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Cubikook vs Kitchellence 3-Stage Sharpener Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)8.0/10
- Design (15%)8.5/10
- Ease of Use (35%)9.2/10
- Performance (50%)6.9/10
- Design (15%)9.2/10
- Ease of Use (35%)9.8/10
Between the two, the Kitchellence enjoys a better rating, although not by leaps and bounds. We’d argue that your choice may largely come down to personal preference.
The Kitchellence’s quick and effective sharpening gave it the edge against the Cubikook in our tests. Interestingly, it also offers slightly better material retention. The device enjoys a better build, too, with a nice, velvety finish.
But for those to whom sharpness is secondary to stability (read: safety), the Cubikook is the better option. Its large base and low center of gravity really help to minimize unwanted motions and thus, mishaps. And while it takes a longer time to sharpen your knives, the extra half a minute is probably worth it for the smooth edge it produces.
Cubikook 3-stage Knife Sharpener’s Performance
- Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon (35%)7.6/10
- Maximum Sharpness Achieved (20%)8.0/10
- Edge Smoothness (20%)8.7/10
- Material Retention (25%)8.0/10
- Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon (35%)4.8/10
- Maximum Sharpness Achieved (20%)7.0/10
- Edge Smoothness (20%)7.7/10
- Material Retention (25%)9.0/10
Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon
- Sharpening Time: 1 minutes 30 seconds
- Cutting Feel: Swift and smooth
The Cubikook does a quick job of bringing life to a dull blade. After only 90 seconds on the device, our sandpaper-destroyed test knife could cut through a lemon with one swift draw. This placed the Cubikook in the top tier of pull-through sharpeners in terms of speed.
Most kitchen knives should see improvements after about 30 seconds on the second slot.
- Sharpening Time: 2m 05s
- Cutting Feel: Swift and smooth
We spent 125 seconds with the Kitchellence to bring a knife from uselessly dull to cutting through a lemon in one single draw. The cut was effortless and did not require significant hand pressure.
The sharpening time is rather slow; but note that we blunted the knife to an extreme degree for the test. Most cooks wouldn’t wait until their knives become so dull. If you maintain your blades properly, you should be able to make them serviceable after about one minute on this device.
Maximum Sharpness Achieved
- Sharpening Time: 6 minutes
- Sharpness Level: 8 (Chicken breast with skin, 1 swipe)
After 6 minutes of sharpening, the test knife could cut through a fresh piece of chicken breast with the skin still on. The gristly fat under the skin kept running, but we managed to sever it with a little effort.
We tried the knife on a piece of raw beef tendon (Level 9) and it took two forced swipes, so we decided it hadn’t progressed beyond a sharpness level of 8.
- Sharpening Time: 6 minutes
- Sharpness Level: 8
After sharpening on the Kitchellence for 6 minutes, the knife slid through a ripe tomato effortlessly, so we went on to try it on raw chicken breast with skin. It went through the chicken breast in two slices.
This isn’t an exceptional result, but the knife was only at Level 8 when brand new, so it’s safe to say the Kitchellence almost brought it back to its factory level.
Material Retention
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute
- Target Sharpness:
While effective, the Cubikook doesn’t remove a lot of material. This is one of the advantages multi-stage devices have over single-stage ones such as the Sunrise Pro. The first stage (diamond-impregnated rods) helps straighten the edge before you put it through the tungsten ‘peeler’ stage. Finally, the third, ceramic stage acts as a final honing step to leave your blade as smooth as possible.
The benefit of single-stage devices is that they sharpen your knife quicker. That’s possible because they simply pull off more metal at a time. That means your knife will get eaten up faster, so you have the choice between quick sharpening or long overall blade life.
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute
- Target Sharpness:
The Kitchellence’s substantial sharpening rods and blades are braced tightly together so they sharpen very well, but don’t remove much material from the knife edge at a time. The ‘swarf’ is more fine dust than chips, hinting at a fine edge.
This is mostly thanks to the design of the tungsten carbide blades themselves. However, the Kitchellence is also one of the rare cases where the bulky diamond rods really work to ‘prepare’ the edge for the peeler slot.
Edge Smoothness
The Cubikook creates a smooth edge. It came out looking much better than many single-stage and even multi-stage versions like Smith’s 50264 or Chef’s Choice ProntoPro. In fact, we scored this device better on the edge smoothness test than any other we’ve tested to date. It creates the straightest line with barely any visible chips, while the grooves on the primary edge were also even and narrow.
