K1000 Series Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Essential Knife System FAQs

1) To prevent damage of the knife and stone sharpening wheel, slide sharpener lever all the way to the bottom of the block before inserting knife to sharpen.
2) Insert the knife into the designated sharpening slot until the blade comes to a hard stop. Knives with large handles (Chef, Santoku, and Slicing Knives) should be inserted into upper sharpening slot. Knives with small handles (Utility, Steak, Paring, and Boning Knives) should be inserted into lower sharpening slot.
3) While lightly holding in place and pressing down the knife handle with your left hand, pull the lever all the way up towards the knife, then slide lever down the sharpener until it reaches the end of the block. Do not twist or deflect the handle side to side. Slide the lever all the way up and down 10 times, using a steady, consistent motion. A slight click will be heard when the lever travels all the way to the bottom of the block. Do not slide the lever only halfway down and then back to the top of the knife block, as this could damage the knife and sharpener. Make sure to travel the full length of the block with the lever to prevent damage to the knife tip.
4) Once completed, carefully remove sharpened knife from the sharpening slot with the lever in the bottom position to prevent dulling of the blade edge. Keep hands away from knife edge while removing knife from sharpening slot.
5) Rinse knife blade clean with water to remove any sharpening residue and dry thoroughly. Store in designated knife block slot or use for food preparation. If knife has not been returned to preferred sharpness, repeat steps above. Sharpen at least every 2 weeks. Refer to the Use and Care Guide and Quick Start Guide for a complete guide on sharpening your Ninja™ knives.
For sharpening instructional videos, please visit qr.ninjakitchen.com/neverdull.

For knives used daily, we recommend sharpening at least every 2 weeks to maintain their edges for a NeverDull experience. For knives used less often, sharpen as soon as you notice a reduction in cutting performance and/or dull edges. Frequent sharpening will not damage knives.

No, you cannot over sharpen your knives. Frequent sharpening will not damage knives.

If your knives have not been sharpened for an extended period of time (4 weeks or more), increase the sharpening to 20–30 swipes of the lever (more swipes may be needed for severely dull knives), then resume the ordinary maintenance routine (10 swipes at least every 2 weeks).

Move the lever up and down 10 times for each knife to sharpen. 10 swipes of the lever maintain your knives at optimum sharpness. The lever must travel the full length of the block to sharpen, regardless of knife size. Even with smaller knives, like the 3.5" Paring Knife and 4.5" Steak Knives, the lever must travel the full length. The upstroke positions the stone sharpening wheel, and the downstroke sharpens the knife. If your knife has not been returned to preferred sharpness, repeat sharpening. For more instructions on sharpening, see the Use and Care Guide or "How do I sharpen my knives?" in the FAQs.

No, only sharpen Ninja™ knives in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System. The sharpener is designed for Ninja™ straight-edge knives only. Sharpening other branded knives, serrated knives, or shears could damage both the knives and the sharpener. NEVER sharpen a serrated Ninja™ Bread Knife or Ninja™ Kitchen Shears in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System.

No, only sharpen Ninja™ knives in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System. The sharpener is designed for Ninja™ straight-edge knives only. Sharpening other branded knives, serrated knives, or shears could damage both the knives and the sharpener. NEVER sharpen a serrated Ninja™ Bread Knife or Ninja™ Kitchen Shears in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System.

Yes, you can sharpen your Ninja™ Steak Knives in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System. It is recommended to sharpen knives at least every 2 weeks to maintain optimal sharpness.

No, only sharpen Ninja™ straight-edge knives in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System. Do not sharpen serrated knives. The sharpener is designed for straight-edge Ninja™ knives only. Attempting to sharpen the Ninja™ Bread Knife could damage both the knife and the sharpener. Your Ninja™ Bread Knife has serrated edges to maintain sharpness.

The lever must travel the full length of the block to sharpen, regardless of knife size, because the stone sharpening wheel is repositioned only if the lever reaches the end of the block. It is this full downstroke that sharpens the knife. If the lever does not travel the full length, the stone sharpening wheel can get jammed on the end of the knife, the knife will not get sharpened, and damage could be done to both the sharpener and the knife. Travel the full length of the block to sharpen your Ninja™ knives correctly.

