My big birthday present was an electric knife sharpener, a Chef’s Choice 130. I’ve been using an arkansas stone for years, but it takes forever and the kitchen knives were getting to be a problem.

The first sharpening takes a while, since you need to grind the edge at the correct angle. Subsequent sharpenings are much, much faster and don’t leave metal dust on the counter. Read the instructions carefully, because there is some skill involved in getting it right. Just because this thing has a motor doesn’t mean it is automatic.

To celebrate the newly sharp kitchen knives, I bought some vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozarella, and some nice olive oil. I don’t think I’ve ever sliced a tomato that easily. They were tasty, too.