Chef's Choice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener: A Detailed Look

The Chef's Choice Trizor XV EdgeSelect is one of the most recommended electric knife sharpeners available, and for good reason. It sharpens both European and Asian-style knives, converts European 20-degree edges to the sharper 15-degree Asian profile, and does it reliably without removing excessive metal. If you have a good knife that's gone dull and you want it back to razor sharp without learning whetstone technique, this is the machine most professionals point to.

The XV refers to the 15-degree edge angle it creates. European knives traditionally come from the factory at 20 degrees per side; the Trizor XV automatically converts them to 15 degrees, which is sharper and holds that edge as well as or better than the original. This guide covers how the three-stage system works, what knives it does and doesn't work on, and whether the $180+ price is actually worth it.

How the Three-Stage Sharpening System Works

The Trizor XV uses three stages, each with a different abrasive and purpose.

Stage 1: 100% Diamond Abrasives This is the heavy grinding stage. Diamond abrasives are harder than steel and remove metal quickly to reshape the bevel and create the new edge geometry. If your knife is very dull or was previously sharpened at a wrong angle, this stage does the bulk of the work. You'll typically make 3-6 passes here with a neglected knife, 1-2 passes for routine maintenance.

Stage 2: Diamond Abrasives at Finer Grit The second stage refines the edge created in Stage 1. It removes the scratches left by the coarse diamond and creates a more consistent bevel. Most users spend similar passes here as Stage 1.

Stage 3: Stropping/Polishing The final stage uses a flexible abrasive to strop the edge, removing the wire edge (the tiny burr created by grinding) and polishing the bevel to a mirror finish. This is what creates that hair-popping sharpness right out of the machine.

The spring-guided slots hold the knife at the correct angle automatically. You don't need to estimate the angle or develop technique. This is the real value for home cooks who want consistent results without experience.

What Knives Work With the Trizor XV

Works Well

• German-style chef knives (Wusthof, Henckels, Victorinox)
• European-style bread knives (serrated, if you use Stage 3 only)
• Japanese-style knives with double-bevel edges (gyuto, santoku, utility)
• Most American kitchen knives

Doesn't Work

• Single-bevel Japanese knives (yanagiba, deba, kiritsuke). These are asymmetrically ground and require hand sharpening.
• Ceramic knives. Diamond abrasives would chip a ceramic blade.
• Serrated knives requiring deep sharpening. Stage 3 can touch up serrations gently but it won't re-profile a heavily worn serrated blade.
• Knives with hollow-ground or V-ground profiles that need a different angle.

If you own high-end Japanese knives like a Shun Classic or Global, the Trizor XV works on them but will convert the edge angle. Some people are fine with this; others prefer to preserve the original Japanese geometry. If maintaining the exact original edge matters to you, a whetstone is a better choice for those specific knives.

For a broader look at how the XV compares to other sharpeners, the Best Chef Knife guide touches on sharpening compatibility for popular knives.

The EdgeSelect Feature

The EdgeSelect system lets you choose between three sharpening modes:

• Full three-stage sharpening: For very dull or first-time sharpening
• Stage 2 and 3 only: For regular maintenance of already-sharp knives
• Stage 3 only: For polishing or quick touch-ups

This matters because over-sharpening removes metal unnecessarily. Using Stage 1 every time you sharpen will wear your knife down faster than needed. With EdgeSelect, you can skip Stage 1 once the knife has been properly profiled.

Speed and Results

The Trizor XV takes 1-3 minutes per knife for full sharpening. That's faster than a whetstone session (which runs 15-30 minutes for a thorough job) and significantly faster than waiting for a local sharpening service.

Results are genuinely impressive. A dull Wusthof Classic that struggles to slice a ripe tomato comes out of the Trizor XV gliding through paper-thin tomato slices cleanly. The 15-degree edge is notably sharper than the factory 20-degree edge most European knives start with.

The edge holds for several weeks to a couple months of regular home cooking use before needing another pass through the machine.

Is It Worth $180?

That depends on what knives you have and how often you cook.

If you have one $25 knife block set, no. The sharpener costs more than the knives.

If you have a Wusthof Classic or Henckels Pro set worth $150-400, and you use those knives daily, then yes. A good set of knives sharpened regularly will outperform an expensive set of dull knives every time. The Trizor XV makes sharpening consistent and fast enough that you'll actually do it.

Compared to local sharpening services at $5-10 per knife, the machine pays for itself after 20-40 knife sharpenings. If you have 4-6 knives you sharpen twice a year, that's 3-4 years to break even. If you sharpen every 2-3 months, payback is faster.

The Best Chef Knife Set guide has recommendations at various price points where the Trizor XV makes sense as a companion purchase.

Noise, Size, and Practical Considerations

The Trizor XV is moderately loud during operation, about as loud as a coffee grinder. The sharpening process creates fine metal dust, which is normal. Run it near a counter edge so the debris falls away from surfaces you care about, and wipe the knife with a damp cloth after sharpening to remove any metal particles.

The footprint is about 10x4 inches. It's not tiny but it stores in a cabinet easily. The cord is non-removable, which is a minor inconvenience for storage.

It runs on 120V (US standard) and doesn't have a voltage converter for international use.

FAQ

Can it sharpen Asian or Japanese knives? Yes, for double-bevel Japanese knives. The 15-degree angle is actually appropriate for most gyuto and santoku knives. Single-bevel traditional Japanese knives are not compatible.

Does it work on scissors? No. The Trizor XV is a knife-only sharpener.

How often should I use it? For daily home cooking, running your knives through Stage 2 and 3 once a month is a reasonable routine. Use all three stages for very dull knives or when bringing a new knife to the 15-degree profile for the first time.

Does it void the knife warranty? Technically, sharpening any knife with any abrasive is "use," and most knife warranties cover manufacturing defects rather than wear. Wusthof and Henckels have their own sharpening services, but using the Trizor XV won't literally void a warranty in practice.

The Bottom Line

The Chef's Choice Trizor XV EdgeSelect is the best electric sharpener for home cooks who want professional-level results without professional technique. It works, it's fast, and the edge it creates is noticeably better than what most people achieve by hand. At around $180, it's a real investment, but for a kitchen where good knives are used seriously, it earns its place.

The one thing to know going in: it will convert your European knives to a 15-degree edge. That's an improvement in sharpness, but it's a permanent change to the edge geometry. If you have specific reasons to maintain a 20-degree bevel on a particular knife, sharpen that one by hand.