A clean Ninja™ knife is inserted all the way in the sharpener when you feel the blade come to a hard stop. Large handled knives are inserted into the upper sharpening slot. Small, handled knives are inserted into the lower sharpening slot.
Refer to the Use and Care Guide and Quick Start Guide for a knife insertion diagram and complete steps.

No, the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System is manual. You must slide the lever on the side of the knife block all the way up and down 10 times to sharpen each Ninja™ knife.

No, to clean your knives, hand wash and immediately dry thoroughly to prevent watermarks, spotting, and rusting. Do not touch sharp edge of knife. Dishwashing your knives can decrease the quality of the knife, damage the blade edge, and reduce the stainless-steel integrity. To increase the lifetime of your knives, only hand wash.

For best results, hand wash knives with soap and water and towel dry immediately to prevent watermarks, spotting, and rusting. The Shears come apart for easy cleaning. Do not place knives in the dishwasher. Dishwashing your knives can decrease the quality of the knife, damage the blade edge, and reduce the stainless-steel integrity. To increase the lifetime of your knives, only hand wash. Do not touch sharp edge of knife.

No, do not use any type of scour pads, for example, Scotch Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges, while hand washing your knives. Scour pads could damage the blade and cause scratch marks. Only use gentle sponges or dish cloths to hand wash knives with soap and water.

To prevent watermarks, spotting, and rusting, it is recommended to towel dry knives immediately after washing. Do not air dry to protect the blade surface. Do not touch the edge of the knife.

If your knife blade shows signs of staining, use a non-abrasive metal polish for cleaning or gently scrub a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water with a non-abrasive sponge. Rinse and dry immediately.

1) Remove all knives from your block.
2) Move the sharpener lever to the bottom position. Rotate block and tilt the block forward so you can easily access the back. Open the stone sharpening wheel access door.
NOTE: There may be metal shavings inside the sharpener. Wipe with a towel to remove.
3) As you hold the lever in the down position with your left hand, pull the wheel holder down and towards you with your right hand. The wheel holder should connect with the snap feature to be held in place. NOTE: The wheel holder may be greasy and/or oily.
4) Remove the wheel by unsnapping and rotating the wheel pin clip upwards 90 degrees. Slide the wheel pin out and remove the wheel. Discard the wheel but reserve the wheel pin.
5) Replace the wheel by placing the new wheel in the wheel holder. It can be installed in either direction. Insert the wheel pin through the wheel and snap the wheel pin clip in place.
6) Verify the wheel is installed correctly by spinning the wheel. The wheel should rotate in the wheel holder. If it is jammed, is wobbly, or easily pops out, repeat until it rolls freely. NOTE: The wheel is meant to be angled in the wheel holder.
7) Gently raise the wheel holder back to its original position inside the sharpener. Remove your hand from the lever. Close the stone sharpening wheel access door.
8) Tilt block back so it is standing upright on counter. Move the lever up and down 3 times to ensure the sharpener is not jammed. If it is, repeat previous steps. Store your knives back in their designated slots.
Refer to the Use and Care Guide for a complete guide on how to replace the stone sharpening wheel. For replacing the stone sharpening wheel videos, please visit qr.ninjakitchen.com/neverdull.

Follow the steps in the Use and Care Guide to remove the stone sharpening wheel. Rinse the wheel under running water and use a soft bristle brush to remove any metal shavings. Towel dry immediately before reassembling inside the sharpener. If you sharpen your knives every 2 weeks, it is recommended to clean the wheel every 6 months.

To purchase a replacement wheel, visit ninjakitchen.com.

If you sharpen your knives every 2 weeks, it is recommended to replace the wheel every 2 years.

Each Ninja™ knife is made of durable POM (Polyoxymethylene). POM has high mechanical strength and rigidity, low moisture absorption, excellent wear resistance, discoloration resistance, high impact strength, and low fading properties.

