— Annette Barnhart Quiles

Yeah, so, um, you don't always need to get your knives sharpened professionally. In fact, usually, uh, in, in some of our classes we show how to use a wet stone at home. And, um, I still to this day think that is the best way to sharpen your knives using the wet stone practice. It takes a little bit longer. Um, and if you have a lot of knives, it definitely takes a lot longer to be able to do that. Now that being said, I do have an electric sharpener that I use more than I use my wet stones. Um, why? Because I can get all of my knives sharpened in 15 minutes compared to many hours worth of work and all the knives. I typically sharpen my knives every two to three months, depending on how much I'm cooking, you know, during the holiday seasons, I have to sharpen them a little bit, um, more often because I'm using them more often. Now that being said, I do have an electric sharpener. Uh, I cannot remember what the name of the brand is, but it's basically one that has three different settings on it and you drag the knife through it. Um, now those are, they're good, but they basically what they're kind of doing is creating a little micro serration on the bottom of them because the mic is also bouncing a bit through them. So a lot of people don't like using those as much. If you have a really good one, you know, um, it won't bounce as much, it'll keep a very straight edge on it. And those are wonderful. And that's the one I actually use myself, where it has kind of a, uh, coser setting and then a lighter setting on it, um, to be able to have a finished polish basically on it as well. So I, I use those quite often to be able to sharp my, sharpen my knives, um, and then I'll go back and use a wet stone maybe once, maybe twice a year, uh, if I have the time. But, um, the rest of the time every three months and pr probably using that electric sharpener more often than not. One of the other important things to remember is to use your honing tool, which is that kind of long, uh, kind of stick looking thing that's in your knife block. You pull it out, it's usually kind of rough around the outside. Use that honing tool to be able to keep your knives edge very straight. Um, and the more you do that when you're using your knives, the sharp, it'll actually stay and you don't have to sharpen them as much too. So, um, as far as electric sharpeners, yes, I actually do use them. A lot of people kind of put their nose up at them, but you know, to be able to get something done quick, um, and easy out of them, um, that's great. Do they take a little more off your veer knife compared to like a West stone would probably. But, um, you know, uh, the knives that I have, I've had for years and years and years, probably 20 years and they still work great, um, after using those sharpeners in that way as well.