Work Sharp Culinary E5 Sharpener Review - Electric Kitchen Knife Sharpener Review

[@chefpanko]

TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Video introduction. 00:40 - E5 Culinary Sharpener Packaging 01:06 - In the Box of the E5 Culinary Sharpener 01:50 - The aesthetics and built quility of the E5 sharpener 02:56 - Two red medium grit rated belts. 03:21 - Shape, Sharpen, and Refine? 03:58 - The E5 Ceramic Honing Rod (optional) 05:09 - The Mircroforge 05:59 - Convex Edge VS Flat Grind 06:51 - Limited use of the Work Sharp E5 Culinary Sharpener 07:16 - How to use the Work Sharp E5 Culinary Sharpener 07:57 - Sharpen the complete blade edge! 08:08 - The knife-edge with the red belt (medium) 08:27 - Suitable for home cooks? 08:58 - Suitable for knife enthusiasts? 09:30 - Suitable for Professional Cooks? 09:57 - E5 Upgrade kit's and Belts 10:19 - The durability of the E5 sharpener 🛒S H O P: E5 Culinary Electric Sharpener: NA: amzn.to/2ZymTzh EU: amzn.to/3gobngR E5 Upgrade Kit: NA://amzn.to/2ZxJ6h4 EU://amzn.to/2ZxD0gB E5 Master Belt Kit: NA: amzn.to/2ZxJ6h4 EU: amzn.to/2ZxD0gB N O T E S: The E5 Culinary sharpener is great for home cooks. For knife enthusiasts, the red belt alone is not enough and you will need the Extra belt or the E5 Upgrade kit in order for you to love the product. T I P: In the video, you see me slowly pulling the knife, this is only to show you how it should be done however you should ''directly'' start pulling the knife after you inserted the heel. Extra Info: Knife Enthusiast that want to experiment more with angles and other things I heard that they really like the Ken Onion Edition from Work Sharp with the special grind attachment. Which mimics the manual sharpening methods a bit more. 🛒S H O P: Ken Onion Sharpener + Blade Grinding attachment NA: amzn.to/2ZymNry EU: amzn.to/3izFWlq I did not test the Ken Onion Sharpener so I can't give you my opinions or experience with it. Since I got emails from knife enthusiasts that they really like the Ken Onion Sharpener so I wanted to add this as an alternative since so many knife enthusiast likes it.

[@Biscuitman3000]

Truly appreciate this video. Professional chef who’s having trouble with his hands carpal tunnel and just doesn’t have the time to sharpen for hours every week anymore. Very very helpful ordering one as I type

[@marcelkudela7161]

Knife reviewing people should learn from you how to conduct a well informed review! Big respect.

[@nadtz]

My first thought when I checked the price was 'that's kinda expensive' then I thought about the fact that you can spend as much (if not more) on a single whetstone and certainly on a nice knife and realized for someone who doesn't want to learn hand sharpening and isn't a professional cook this actually isn't bad. I know enthusiasts would likely brush this off but as someone who is new to sharpening it's good to know there are decent mechanical options out there, thanks or the review.

[@chefpanko]

The results from the red belt alone will be far better than most of the manual sharpeners that are in the learning phase, so definitely a sharper edge is created vs a manual sharpener in the beginning stages. Also, the single red belt lasts very long and is used for shaping, sharpening, and refining. While with a whetstone you need at least 3 grit sized to do the same and takes a lot more time too. It takes a long way to learn how to manual sharpen and choosing the correct grit sized stone, this E5 sharpener takes it all away by having just one single belt. Sure the single red belt would not satisfy the manual sharpeners/ knife enthusiast that already managed to learn how to sharpen a knife properly. But the extra optional belt and the upgrade kit solution would most likely even satisfy a lot of knife enthusiasts. (a knife enthusiast will probably have a 6000 grit Waterstone so the upgrade belt will create an edge that is close to that). But it is extremely fast you are done in around 2/3 minutes. As a manual sharpener myself I was always skeptical about electric/mechanical sharpeners so never had the urge to buy or to try one but I'm glad I did since it is a good product that managed to take all my skepticism away.