To protect you and your knives, store your knives in your Ninja™ knife block. Reference the Quick Start Guide for a labeled diagram on where to store each knife in your set.

Large knives are meant to be stored in the biggest slots on the top section of your Ninja™ knife block, while small knives are meant to be stored in the smallest slots on the top section. Steak knives are stored in the bottom section of your Ninja™ knife block. Shears are stored in the rounded slot on the top section of your Ninja™ knife block. However, if the knife fits in the slot, it does not truly matter where each knife is stored.
Reference the Quick Start Guide for a labeled diagram on where to store each knife in your set.

First, remove all knives before moving the block. Your block has four suction cups on the bottom to stabilize the block while you sharpen your knives. To move your block towards you, gently lift one side of the block and then the other or lift up on the front of the sharpener. Place gently back on the counter and push down to activate suction cups. If suction cups are not sticking, clean the counter and the suction cups to remove debris.

Wooden or bamboo cutting boards are recommended over plastic cutting boards to protect your knife blade's edge. Do not cut on marble, glass, ceramic, china, tile, granite, stainless steel or other metal, porcelain, or laminate surfaces. This will dull the blade edges quickly and decrease the lifespan of your knives.

Refer to the Quick Start Guide for a complete recommended knife usage chart based on your set.
The Ninja™ Chef Knife is a multipurpose, versatile knife used for slicing, chopping, mincing, and dicing. This knife can be used on many food loads, including vegetables, fruit, protein, herbs, and seafood. including vegetables, fruit, protein, herbs, and nuts. The Ninja™ Bread Knife is used for slicing through bread, tomatoes, and citrus fruit. The Ninja Slicing Knife is used for cutting thinner slices of larger vegetables, fruit, meat roasts, and cold cuts. The Ninja™ Santoku Knife is a smaller multipurpose knife used for thinner slicing, dicing, and mincing. This knife can be used on many food loads, including vegetables, fruit, protein, herbs, and seafood. The hollow oval indents on the edge of the blade help prevent food from sticking to the blade. The Ninja™ Boning Knife is used for filleting fish, cutting meat, and separating meat from the bone. The Ninja™ Utility Knife is used for thinner slicing, trimming, and filleting for many food loads, including vegetables, fruit, and protein. The Ninja™ Paring Knife is used for cutting, trimming fat, and peeling small vegetables and fruit. The Ninja™ Steak Knife is used for slicing through cooked protein, mainly steak, chicken, chops, and fish. The Ninja™ Kitchen Shears are used for snipping and cutting herbs and trimming fat.

A honing rod is not required. For optimal performance, only sharpen your Ninja™ Knives in the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System. It is recommended to sharpen knives at least every 2 weeks to maintain optimal sharpness.

The Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System does make noise when used properly. The stone sharpening wheel grinds against the knife blade to sharpen it, which is what makes the grinding noise on the downstroke of the sharpening lever.

It is common for moist foods, like potatoes, onions, and cheese, to stick to the surface of the knife blade due to surface tension while cutting. When this occurs, it is recommended to use your Ninja™ Santoku Knife, because the hollow oval indents along the knife blade help reduce food from sticking.

If your lever is wobbling while you are using your Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System, then you should alter your grip. Please grip the lever lightly and in the middle. To sharpen, pull the lever straight up toward the knife—not sideways—then push it down until it reaches the end of the block.

The Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System is designed for Ninja™ straight-edge knives only; therefore, it is not possible to sharpen your Kitchen Shears with the built-in sharpener. If you use the Shears correctly and follow the recommended guidelines, then they should not dull over the lifetime of your cutlery set.

The Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Knife System is designed for Ninja™ straight-edge knives only; therefore, it is not possible to sharpen your Bread Knife with the built-in sharpener. If you use the Bread Knife correctly and follow the recommended knife usage guidelines, then it should not dull over the lifetime of your cutlery set. The serrated edges keep your Bread Knife sharp and ready to use.

Each Ninja™ knife is made of premium, durable high carbon stainless steel that can be easily sharpened with the Ninja™ Foodi™ NeverDull™ Essential Knife System. The specific blade material is 5cr15MoV.