ProductReportCard Editors' In-Depth Review
Pros And Cons
Pros
- Unique technology that combines manual and electric sharpening methods
- Knife guides with 20° preset angles are elastomeric (spring-loaded) vs. magnetic
- Versatile sharpener that can even sharpen serrated knives
- Utilizes high quality diamond coated abrasive disks
- Manual steeling stage provides enhanced precision and control
- Fast, foolproof sharpening
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Lacks aggressive pre-sharpening stage designed to remove notches
- Tendency to scratch blades and detract from appearance (does not detract from performance)
- Not specifically designed for Asian knives (15° angle)
Key Features
Type of Sharpener
The Chef's Choice® M130 is an electric knife sharpener that includes 1 manual stage.
Dimensions
The M130 measures 12 ¼" x 6 ¼" x 6 ½" (L x W x H).
Abrasives
Each of the 3 sharpening stages feature 100% diamond coated conical disks that offer differing levels of abrasion.
Technology
The M130 employs a unique combination of electric and manual technology that provides the speed and convenience of electric sharpening with some of the control of manual methods. Since each of the 3 sharpening slots have elastomeric (spring-loaded) knife guides that are preset to 40° (20° each side), the M130 eliminates the risk that users could sharpen the knife's edges on an incorrect/inconsistent angle and damage them.
Stages
As you can see from the picture above, the M130 has 3 distinct sharpening stages, and you can use the slots in different combinations depending on your cutting need. Stage 1 is electric and features the most abrasive diamond-coated disk. It raises a burr as it aggressively shapes and sharpens the knife to create the 1st bevel edge. Stage 2 is manual and features a small butcher's steel made with diamond-coated high carbon alloy. It steels the knife-edge and creates micro sharp serrations that provide the "butcher's bite" preferred for cutting meat and heavily fibrous food. Stage 3 is electric and features a flexible disk with a finer grit of the diamond abrasive. It strops/polishes and straightens the blade to create the 2nd bevel edge needed for effortless slicing. It is also used to sharpen serrated knives without grinding away the serration.
Number of Passes
Depending on how dull your knife is initially, you may only need to pass the blade through the 3 stages once on each side. To recondition very dull knives, you will need to take additional passes and Chef's Choice estimates that it could take a long as a minute to restore the edges. For everyday maintenance of your knives, it is recommended that you pass them through Stage 2 (the manual steeling stage) once or twice after each use.
Safety Features
In order to protect your hands from the rotating disks during operation, all 3 of the knife guide slots are designed with a plastic cover.
Types of Knives
The M130 can sharpen a variety of serrated- and straight-edge knives (with a double bevel edge) including kitchen, hunting, fishing and pocket knives. With 20° preset angles, the M130 is best suited for European kitchen knives, but the Chef's Choice® website also claims that you can use it to sharpen Asian style knives (15° angle). The sharpener will simply re-profile your Asian knives to have a 20° edge, which they aren't necessarily designed for, but most home cooks probably won't be able to notice a discernible difference in the knife's performance.
Design
The M130 is available in 5 different finishes including black, white, brushed metal, green and platinum.
Warranty
The M130 carries a 3-year limited warranty. Following the expiration of the warranty, Chef's Choice® offers a total refurbishment of your sharpener for just $45. Simply send your sharpener back to Chef's Choice and they will replace all parts, including the sharpening disks, and return it to you.
Reputation
The Chef's Choice® M130 Professional Sharpening Station® has received great reviews from customers online including a 4.5/5 on Amazon.com (284 reviews). In a November 2006 review of electric sharpeners, Cook's Illustrated gave the Chef's Choice® Model 130 its highest recommendation. Cook's Illustrated testers commented that, "This quiet model is the Rolls-Royce of sharpeners." In his book, Sharpening Made Easy, Steve Bottorff reported that out of the 45 sharpening systems he tested, the Chef's Choice® electric sharpener is best in its class, with the caveat that all electric sharpeners tend to scratch the sides of the blades and detract from their appearance. There were some complaints from customers about scratches on the blades, as well as about the sharpener's cost and its confusing instruction manual. However, the majority of customers have been very happy with the sharpener's performance, ease of use, durability and overall value. Many of these happy customers appreciated the detailed instruction manual and suggested reading it before using the machine to avoid any user errors. If you have European kitchen knives, we highly recommend the Chef's Choice® M130 Professional Sharpening Station® as a fast, easy and economical way to keep your knives razor-sharp.
Facebook