[@ernie548]

I like their products. I have the Ken Onion. I would agree about the dust in a kitchen area needing some thought.

[@chefpanko]

I have no experience with Worksharp customer support. But the product itself is of good quality. I spoke to the Lead Designer Dan Doval from Worksharp, it was a fascinating talk (email conversation), and I can't wait for what he comes up with as a new sharpening product.

[@timothygil1]

Many kitchen, especially high end ones have a chef's office, if allowed that could be the room to sharpen your knives in a professional environment.

[@Scrappydog]

wow super sharp!

[@chefpanko]

Sure is!

[@Anonymous-ku5je]

I have mixed feelings about the upgrade kit with 20 and 15 degree angles. Having a few Japanese knives and looking at others there is no doubt there are quite a few in 12-14 degree range. This would mean a sharpening would have to reprofile those wouldn’t it? It also makes me wonder if I would notice a reduction in sharpness. I reached out to worksharp and they told me the Ken Onion edition belts will actually fit this sharpener, so you can get and use 6000, and even a 12000 grit belt, however , those belts would also be louder when used with the e5. That’s just what they told me though.

[@chefpanko]

Yes, the edge will be reprofiled and there is not much you have to do on your end. How sharp the end result would be depends on the final finishing state ie; belts and or stropping or adding a honing refinement. This is a tool to make it easier for home users to sharpen their knives. For extremely precise angles you may want to look at guided angles systems where you set the exact angles for it. Compared to free-hand sharpening you will always deviate from the initial sharpness as we are humans and not machines. Therefore it is more important to compensate for errors rather than trying to get the exact angle and that comes down to free hand sharpening experience + knowledge. This electric sharpening system is intended for those who don't want to learn how to free-hand sharpen (or those who for physical reasons are not able to) that is since they removed the adjustability to make it beginners friendly with the pre-programmed options. For a more precise option, they have the Ken Onion Sharpening system with which you can determine your own angles but it still is free-hand so the exact angle depends on how stable you are with your hand. Angles-guided systems remove the angle errors by setting the exact angle with pretty much no errors per stroke. However, with the angles guided sharpening you need the knowledge of what kind of strokes to apply what kind of pressure to apply, and what kind of stones to use in which scenario. (With E5 they made one band to be capable of doing all 2 but also include extra bands for those that want extra). In the end, it all depends on your use case and what you find convenient to use as there are a lot of new sharpening systems that solve some of the free-hand sharpening problems and make it accessible to the average consumers. But yes you will override the factory angle with the E5, how the final edge would be depends on your final finishing method. There are also limitations as some knives come with a 70/30 bevel whereas where E5 is designed for Double Beveled knives 50/50 bevel. None of the systems are able to sharpen a Single beveled kitchen knife ie; Usuba, Yanagiba, etc. Does my own free-hand sharpening yield better end results than the E5? Yes, but that also comes with the years of trial and error before I managed to get to that point. However, I also was not able to do free-hand sharpening for over 1.5 years due to an injury to my left hand where Electric sharpening solved a problem at those times. I can't comment on what Worksharp told you as I have not tried the system with other belts. I may have added more questions than a solution for you. But feel free to ask me more, I have experience with the E5, Angled Guided Sharpening System (I have been testing one for over a month now but need to test it some more to get my final review out), and Fee-hand sharpening.

[@rowanfernsler9725]

The belt prices add up quickly if you sharpen a decent amount from what I hear. Your belts seem to be holding up well. And it is already exspensive at $150-$200. I got my king 1000/6000 for 30 bucks and I don’t think that sharpener will get a knife as sharp as that stone and some newspaper or leather. And it can only really do convex edges which is another downside for someone like me. I would say for home cooks to get this and be happy, but it is too expensieve for a lot of people. A $50 buck lansky would work just as well if not better.

[@chefpanko]

That is definitely true but after around 40 knives the belt is still performing like new, the key difference here is time and the ease of use. There is basically no learning curve, and each knife is done in around 2/3 minutes. This product really shines for those who don't know how to manual sharpen, it takes away the learning curve and knowledge about the correct grit sizes and sharpening techniques angles, etc. If you already own multiple whetstones and already know how to sharpen then the benefits are less and will be quite an expensive replacement unless you have a busy lifestyle and planning a day to sharpen your knife is not possible anymore then this is a great alternative. And for most knife enthusiasts that already know how to sharpen they won't be satisfied with the red belts alone so you need to spend extra for the upgrade kit/belts.

