alt Hacker NewsThe argument for not using electric sharpeners is that they (1) cut down the lifetime of your knife substantially and (2) they do a mediocre job of sharpening.
Mechanically, it's just high-abrasive motorized spinning discs at preset angles. So rather than getting a good edge by taking a few microns of material off by doing it manually, you get an OK edge by taking 0.2mm off at a time. (If 0.2mm doesn't sound like a lot, think about how many mm wide your knife is.)
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I'm personally 50-50 on this advice: most people don't sharpen their knives at all, and I think people are better off getting 10 OK years out of a knife than 50 terrible years out of it.
I'm also not willing to learn how to use a whetstone, so I landed in the middle on this: https://worksharptools.com/products/precision-adjust-knife-s...
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I still sharpen my knives on a whetstone, but given the general cost trajectory of most manufactured items, I've decided that I'm okay if I wear out my knives. Buying a new chef's knife in 10 years is basically free on a per-day-of-use basis.
(I say that, but I'm still using knives that mostly range from 25-50 years old, but some didn't get sharpened enough when they belonged to our parents and grandparents.)
I landed on using a diamond stone with 300 grit and 1000 grit. Unlike whetstones they never need to be flattened. I just use one of those cheap plastic angle guides. After a bit of practice you will learn to hold the angle well enough. Finish with a leather strop and some polishing compound and I can keep my knives shaving-sharp with only a few minutes effort before I cook.