deal" was nothing more than a "bait and switch". So I called Chef's Choice customer service... and verified that the brown box packaging was because this was a factory-direct delivery, the missing "Model 15XV" print on the outside was part of the NEW design, and that my serial number matched their records of their Model 15XV. Legit item, great price!Then I read the manual (quick read), followed the instructions to the letter, and can say with great confidence that this was worth every penny. Ease of use is about as easy as you could ever expect this to be. It would be difficult to mess this up, and the guides do lock the blades into the perfect angle every pass. Speed: my knife set had not been sharpened in 2 years, and were originally 17-20 degree edges from the factory. So, just like the instructions point out, the first time you sharpen any knife on this machine, the first stage may take up to 20 passes per side (mine took 12 per side). But stage 2 and stage 3 were 3-pass-each-side stages just as the instructions suggested. And the finished edge is as good if not better than the factory edge. I assume now that my edges are ground to the 14 degree (not 15 as the model says) angle that this model is set up for, any future sharpening sessions will only require 3-4 per side passes on the first stage, as the instructions point out.100% recommended. I only wish I had purchase this 15 years ago. It really works. It is really simple. And the results pay for themselves immediately.

Let it be known that this works WAY better than those cheap sharpeners that you keep in a kitchen drawer. My knives are even SHARPER than they were when I first purchased them. I believe the reason for this (as it states in their manual) is they sharpen to a 15° angle versus what I think is a standard 20° for western knives?Even though it’s a hefty machine, it does require some time and legwork—took me roughly 10 minutes per knife to get it fully sharpened. Regardless, this thing is going to keep my knives sharp for decades to come and I couldn’t be happier with this purchase.

Has a solid, heavy-duty, and durable feel to it. Motor is powerful and quiet. Very easy to use, and great results - super sharp knives after following directions

I love the Chef's Choice products. At my main reisdence I have a top end one and it is simply fantastic. I use the finest steel German knives and it makes them as sharp as scalpels - I am maniac on knives and cooking. I bought this budget one for my second home. Its not as good at all as my orginal, but for the money - wow! If it your first outing wiht this type of sharpener you can do a lot worse with others. It is true to their performance and not up to my top end one - but for the money - BUY IT. You won't regret it.

This sharpener is the only one for me. Grinds blades to an incredible edge. I converted my 25 degree knifes to this 15 degree edge and am very satisfied. It took a while to grind down to 15 degrees, but once I got it, it was a breeze to maintain. Highly recommend.

Many reviews say that the 15XV is complex so read the directions. It is not, it just has three stages unlike most with two but yes - read the directions.First page of the directions has a warning:KNIVES PROPERLY SHARPENED ON YOUR XV15 WILL BE SHARPER THAN YOU EXPECT. TO AVOID INJURY...HEED THIS WARNING - you can ask my finger which now has a heartbeat after sticking it with the tip of my Wusthof chefs knife. This sharpener will indeed sharpen your knives sharper than ever before.EASE OF USE: There are three phasesstage one - generating a burr. In this phase you alter from left to right until a burr ALONG THE ENTIRE EDGE is generated. It will only be on one side of the blade depending on which side you started on. If your knife had a 30 degree bevel then it will take many (up to 20+) pulls before you get the burr. This indicates you have transitioned to the correct angle.stage two - hone - again you alternate between left and right in the second set of slots. This time you only need to do 2 or 3 pairs of passes. (note that depending on what you are using you knife for, the directions might have you skip this stage)stage three - polish - same as stage two, 2 to 3 pairs of passes and you have a beautiful tri-bevel 15 degree final.Note that you need to follow slightly different process depending on if you are sharpening a serated blade (read the directions :-) )RESULT:I find that eating with an extreamly sharp knife can actually make the experience of cooking / eating much better. From cutting a peice of filet mignon a perfect thickness to enjoy, or when preparing by improving your knife skills. Just remember, your finger can have a heartbeat too if you are not careful.I would HIGHLY recommend this sharpener - even at this pricepoint. This replaced my old Chefs Choice which met an unfortunate end, but was not even close to how well this works.NIT PICK - Yes, as some have pointed out, the sides of your blade might get micro scratches from pulling through the machine. My knifes do have additional scratches on the sides of the spine. If you have highly polished spines, you may want to put a piece of carpenters tape on the sides first before pulling through if you believe it is an issue. I personnally do not care, as my blades are not perfectly polished anyhow.