The banes of my kitchen existence are a couple of dull paring knives that my subpar sharpener can’t address. So when samples of two new knife sharpeners came across my desk, I was more than happy to give them a whirl.
I took home the AnySharp Pro knife sharpener and the Swifty Sharp, brought out the paring knives and a couple of rather useless serrated steak knives and, with a piece of bread, a lemon and an onion, began testing.
How they work: The AnySharp Pro, a weighty tool that fits in the palm, is made of sturdy metal with a thick rubber base that secures it to a flat surface with the push of a latch. It takes a bit of strength to secure the latch, but anyone reasonably strong can handle it. Knives, both straight-edged and serrated, are run lightly through the tiny sharpening blades several times.
The Swifty Sharp requires four AA batteries. A dial that surrounds a sharpening stone serves as a guide to sharpening straight-edged or serrated knives, scissors and household tools. The slot on the dial for knives, for instance, positions the blade at a straight angle over the stone, while the slot for scissors positions the blade at an angle. With one hand, press a button to start the motor that turns the stone, and with the other, run the blade through the appropriate slot.
Do they work?: The AnySharp Pro worked wonders with my paring knife. The knife went from sort of smashing the bread, mashing the lemon and barely cutting through the onion, to producing clean slices of all three with ease. The serrated knife also improved substantially. I could cut reasonably thin slices of onion, not so easy with serration.
The Swifty Sharp, however, made no improvement to the paring knife, serrated knife or a pair of scissors. In fact, using the scissors to cut through several paper napkins took more effort after the “sharpening” than before. The process was also difficult: Outside of the lightest pressure, the blades slowed or the stone stopped turning. Later I found fine dust on the counter that turned out to be dust from the sharpening stone.
Bottom line: The AnySharp Pro works efficiently and well. It secures to any flat counter for absolute safety and is simple to use. More pluses: It takes very little storage space and has a lifetime warranty. The Swifty Sharp just doesn’t deliver on what it promises to do.
Cost and availability: Find AnySharp Pro for $14.99 on amazon.com. Swifty Sharp retails for $14.95 in As Seen on TV stores, though it’s sold on Amazon and at Wal-Mart for $8.99.
Worth it: Yes, every penny, if you’re investing in the AnySharp Pro. As for the $8.99 you’d spend on a Swifty Sharp, buy a plate lunch or a large gourmet coffee drink instead. Your money will go further.
Got a gadget that you love, or are you curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.