This fine edge is the result of good design choices. The device’s working section is placed low and fastened tightly to the base, which helps distribute pressure evenly against the delicate edge regardless of how much force is applied. The ceramic rods in the final stage help remove any remaining burrs or metal particles, thus minimizing edge deformities.
The Kitchellence produces some of the smoothest edges among pull-through devices we tested. Thanks to its stability and the thickness of the sharpening rods, it was easier to maintain a consistent pull force through each draw. As a result, the edge came out smooth and even from tip to heel.
We could find no remaining burrs or metal flakes on the edge. The ceramic rods in the final stage did a good job straightening the edge and removing little burrs.
Cubikook 3-stage Knife Sharpener’s Design
- Build Quality (75%)8.8/10
- Grip (25%)7.5/10
- Build Quality (75%)9.3/10
- Grip (25%)9.0/10
What’s in the Box With the Cubikook Kitchen Knife Sharpener
- The Cubikook sharpener
- Thank you card
The Cubikook comes in a nice box. Instead of an instruction booklet, the user guide is printed right on the box. We thought that was done to save paper, but then we also found a greeting card that doesn’t really say anything.
- The Kitchellence sharpener
- 1 x user’s guide
- 1 x safety glove
The Kitchellence comes in one piece, with a solid ABS plastic body. It has a distinctive matte finish that’s very soft and comfortable to touch.
The package includes a glove and a user’s manual that offers instructions on how to sharpen metal and ceramic blades.
Dimensions
- Length:8.4" (21.3 cm)
- Width:1.9" (4.8 cm)
- Height:2.3" (5.8 cm)
- Weight:7.9 oz (225 g)
- Length:8.1" (20.6 cm)
- Width:1.8" (4.6 cm)
- Height:3.0" (7.6 cm)
- Weight:6.4 oz (181 g)
Build Quality
The Cubikook is easily the sturdiest handheld sharpener that we’ve tested. Its working section is secured to the base using metal screws. The device is solid, and because its parts fit together tightly, it feels like it’s one piece throughout.
The only issue is with the label. It is a strip of silicone that’s attached to the grip with glue and is starting to fall off our one-year-old device. This, however, doesn’t affect the sharpener’s functionality.
The finish is nothing to write home about, but it does ensure easy cleanup.
We’ve had our hands on a few others that look very similar to the Kitchellence, and they were all lightweight and shoddy. So it was a nice surprise how well-built the Kitchellence is.
The device is made of high-quality ABS with a nice finish. It’s solid, sturdy, weighted, and every part fits together tightly and seamlessly. It didn’t create the rattling sound heard on many others as we shook it or used excessive force to sharpen.
The only thing we didn’t like about the build is the tiny and somewhat flimsy silicone pad underneath the grip.
Grip
- Material:ABS
This Cubikook’s grip is very simple. It’s a thin, flat handle with the brand label on top.
It doesn’t have an ergonomic design or a velvety cover, but we’ve never had a problem maintaining a firm grip. However, we do think it could be even better if it were bulkier.
The grip is connected to the base, forming a closed loop, which further improves the device’s stability. As a small plus, you can hang it on a rack or hook for quick access.
- Material:ABS plastic
Among all the devices we tested, the Kitchellence offers the best grip. It has an ergonomic handle with finger nubs. The cover is a special kind of ABS plastic that feels like a matte silicone — it’s so comfortable on the skin a lot of the time we just skipped using the glove altogether.
Working Section
- Levels of Sharpening:Coarse, Medium, Fine
- Abrasive:Diamond rods, tungsten carbide blades, ceramic rods
- Mechanism:Pull through
- Sharpening Angle:20 degrees
The device has one slot with diamond rods that shape and straighten the edge, one with tungsten bars that remove burrs and small amounts of metal, and one with ceramic rods for honing.
The working section is secured to the base with screws and is technically detachable. However, you’d have to remove the silicone feet before you can take it apart. Also, the manufacturer doesn’t seem to sell spare parts online. We find it a pity that the whole device has to be discarded once the abrasives wear down, even though the other parts are still in perfect condition.
- Levels of Sharpening:Coarse, Medium, Fine
- Abrasive:Diamond rods, tungsten carbide blades, ceramic rods
- Mechanism:Pull-through
- Sharpening Angle:20 degrees
The Kitchellence sports three stages of sharpening, marked with the numbers 1, 2, and 3. The Coarse slot (1) removes small imperfections and preps the edge, the Medium slot (2) removes more material and sharpens the edge, and the Fine ceramic rods (3) offer a final polish.