[@reallyoldsubdude387]

"A $50 buck lansky would work just as well if not better." Pure conjecture without an iota of proof; also "from what I hear" is not a valid remark either . . . did you personally verify? Good grief you could actually get involved in looking / testing and true verification before slamming something.

[@NotOurRemedy]

Nothing is more valuable than time. 99% of people who want a sharp knife have better uses of their time than to take on hand sharpening as one of the few hobby’s they have time for.

[@scottmichaelbeltz]

I've read in some forums people mentioning they keep a smaller profile diamond or similar sharpener next to their knife block and every time they pull a knife they pass it through a couple times. From the ones I've read they say that helps with the longevity of the sharpness (basically they don't have to do a full sharpening nearly as often). What are your thoughts on that? Would that perhaps be as beneficial as using a tool like this (sharpening-wise not shaping or refining)? I really appreciate the information in your videos. I've snagged pieces for a beginner set and am excited to learn how to properly care for and sharpen them once they get here.

[@chefpanko]

It will work if the knife is not too dull, so for regular maintenance, it is good. But the best option is of course to know when you need a touch-up or a slight honing session. Since you don't need to pull it through every week, and most knives will last you a long time. But those electric sharpeners like this are definitely intended for those that lack the knowledge of manual sharpening and that is when this product shines the best. The refine option is very gentle on the knife too so the sharpness will be maintained longer so not a full cycle is needed. The same for manual sharpening people always think that they need to do a full grit size cycle. They go from 1000 grit to 3000 to 6000. While in most cases they only need to maintain it with honing strokes with a 3000 or 6000 grit only. So in short they are correct using this electric sharpener on the refine cycle once a week to prevent maintenance will preserve the lifespan of the knife. But the best option is that you personally know when to use a refine cycle instead of weekly maintenance refine cycle (because sometimes you don't even need to refine the knife for 2 weeks).

[@scottmichaelbeltz]

@@chefpanko Am I correct in assuming that the best way to gain that knowledge is by use? Once you get to know your knives more you'll just be able to tell they aren't cutting as well?

[@chefpanko]

@@scottmichaelbeltz It sounds a bit of a silly tip, but it is indeed as you assumed. The more you use the knife the more you understand it's potential and how long the edge can be held. After many uses and sharpening session, you develop an automatic feel, you will immediately notice the degradation of the edge. This is when you can determine what you need to use, a honing rod, a whetstone honing session or if you neglected or postponed a maintenance session you plan in a sharpening session. Some indications are visible too, I have explained a few of the examples here: www.chefpanko.com/maintenance-sharpening/ It is in the chart below, but it is also told in the video. Hope that that helps :)

[@silverazorx]

I have no experience with electric sharpeners but this one is quite interesting, it might be a good gift for my aunt and for many people that have exesively dull knives as well. I did not understand what does that honing rod, it just crimps the cutting edge to form serrations or something like that?

[@chefpanko]

