Introducing the new Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener

Basically, this is professional level cutting-edge sharpness for the home kitchen.

Ask any top chef and they'll tell you knife maintenance and care is one of the most important and vital tasks in a professional kitchen. And the same applies at home, too. After all, what's the point in having excellent knives if you’re not going to invest in their upkeep? If you had a top-of-the-range Maserati car, you'd not try to tinker with it yourself, would you? So why take the same risk with your kitchen knives?

Most conventional methods don't sharpen the knife properly but align a weighted edge or sharpen only parts of the edge. That’s fine for basic maintenance, but after a while you'll notice that you're not getting the same sharpness as previously.

Tormek is introducing the first real knife sharpener for the home chef.  

Tormek has 50 years of expertise in tool sharpening for woodworkers. The NEW Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener is the first professional, premium quality kitchen knife sharpener designed for the home. 

It's quick to use, easy to operate and is clean and quiet. It precisely sharpens blades 12 - 60mm high and up to 5mm thick, with an unlimited length. 

Based on the innovative sharpening system developed for professional kitchens, the Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener effortlessly delivers a razor-sharp cutting edge and a durable angle that won’t dull after every use.

Blades remain sharper for longer

The Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener has a sleek industrial design and comes fully assembled with a solid oak handle, powder-coated zinc body, diamond grinding wheel and a composite honing wheel. The method consists of three steps:

Set preferred bevel angle

You can choose any angle between 8 and 22 degrees. However, 15 degrees is a good angle to start with if you are unsure. A small angle will cut more easily, while a large angle will give a stronger edge.

Sharpens on both sides

The fine-grained diamond grinding wheel sharpens all types of steel including ceramic knives, to professional sharpness levels. The low-speed means there’s minimal steel wear.

Insert the clean, dry knife into the guide. Follow the shape of the knife and apply only gentle pressure. A magnet in the patented guide collects the steel particles keeping the grinding wheel clean.

Hone to an expert, razor-sharp finish

Moisten the honing wheel using a damp paper towel to reduce friction and remove the burr* and polish both sides of the knife on the honing wheel. Ensure the honing wheel rotates away from the edge.

(*After sharpening, a ‘burr’ is created which needs to be honed off to obtain a sharp and durable edge.)

Unlike some alternatives, the Tormek T-1 sharpens the entire bevel of the knife, not just the outer edge, and because the bevels can be sharpened separately, there’s the option to set different edge angles on each side of the blade, or sharpen just one side, which is particularly useful for more advanced knives.

It's designed and built to last, comes with an eight-year warranty. But they do advise that you store it  safely in a dry place.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect knife sharpener for yourself or hunting down the ideal gift for a foodie friend or family member, the NEW Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener (RRP £330), is available from https://shop.tormek.com/en-gb

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Cryogenics: The secret to a sharper and everlasting knife

Taking Heston Blumenthal’s use of liquid nitrogen one step further, manufacturer JML has created a set of kitchen knives. This process creates a sharper and longer lasting knife.

Everyone knows that the boldest chefs use liquid nitrogen to cook up recipes, and in the same vein, every adventurous kitchen should be equipped with this year’s must-have – knives made using liquid nitrogen. They are manufactured using cryogenics, the science behind preserving bodies and many a creaky science fiction plot.

Deep-freeze technology is used to produce the blades. They are made by heating steel up to 1100°C . The temperature is then gently reduced to room temperature for 7 hours. And then they are cryogenically treated at -200°C for 4 hours using liquid nitrogen.

This means that you are left with a knife that can slice through butternut squash and pumpkins instantly. Scientists at the Cutlery Research Association in Sheffield used a cutting test and found that Cryotex Knives are twice as sharp and three times more resistant than several other blades.

Cryotex Knives are available from www.JMLdirect.com and telephone number 0871 2222 631. Priced at £39.99 for a set, including a chef’s knife, a fillet knife and a paring knife.

Dearbhla MacFadden, JML’s Brand Manager says: “When it comes to knives JML really knows its onions. Using this Heston Blumenthalesque method means we can produce something that’s a slice above the rest. It’s ideal when customers want to freeze their spending habits.”