23 Best Cooking Gifts (2026): Vitamix, Frying Pans, Air Fryers

Well, technically the best household knife is probably a group of Shapton Stonesincluding a knife sharpening class and hard work. But a very good knife that’s a sharp knife—and that comes from having a knife holder to use. For me right now, it’s the Tormek T-1, which is the best knife sharpener I’ve ever tried. It has a cleverly designed jig to keep your knife straight against the diamond sharpening wheel, and a self-adjusting (ie, no need for oil) guide wheel.

That may sound difficult. And it will look scary for five minutes, then it will be easy, especially on good knives that already have a good edge. The Tormek is not a replacement for a professional knife sharpener, which you can still do (or have) on your most important blades. But lord, for your everyday and better than everyday knives, this is a beautiful beast, and BESS testingThis Tormek ended up being sharper than new knives out of the box. Now, the T-1 isn’t perfect, especially in edge-to-tip and back-of-the-knife design, but it’s the best of its kind I’ve found, and it’s easy to use.

This is what he said! One should not use a trigger as a first resort. If your favorite cook doesn’t have a good stick, this is the best thing you can use consistently. Try this black ceramic stick from Zwilling ($75).