The Honing rod option is called MircroForge. It creates recessed indents, which is different from the serrated toothy knives. You still keep the flat non-toothy profile but then with recessed indents. This is used to increase the toughness, edge retention, and a better bite on things like a ripe tomato. The effect is especially noticeable with knives with a Rockwell lower than 59 the lower the better the effect. So you turn a cheap knife in a more durable and longer edge retention knife. I can see the benefits for home cooks, but I have mixed experience especially if you are going to look at the professional cooks (Therefore I decided to do a separate review video about it). This is the only electric sharpener I have used, many knife enthusiasts will not even look at an electric solution. I was one of them, but what convinced me was that Work Sharp guaranteed that even the highest Rockwell knives are safe with this E5 Sharpener so basically all Japanese steel-types. A fear many knife enthusiasts have with electric sharpeners. As for knife enthusiast that doesn't know how to sharpen yet, this is a great alternative, no learning curve needed. As for home cooks, this is also great even the red belt that is provided will satisfy them since the sharpness created with cheaper knives is on par if not even better than the factory edge from most knives. As a knife enthusiast that already knows how to sharpen and owns multiple stones up to #6000+ grit and strops. Then this product is an expensive alternative/replacement, especially since the red belt alone will not ''wow'' them it will ''wow'' home cooks but knife enthusiasts probably have experienced some of the highest carbon steel from Japan. In this case, they need the upgrade kit or at least some of the extra belts which will increase the price. It really starts to shine because of the time, if you are busy and haven't had time to sharpen then you can do basically 20+ knives in around an hour. Compared to hand sharpening with a complete dull knife, you can probably get 3 knives done in an hour. As for professional cooks, while the sharpener can run for hours without overheating and the internal fan/vacuum effect sucks in the majority of the steel particles. We simply can't use it for a few reasons that I did not mention, we usually have a knife roll at the restaurant. Using the E5 takes extra space and other chef's will want to use it too. This will be built up a lot of dust/steel particles in the E5 especially when replacing the belt. Convex vs Flat as explained in the video. And one of the biggest reason is the sound, we have a rule in the restaurant and that the blender we need to use it before service starts so all the sauce we make need to be done before any guest is in the restaurant this is needed for the guest since they want to enjoy the food and not hear all the noises out of the kitchen. (I also used to work in an open kitchen Island where guest can sit in front of you and watch his order being prepared ''sushi bar''). Bringing your knife roll home is a solution but then you have a Convex edge which is ideal for home cooks, but we at the professional kitchen will probably hone multiple times a day/week. Bringing our knife roll home every week is something we don't like to do since we have a dedicated space at work and in some cases, we have whetstones too. Or we bring our stone to work.

[@silverazorx]

@@chefpanko Wow im not going too much into that but if it really works that microforge thing sounds quite good especially on cheap softer steel knives but i feel like it will interfere with the honing rod when using the corrugated side it will cause chipping on that side of the rod (i know from experience :| ) Im not an enthusiast in the general sense, but i kind of understand the concern from those people because we like to do things ourselves and we like to experiment, i get it some people just want results and this machine is for that kind of people. I dont use a knife roll/bag but i get your point, its not practical to carry something like that to work, pesonally i dont have issues if i had to bring that sharpener to work and use it but again not practical, makes noise like a blender and its another thing to carry not to mention peopke wanting to use it.

[@chefpanko]

@@silverazorx I will test them all out in the separate review video, it is an interesting concept but I need to test it myself before I can give any conclusion about the MicroForge. I think that Work Sharp should attend a lot of cooking events and let the people try the sharpener themselves. It is something you need to try it before you believe it kind of thing.

[@silverazorx]

@@chefpanko Totally agree with that, seeing it on video gives you an idea for what to expect but having the experience of trying it its way better

[@billcarpenter5615]

Seems like that upgrade kit should have been included in the base product.

[@reallyoldsubdude387]

Why pay extra for something that the majority of average users will never use?

[@vtVincent]

Yep, another EXCELLENT and fair video - continue to be impressed with your knowledge and experience. Looking forward to your MicroForge video. Doesn't the E5 have an internal vacuum suction/"cleaner" to catch a lot of the metal dust, so dust is mainly internal to that chamber?

[@chefpanko]

