Ceramic knives are one of the most popular types of knives and they are extensively used in most kitchen knives for slicing fruits and vegetables.
Ceramic knives have been popular in recent days because of their better cutting experience and extremely sharp edges.
The best part about the knives is they are resistant to strong acids and caustic substances, and it also has the ability to retain the cutting edge for longer than a typical steel knife.
Also, ceramic knives are even denser and less porous, and therefore they are more sanitary to use. Because ceramic knives have few porous they won’t transfer any odors or tastes when you are chopping foods.
There are many advantages of a ceramic knife however, most of them think that ceramic knife blades are tough to sharpen.
That’s why I have prepared this step-by-step guide on how to sharpen ceramic knives.
If you are facing challenges with your ceramic knife blades, then don’t worry. You just have to read this complete guide. Also, I have reviewed some of the best ceramic knife sharpeners.
The process of sharpening is not difficult, you just have to know the basic principle and have the right tool, and you will be able to restore your ceramic knife blades.
Why Are Ceramic Knifes Hard To Sharpen
This has been one of the most commonly asked questions. Well, ceramic knives are not actually hard to sharpen it’s just you have to sharpen the blades with the right sharpener.
Most of them try to sharpen their ceramic knife with a regular knife sharpener but they are actually doing wrong. For sharpening your ceramic blades you will require a proper knife sharpener that has a diamond edge.
Ceramic knives are mostly made from nano-technology names “Zirconium Oxide“.
The Zirconia and alumina powder are used under a high temperature of 2000 ℃, and a pressure of about 300 tons is used to mold, and then finally the knife is polished with diamond for a proper finish.
Ceramic knives are extremely hard and you will require a good quality diamond knife sharpener to sharpen the blades.
Using a diamond sharpener you can easily sharpen your ceramic blades. It’s just you have to know the right technique for sharpening the blades.
Right Tool For Sharpening Ceramic Knife
As you know ceramic knives are very strong and it’s hard to sharpen with a regular knife sharper. The only tool that can sharpen your ceramic blades is the diamond edge knife sharpener.
Diamond knife sharpeners are the only tool that can be used for sharpening a ceramic knife. There is nothing new with the knife sharpener and it has been in use for a long time.
Diamond being the hardest material is effective for sharpening ceramic knives. Well, there are a number of different diamond knife sharpeners and you can choose according to the “grit”.
The grit mostly refers to the coarseness of the particular stone. Each grit sharpens your blade differently.
Grits are usually classified into three categories:
- Coarse Grit: The stones have a grit of less than 1000.
- Medium Grit: The stones have a grit range in-between 1000 to 3000.
- Finish Grit: This generally ranges between 4000 to 8000.
The coarse grit is mostly used for sharpening extremely dull knives. However, the finish grit is mostly used for maintaining the knife edges.
These are the following tools that can do your job.
- Diamond sharpening stone
- Electric sharpener with diamond abrasives
- Diamond sharening rod
You can choose anyone according to your requirements. However, it’s recommended to use different grits of sharpening stones for better results.
How To Sharpen Ceramic Knives?
We will be using a diamond sharpening stone and it can perform relatively better compared with the other ones. The flat diamond sharpener is the best option, as it can give you a lot of control while sharpening.
Using a ceramic knife sharpener you can repair, hone or sharpen your blades. But before you start performing you must know your purpose.
So, for performing all these functions you will need a diamond stone of multiple grits so that you can get the required results.
Well, for performing all the following functions you will require different grits of stones:
- A low grit stone in between #300 to #400 grit.
- To repair your blades you require #600 to #1000 grit stones.
- Finally, to hone your blades you will require #1200 and above grit.
So, the best part about a diamond sharpener is you will not require water for sharpening your blades.
These are the following steps that you can follow to sharpen the edge of the ceramic kitchen knife. Make sure you follow it step-by-step.
1. Get The Right Ceramic Stone
As there are many different grits of ceramic knives made for different purposes. Before you get your ceramic stone you must know what grit you require.
Well, if you are having a ceramic knife that is very dull, then in that case you will require the lowest grit diamond sharpening stone so that you can remove the chips from the edge.
However, if your knife is losing the edge then in that case you will need a high-grit sharpening stone so that you can give the required touch-up.
If your knife blades are extremely dull, then you can start up with a 400-grit sharpening stone, and slowly you can go higher.
For giving a finishing touch you can use a diamond knife sharpener having a grit of greater than 1200.
So, now you can check your knife blades and choose the diamond knife sharpener according to your requirements I have provided the Amazon links below.
2. Prepare The Diamond Stone
Sharpening with a diamond stone can be dangerous if you are not prepared well. To sharpen your ceramic knife you will require a solid surface so that you can sharpen your blades.
Some of the sharpening stone comes with a non-slippery base, however, some of the sharpening stones don’t have a good base. So make sure you get a flat surface to secure the stone while working.
Before you start sharpening you must make sure that you do not use any kind of lubricant or water because it’s not required in this case.
Once, you have found a proper place for sharpening your blades, you can begin with the sharpening process.
3. Know The Right Angle
This is one of the most important parts when it comes to sharpening a knife with a Wheatstone. For sharpening the blades, you must know the right angle of sharpening, or else you will go wrong.
