Kohl's Knife Sharpeners: What They Carry and What's Worth Buying

Kohl's carries a solid selection of knife sharpeners at their retail stores and on Kohls.com. If you're heading there specifically for a sharpener or browsing their kitchen department, here's a realistic breakdown of what you'll find, what the different types actually do, and how to pick the right one for your knives.

The short version: Kohl's typically stocks pull-through sharpeners from brands like KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and Chef'sChoice, and they sometimes carry electric sharpeners. All of these work fine for standard home kitchen knives. The electric models from Chef'sChoice are the most capable if you want something that does real work.

What Kohl's Actually Stocks

Kohl's rotates their inventory seasonally, but you'll generally find a few categories:

Pull-through sharpeners: Manual units with V-shaped carbide wheels or ceramic rods. Brands include KitchenAid, Cuisinart, OXO, and occasionally branded celebrity chef lines. Price range is roughly $15-40.

Electric sharpeners: Chef'sChoice and Presto are the brands most commonly appearing at Kohl's. The Chef'sChoice 4643 and similar two-stage electric models run $30-60. These are significantly more capable than pull-through units.

Sharpening steels: Honing rods in various materials. You'll see them sold as accessories with knife sets and as standalone tools.

Combination stones: Occasionally, usually as part of knife care kits rather than standalone products.

The selection varies by store location and time of year. Kohl's carries more sharpeners heading into the holiday season (when knife sets are popular gifts) than in midsummer.

Pull-Through Sharpeners: What You Need to Know

Pull-through sharpeners use preset V-shaped slots with carbide wheels, ceramic rods, or diamond-coated abrasives. You draw the knife through from heel to tip, and the preset angle does the angle-matching for you.

The advantage: Foolproof and fast. No skill required, no angle maintenance, no learning curve. Pull through 3-4 times and you have a working edge.

The limitation: Pull-through sharpeners remove a lot of metal per pass. Over time, they're aggressive on your blades. They also work at a fixed angle (typically 20 degrees) which isn't ideal for every knife. Japanese knives sharpened at 15 degrees will lose their edge quickly with a 20-degree pull-through.

What they're best for: Standard German-style knives (Cuisinart, Henckels, Wusthof Classic) at the home cook level. If you have basic knives that just need to cut better, a pull-through sharpener from KitchenAid or Cuisinart at Kohl's solves that problem for $25.

Don't use pull-through sharpeners on high-end Japanese knives. The fixed angle and aggressive metal removal will damage rather than improve them.

Electric Sharpeners at Kohl's

The electric sharpeners you'll find at Kohl's (primarily Chef'sChoice models) offer more precision and less metal removal per session than carbide pull-throughs.

Chef'sChoice models use diamond abrasive wheels that spin against the blade. Better models offer multiple stages: a coarser stage to set the edge geometry, and finer stages to polish. The result is a more consistent edge than you get from manual pull-through sharpeners.

Chef'sChoice makes models for different blade angles. Their 15-degree models are designed for Japanese knives; 20-degree models for Western knives. At Kohl's, you'll typically see their mid-range units designed for Western or "universal" use.

At $40-70, electric sharpeners represent a real investment. They make sense if: - You sharpen knives frequently (every few weeks rather than every few months) - You have a larger knife collection with multiple knives to maintain - You want better results than a pull-through provides without learning whetstone technique

Honing vs. Sharpening: The Distinction That Matters

Most people mix these up, and it affects how you use what you buy.

Honing realigns the edge. A knife edge is microscopically thin, and with use, that edge bends and folds. A honing rod (also called a sharpening steel) pushes the edge back into alignment. It removes almost no metal. You should hone every few uses, or before each cooking session if you cook daily.

Sharpening removes metal to create a new edge. Pull-through sharpeners and whetstones are sharpening tools. You sharpen less often, typically every few months for home cooks.

If your knife feels dull, try honing it first. If honing doesn't restore the edge, then sharpen. Many home cooks sharpen when they should be honing, which wears down blades faster than necessary.

Kohl's sells honing steels typically bundled with knife sets. A standalone honing rod runs $15-30 in their kitchen section.

For guidance on what sharpening and honing looks like in a full knife maintenance routine, the best knife set guide covers maintenance recommendations alongside the buying advice.

Matching the Sharpener to Your Knives

The type of sharpener you need depends on what knives you have:

Standard Western/German knives (Cuisinart, Henckels, KitchenAid): Pull-through sharpeners work fine. A KitchenAid pull-through at Kohl's for $25-30 is adequate. Hone regularly and sharpen a few times a year.

Mid-range German knives (Wusthof, Zwilling): An electric Chef'sChoice sharpener gives better results without the risk of over-sharpening that pull-through units carry. Worth the investment at $50-60.

Japanese knives (Shun, Global, MAC): Avoid pull-through sharpeners unless they're designed for the 15-degree Japanese angle. Use a whetstone or send to a professional sharpener. Kohl's doesn't typically carry proper Japanese-angle sharpeners, so you may need to order online.

Mixed collection: A Chef'sChoice model with adjustable angle or multiple angle settings handles the variety.

FAQ

Does Kohl's carry whetstones?

Occasionally, usually as part of knife care kits rather than standalone stones. For dedicated whetstone options, online retailers or kitchen specialty stores are better sources. Kohl's primary sharpener inventory is pull-through and electric units.

Are Kohl's knife sharpeners the same as on Amazon?

The same brand models are typically available both places. Kohl's pricing is sometimes higher than Amazon on individual items but periodic sales and Kohl's Cash can bring prices down. Check both before buying.

Can I sharpen ceramic knives with a standard sharpener?

No. Ceramic blades (from brands like Kyocera) require diamond abrasive tools specifically. Standard carbide or ceramic sharpeners can't cut ceramic blade material. Chef'sChoice makes diamond-wheel sharpeners that work on ceramic; check if the specific Kohl's model is rated for ceramic before buying.

How often should I sharpen kitchen knives?

For home cooks, proper honing before each session plus full sharpening 2-4 times per year keeps most Western-style knives in good shape. Heavy daily use warrants more frequent sharpening. If you're honing regularly and the edge still isn't right, it's time to sharpen.

What to Buy at Kohl's

For most home cooks with standard knives, here's the practical recommendation:

If you just need a sharpener for basic maintenance and don't want to think about it, a KitchenAid or Cuisinart pull-through in the $20-30 range does the job. It won't give you a professional edge, but it will keep your knives functional.

If you want better results and are willing to spend $50-60, a mid-range Chef'sChoice electric sharpener from Kohl's is worth it. The diamond wheels produce a more refined edge than carbide pull-throughs, and the electric mechanism removes metal more consistently.

For anyone with Japanese knives or serious about knife care, look beyond Kohl's to specialty retailers or online for angle-specific tools. The best rated knife sets guide includes knife care recommendations that go beyond what a department store sharpener can do.