The internal Vacuum does a great job sucking the majority of the metal in the E5. However, depending on the knives (or how many knives you do at once), you can sometimes see a few particles/dust going out of the sharpener. This is something very minor and can be easily wiped away from your kitchen counter or you can just use a vacuum cleaner. For Domestic use, this should not even be considered negative since it is easy to clean but I would suggest not using it with any food source nearby especially when you are changing belts or you are going to open the front part. For the professional kitchen with heavy regulations and unannounced health inspections, mystery shoppers, and website critics. This is a problem, the design is very nice and compact you can have it sit on your kitchen counter something we can't do in a professional kitchen. When the health inspection comes he will look at every corner of the kitchen, dust, uncleaned workspace take samples of the cutting board, food containers and take some samples of the food for a lab test even the rubbers and tiles on the floor need to be clean! If you can't wash the tiles you need to replace them or get a warning (and chances that a newspaper gets their hands on those warning and test results). And with the news websites that manage to get these reports and publish to the public can cause a problem for the restaurant's name and reputation. They did a shocking test when Sushi was first introduced in the Netherlands and after a few years, the popularity has risen. With over 400+ sushi restaurants and almost every single one 98% did not meet the health inspection regulations and they published it on a paywall behind their own website and other news website published the bottom 10 restaurants (the highest score when they first published it with 100 restaurants tested were shocking the top 2 highest ratings got a 5.6 out of 10 the rest was below 4 out of 10). I have worked for a few restaurants one with a score of 7 out of 10 and one that managed to get the top 3 spots every single year with a score of 9 out of 10 most of the time (9, 9,2, 9,3). This popular screening method is done by mystery shoppers/ guest, they take samples and let it test in a lab. They can see everything from a chef that did not wash their hands etc. How this specific restaurant manages to get that score was, gloves, bleaching the cutting board every single week (big kitchen clean-up once a week) also the first time I saw a restaurant using real bleach with water to clean the cutting boards. They also replace the cutting board completely every 2 hours (the old one will get cleaned and will be dried completely with a special solution (bleach water solution is only once a week) to kill all the bacteria). Therefore I have mentioned that ''dust'' as one of the biggest reasons for professional Cooks. Everything has been changed one misplaced presentation on the plate and it will end up online on social media critics websites etc. And the one that will get the blame first will be the head chef and he will yell to all the other cooks :) ''how many times do I have to tell you!!!''

[@vtVincent]

@@chefpanko No disagreement from me - almost any electric sharpener is going to create metal dust - so unsuitable for restaurant usage - unless contained/confined to a separate space away from food preparation. I guess wet whetstone sharpening avoids this issue, but what are the considerations in and around food preparation areas, that are meticulously inspected?

[@chefpanko]

​@@vtVincent I probably should have mentioned it better in the video, since it is not a big deal for domestic use. With Whetstones, we have more control in cleaning since it does not fly away the water keeps it in one place. With Diamond stones, I like to use it dry but then you create the same problem as the electric sharpener a bit of wind can blow those away and it is not visible to the eyes. It really depends on the person that comes unannounced and inspects the kitchen after showing his pass. He put on his white lab coat and start sniffing around. - Most inspected things are cutting board, they take a sample of the surface and put it in a bag for lab testings. - The food and sauces sample - lab test for the freshness of the fish, etc - Containers where our food sits like the rice in our ''hangiri'' a wooden round thing where we mix our rice with sushi vinegar they take a sample of that and can see if it has been washed properly with a lab test. - The kitchen appliances counter they check for dust, even if the appliances are clean if there is dust on the counter you get a warning. - Old sponges - Fridges and freezers temp check and rubber check. - the sink will be inspected. and many more checklists. After 2 business days, we get the test result that shows us the points of improvement, and if there were too many bacteria growing in certain areas. If it grew to a level where people can get seriously sick you will risk being closed down (you get 3 chances if I'm correct after the third warning you can't serve food anymore they will come back unannounced to see if there were improvements). How to get fewer warnings? Give them coffee and a cookie :) They will always find something negative to say no matter how hard you try unless you offer them some coffee. Then you will get something like ''this can be better but no big deal''. No coffee - ''checkmark, written it down in our books and tells you about the importance of cleaning it''.

[@eediot69]

Get Worksharp to send you the Ken Onion :) Love mine.

[@chefpanko]

Haha I'm not good at asking for review samples and I'm already glad that they actually reached out to a small content creator like me. But the Ken Onion edition keeps coming back have some emails about it from multiple poeple that recommend me to try that one since they LOVE it. But who knows maybe they will reach out again :)

[@ruriruri03]

My belt stops when I use the left slot. I use the same pressure on both side. How to resolve?

[@chefpanko]

That is strange, it should not stop at all when you use the guides the knife should be lying on the guidelines. are the knives too thick?