Generally, ceramic knives are thinner than steel knives so the angle at which you will be sharpening your blades must be lower than a typical chef knife.
In most cases, the kitchen knives would be sharpened at an angle of around 18 to 20 degrees. However, it’s different In the case of a ceramic knife.
For sharpening a ceramic knife blade you have to maintain an angle between 15 to 18 degrees, which means that you have to the knife at a shallow angle.
Also, it’s important to look at the pressure that you are applying, because the pressure at the wrong angle can snap off the brittle blades.
The amount of pressure that you have to apply with a ceramic knife blade is comparatively lower as compared with a steel knife and a regular sharpening stone.
4. Sharpen The Blade
Before you start sharpening your blades make sure that you wear cut-resistance gloves, because it is risky to sharpen your blades with gloves, as the gloves can protect your fingers.
For sharpening your ceramic knife slide the knife blades from the heel to the tip across the diamond knife sharpener. During the process make sure that you maintain the same angle and pressure.
Well, you would be using the action of pushing the blades across the stone for a lower grit stone. But as you are processing to a higher grit stone, especially for the honing stone you have to reverse the action of sharpening. In that case, you have to pull the knife.
For sharpening the ceramic blades you will generally need fewer passes. Generally, about 6 to 8 passes across the diamond sharpener will be sufficient for sharpening the blades.
However, if your blades have the required sharpness then 5 to 6 passes will be sufficient.
5. Change The Grit
Once you have completed 6 to 8 passes on the ceramic sharpening stone, then you have to move to a higher grit of sharpening stone so that you can get the required results.
If you are knife blades are highly damaged and you have to perform repair your blades, then you have to start with the lowest grit which is the 400-grit.
Once you have completed fewer passes then you can move to a rougher sharpening stone which is the 600-grit sharpening stone.
You just have to make fewer passes through the grit like 6 to 8 passes on each side of the grit. This way you can sharpen your blades much better.
Finally, you can use a 1000-grit and move up to a 1200-grit diamond sharpening stone to repair your blades and get the best polish.
For this, you have to change the motion of the blade and you have to pull the knife towards the spine rather than pushing the blade towards the edge.
6. Finish It Off
Once you have completed all the passes, now it’s time to check the sharpness of the knife blades.
The best way to check the sharpness of your ceramic blades is by cutting through a piece of paper. The alternative method is to check by cutting through a ripe tomato.
If your blade is sharp enough it can easily cut the tomato rather than crushing it.
If you see that your blades are not quite sharp then you can repeat the same process. Take your 1000-grit sharpening stone and make more passes so that you can get a better result.
You can also try out using a 1500-grit sharpening stone as well.
Make sure you don’t repeat the process more times as this can ruin the edge of the knife.
Best Diamond Knife Sharpeners
There are many different types of diamond knife sharpeners available in the market, but now all of them are good.
However, after complete research, we have provided you with one of the best ceramic whetstones, that can easily sharpen all types of ceramic knives.
The diamond knife sharpener comes in different grits and you can use them according to your requirement, and all of them will cost the same.
However, if you are looking for something different, then we have provided some of the best-rated ceramic sharpening stone set, that has amazing customer review.
Amazon Links:
- #400 & #1200 Diamond sharpening stone
- #200, #400, #800, #1000, #1200 5Pcs Diamond sharpening stone
- Diamond Machining technology sharpening stone
- #80 #200 #400 #500 #600 #800 #1000 #1500 #2000 Diamond sharpening stone
Conclusion
Sharpening a ceramic knife is not a difficult task if you have the right sharpening stone and know the technique of sharpening the blades. It might seem difficult at first, however, it’s not.
Well, if you are not comfortable sharpening using a whetstone, then you can also use an electric knife sharpener that has diamond abrasives, and therefore you will require less effort.
The demand for ceramic knives has been greatly increasing in recent days because of their great cutting experience.
I personally prefer using a ceramic knife rather than using a stainless knife, because they cut easily. Also, you don’t have to worry about protecting your blades from corrosion.
I hope the guide would have helped you how in sharpening your ceramic knife
FAQ: How To Sharpen Ceramic Knives
There are many questions asked by a lot of people and confused about, so these are some of the most commonly asked questions that people ask. You can read this to clear your doubts.
1. Do Ceramic Knives Stay Sharper Longer?
Ans: The Ceramic knives can stay sharp for a very long time. The sharpness of a ceramic knife can last ten times longer than a regular steel knife.
2. How Often Should You Sharpen Ceramic Knife?
Ans: Well, this totally depends upon your usage. If you are using your ceramic knife frequently then you can sharpen your knives every 2-3 months. However, if you are not a regular user you can sharpen every 6 months.
3. Are Ceramic Knives Sharper Than Steel?
Ans: Ceramic knives have razor-sharp blades, and you must be very careful when using the blades. It’s important that you must properly know the knife safety rules before you start using the blade.
4. Are Ceramic Knives Illegal?
Ans: No, Ceramic knives are now all Illegal and you can use them in your kitchen. Any knife that looks like a weapon is Illegal.