Note: We received this product for review- but all opinions are our own. This post may include affiliate links. Please see our complete disclosure here.
Sharpen Your Knives With Ease
The AnySharp Pro Metal is a small, portable, easy-to-store, very easy to use knife sharpener that can sharpen your straight bladed knives as well as some with larger serrations. We were sent one and took it into the Test Kitchen for a whirl.
But First, Let’s Talk Knives
Any chef will tell you that their knives are their most important kitchen tool. They are an extension of one’s hands and can transform any vegetable, fruit, meat or cheese into exactly the size and shape that they need.
Sharp knives can slice a birthday cake and mince parsley. They can cut a tomato paper thin for a sandwich or carve a roast. But they can only accomplish these tasks if they are sharp.
Knives dull with use and not only will that tomato compress into a squishy mess if you attempt to slice with a dull knife, but even more importantly, dull knives are dangerous. They will slip off the cutting surface and you will be more prone to being cut.
Chefs Are Trained to Sharpen Knives; We Aren’t
Dull knives are not just a problem for chefs. Home cooks need sharp knives too to accomplish daily kitchen tasks and to preserve fingertips. The problem is that chefs learn how to sharpen knives and have easy access to professional knife sharpening services.
We typically lack both the training and the services.
My Dad had a wet stone and every month or so there would be this big weekend production. He would lay out the two different stones with varying amounts of grit. He had water and oil handy and some special cloths that only made an appearance for this purpose.
He would sit at the kitchen table and proceed to sharpen all of the kitchen knives in quite the ritualistic fashion. He loved it. My Mom loved having sharp knives. I was always a bit intrigued at the ceremony of it all and he did teach me.
But it wasn’t that easy and I didn’t exactly enjoy it the way that he did.
Good Knives Are Expensive – Don’t Ruin Them!
The worst part was that I always worried about ruining the knives. My Dad would go on and on about how to hold the knife blade at a particular angle in relation to the wet stone.
Thankfully these days there are much easier ways to sharpen your knives and the AnySharp is amongst the easiest – and the results are great. The unit comes in a variety of colors – and a stainless steel as well.
How To Use the AnySharp
- Suction cup base attaches to your work surface.
- Make sure knife is clean and dry.
- Commence one-handed sharpening; simply draw knife blade through the perfectly 20-degree angled tungsten carbide “v” (see image above) 6 times.
- Wipe blade clean and voila!
You can sharpen stainless steel, titanium or carbon steel knives. Do not use for ceramic or finely serrated blades. It will work with wide toothed serrated blades. Bread knives are usually this wider serration; steak knives usually not.
Our Take on The AnySharp
We gave up sharpening knives the old-fashioned way a long time ago. We have other knife sharpening gadgets but their biggest draw back is that they are big and bulky and frankly, they are a pain in the butt to haul out and then put away. They are collecting dust.
We really like the AnySharp and, as you can see, we were sent a pink version, which just happened to match Dédé’s nails the day we received it! There is a color for all likes and decors and anyone can use this tool. Here’s the rundown:
* Super easy to use. Remember to not use too much pressure as you draw the blade through the “v”.
* Safe to use. Suction cup = hands-free, which means hands away from the blades!
* Great results in minutes, for straight blades and serrated.
* Sharpens scissors, too.
* Works for righties and lefties.
* Attractive design and colors to suit any décor.
* Stores easily in a drawer.
* Priced right.
* Product lifetime guarantee.
* Great gift for the cook who “has everything”.
The AnySharp is going to be used regularly in the Test Kitchen.
Where to Buy: You can buy it here.
Price at Time of Review: There are two versions. The plastic version is less than $13. The metal version is less than $22. We say spring for the Pro version.
Have you tried this product? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
You might also be interested in our review of the ZeroWater system. I have it in our Test Kitchen!