[@dougtyndall9945]

I am having same problem. I am not applying pressure. I only try to keep the blade against the guide and pull thru, only letting the weight of the blade itself, press downward. When I dor the left side, the belt almost stops, and I have to lift the knife up to get it to speed back up. Not happy with this sharpener

[@sivuka]

Same thing here, belt stops when I rest the knife on the roller, I have to barely touch the belt to keep it working. 2 years old only.

[@sivuka]

Im happy to share that after reaching out to Work Sharp, they promptly sent me a replacement for my o ring/belt driver, and it's now working flawlessly. Truly exceptional, one of the few companies that still do outstanding post-sale work like this.

[@chefpanko]

@@sivuka Glad to hear that it got resolved for some reason I got no notification of the follow-up comments until now. Hope others can get it resolved with Worksharp. Thank you for the update!

[@swiggamortis5521]

Hate to break it to you but a single grit belt cannot change its great ratings. It can wear out but that’s it and RPM doesn’t change a grit rating. Also if a single grip belt can change grits why would they sell other grits? I have work sharp products and I like them but come on Chief.

[@chefpanko]

No worries I have spoken to the lead designer Dan Dovel from Worksharp with the exact same question. Since I had the exact same thoughts as you but it is in their patented technology that Dan Doval could not disclose everything and what they were working on behind the scenes (there is something new that I can't add here). Here are my questions to the lead designer Dan Doval of Worksharp: There is one thing I simply can't understand, that is the belt system, the normal version comes with just one belt. As far as I know, is that we always need different grit on the stones to get the desired results. The result will stay the same if you go slow you need more time to get the desired results. Shape = lower grit sharpen = medium grit refine= fine grit Since the sharpener has the shape, sharpen, and refine mode. I simply can't understand why there is only one belt included for the standard E5 kit. As far as I understand ''Shape'' is a different speed than, ''Sharpen'' and ''Refine''. But if the angle is the same and the belt grit is the same how does it shape, sharpen, and refine without switching belts and the desired grit? And then a follow-up question dependent on the answer shouldn't there be at least 3 different grit sized belts included in the standard kit? Here is what Dan Doval had to say: Years ago I discovered a property of certain abrasive types that allow them to act like two different grits. I have a couple patents on the process, but I don’t disclose all the technology that we use in our process. In essence; a single grit can produce a rapid material removal and coarse finish at one speed and a finer finish at a lower speed. It is a property of forces (speed and normal force) and the type of abrasive. Normally, abrasives (any machining operation) will produce a finer finish at high surface speeds and a coarser finish at lower surface speeds. These results are because a higher spindle speed (surface speed) will result in a smaller cut per tooth (or abrasive grain) for a fixed feed rate. This applies to a rigid system and is widely accepted in the industry. However, we can induce an opposite affect using an abrasive grain with a complex structure in a flexible system that lowers the chip load (depth of cut) by lowering the speed/force below a threshold value. We basically make a coarse 120grit grain cut like 120grit should at speeds above this speed/force threshold. When we drop the speed and/or force below that threshold, the complex grain acts like a much finer grit (1000-4000) depending on the variables we can control. One of the tricks is that the threshold depends on the type/hardness of the steel we are cutting. Luckily the threshold speed/force value is higher on harder/better steels so it is easier to induce the affect on quality kitchen knives. The advantage to the average user is that we can automatically advance through two surface finishes by adjusting below this speed/force threshold. This means that you can push a button and pull through until it shuts off and get two stages of sharpening. You don’t need to change grits or move to different abrasives like other sharpeners. It won’t produce as fine an edge as a typical progression (that is also easy on our machines). The jump between coarse and fine finish is so big that the refine mode would take a very long time to produce a highly refined edge (like a grit progression system will). However, the system will produce a burr free slicing edge that is ideal for most home cooks. We have found that this toothy edge lasts significantly longer in normal “western” kitchen use. We tend to be harder on edges and use too much pressure on cutting boards. We also cut a lot of root vegetables which abrade fine edges very quickly. These are great questions. I hope I have helped in the discussion and am interested to see what you think of my designs. Thanks, DanD.

[@reallyoldsubdude387]

True enough, but there are engineering tricks that can pull off apparent changes in grit.