Though the working section is easily removable, replacements are not sold separately. So once the rods have worn out and the tungsten blades are no longer keen, the whole device will just end up in the trash bin. That being said, with its thick rods and quality build, we suspect it will last for years.
Those larger, more robust sharpening rods separate the Kitchellence from other pull-through sharpeners such as the Cubikook or Wamery. They feel firmer and more sturdy, and the larger size also means they may last longer.
Cubikook Manual Knife Sharpener
- Material:ABS plastic
- Feet Type:silicone base
The Cubikook has a flat base with two silicone pads underneath to keep it in place. It isn’t particularly large, but because the device is modest in height and tapers at the top, the base area is more than enough to keep it from wobbling. We love that the design is simple but still very effective in ensuring stability.
- Material:ABS plastic
- Feet Type:non-slip rubber base
The device tapers at the base and has a patterned pad underneath it. The pad is soft, thin, and doesn’t help much with keeping the device stable.
Cubikook CS-T01 Knife Sharpener Review
- Slot Arrangement (10%)10/10
- Insertion (20%)9.5/10
- Pulling Through (10%)9.0/10
- Stability on a Clean Surface (40%)9.5/10
- Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface (20%)8.0/10
- Slot Arrangement (20%)10/10
- Insertion (20%)9.0/10
- Pulling Through (10%)9.5/10
- Stability on a Clean Surface (40%)9.0/10
- Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface (20%)7.5/10
Slot Arrangement
With one single working angle and the coarseness printed at each slot, the Cubikook Chef’ Sharpener is intuitive. Swipe through the slots until the knife is sharp — you really can’t go wrong with it. The slot labels are only embossed on one side, suggesting a right-handed orientation, but it functions just as well for southpaws. You just need to remember which slot is which.
The Kitchellence has a very intuitive design, with the slots arranged in a progressive order. There are numbers engraved on the stainless steel cover on each slot, and on both sides too, so it’s more difficult to get it wrong than right. You won’t need other visual cues or instructions.
Insertion
The Cubikook has some of the widest slot openings out of all the devices we tested. Granted, you can still cut into the walls if you have trembling hands or try to insert the blade too fast, but overall, insertion is pretty effortless and doesn’t require much concentration.
The slot openings are not the widest among those we tested, but they have reasonable width and depth. Insertion was effortless and didn’t require much anticipation or forethought.
Pulling Through
The Cubikook’s stability and sturdiness make pulling a blade through its slots a breeze. The smaller sharpening rods mean their cradle is rather light, but not loose — at least not when the device is still new.
Within a few months of heavy use, one of the two ceramic rods unfastened itself and started spinning whenever we pulled a blade through. This happens on both of the devices we have, so we’re not quite sure if it’s a feature or a fault in design.
We like that the sharpening slots are thin and the U-shape cutouts that frame them sit far below where the rods meet, thus staying out of the blade’s path. We can pull a whole knife through quickly, place reasonable pressure on it, even with the tip downward, and still never cut into the plastic.
We like that the sharpening rods are larger on this device than most others of its type. They created a firmer, touter brace of the knife edge as we pulled the knife through. Unlike some other devices, this brace hasn’t loosen up after six months of heavy-duty use.
The U-shaped holder stays clear of the working section, so we never once cut into it even when we deliberately increased speed and lowered the knife tip at the end.
Stability on a Clean Surface
The Cubikook has a low center of gravity, with its working section connected directly to its flat base. The two silicone pads underneath further aid in keeping it in place. It didn’t wobble or slip even when we deliberately applied more pressure than necessary.
Despite its small and tapered base, the Kitchellence is stable when working on a clean surface. This is thanks to its solid structure and an additional piece of metal placed underneath the working section for increased weight and a lower center of gravity.
Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface
The Cubikook stands shoulder to shoulder with the Chef’s Choice ProntoPro in this test and beats the others by leaps and bounds. It slipped but never came close to rolling or flipping. Again, a wide base and a working section placed low to its center of gravity are the recipe for success.
Facing the slippery countertop challenge, the thin and small rubber feet showed their weaknesses. The working section’s location high above the base didn’t help either. As a result, the device slid and wobbled a little.
The solution is easy: keep your countertop clean and the device will be safe to use. If you have shaky hands and want to be extra safe, however, the Cubikook may be a better choice.