Are electric knife sharpeners bad for your knives?

It depends on the model. Specialist communities like r/chefknives consistently warn that cheap pull-through and uncooled electric sharpeners remove excessive material and can leave a ragged edge. However, diamond-abrasive electric machines with guided angle slots (such as the Chef's Choice 15XV) draw more measured criticism: Consumer Reports rates them highly for consistency, while r/sharpening users acknowledge they work well for production knives like Wüsthof, Victorinox, and Henckels even if they're not ideal for high-hardness Japanese steel.