How does the EdgeKeeper sheath sharpen the shears?

The sharpener is built into the sheath the shears live in. You place the bottom blade through it and close the blades together, and that single motion sharpens both the bottom and the top edge. Because it happens every time you put the shears away, the edge never gets a chance to go dull.

Which sharpener do I need for serrated knives?

The two-stage 7.5-inch sharpener. It has a dedicated serrated slot with a carbide rod and guides that hold the blade at the right angle, plus a fine-edge slot and a ceramic honing slot for ordinary knives. The tabletop sharpener is explicitly for fine-edge knives only and should not be used on serrated blades.

Can Copco shears and sharpeners go in the dishwasher?

No. Both pairs of shears are hand wash only — warm water, mild detergent, rinsed and dried immediately so the pivot and blades do not sit wet. The sharpeners are wiped clean with a damp cloth. The cutting board and the butter dish are the two items here that take a top-rack wash.

Is a plastic cutting board better than wood?

For raw meat and fish, a non-porous board is easier to be confident about: the polypropylene board here does not absorb liquids, odors or stains, and it is reversible so one face can stay for produce. It is also gentle on blades. Wood still wins on looks and on being kind to a knife over decades.

Copco Kitchen Tools: EdgeKeeper Shears, Sharpeners & Boards

EdgeKeeper: shears that sharpen themselves

The EdgeKeeper all-purpose shears come with their own sheath, and the sheath is the point — it has a sharpener built in. Pass the bottom blade through it and close the blades, and both edges are sharpened in one motion, which is why the shears stay sharp instead of becoming the pair you avoid. High carbon stainless steel blades, ergonomic handles. Pistachio is $15.96 and steel blue $9.99.

The 4-in-1 shears, $13.99, take a different line: 10.83 inches of stainless steel that also work as a jar opener, a bottle opener and a flathead screwdriver, with a non-slip handle coating and a blade cover for the drawer. One tool instead of four, which is mostly a question of drawer space.

Both pairs are hand wash only — warm water, mild detergent, rinse and dry immediately. Shears are not dishwasher items.

Two sharpeners, two jobs

Two-stage with a serrated slot

The 7.5-inch sharpener, $15.99, has three slots. A carbide rod repairs and straightens a dull fine edge, a second carbide rod with its own guides handles serrated blades at the right angle, and a ceramic honing slot polishes the edge afterwards. The soft-grip handle is what lets you hold it down firmly while you pull a knife through.

Tabletop, fine edge only

The 7.48-inch tabletop sharpener, $9.99, uses ceramic rods and a contoured body with a non-slip base, so it stays put on the counter while you work. It is for fine-edge knives only — not for serrated blades. Both sharpeners wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Hold the knife at the angle the instructions describe, use moderate pressure, and pull the blade through rather than sawing it back and forth.

The board you cut on

The small cutting board, $9.18, is 7.75 by 11.25 inches and 9.5 mm thick in pistachio. It is BPA-free polypropylene: non-absorbent and non-porous, so it doesn't hold odors or stains, and gentle enough on a blade that you aren't dulling the knife you just sharpened. Both faces work, so one side can stay for produce, and a hand hole plus non-slip corners keep it steady while you chop.

Butter and coffee at the table

Two serving pieces finish the section. The butter dish, $9.44, has a clear snug-fit cover so you can see when the butter is running low, two sets of tablespoon markings that match both East and West Coast stick shapes, built-in stoppers that keep the stick from sliding, and a handle for the trip from fridge to table. Dish and cover are top-rack dishwasher safe.

The Simplify carafe, $16.99, holds one quart — four cups — and uses vacuum insulation to keep a drink hot or cold for up to eight hours. A push-button pour-through lid means you don't hold anything down while pouring. Hand wash recommended.

Where the tools are kept

Shears, sharpeners and a board all have to live somewhere. The trays in drawer organizers keep them from sliding into each other, and the carafe shares a counter happily with a bamboo lazy susan. Shears and a board washed by hand need somewhere to drip, which is a rack or drain board from sink and dishware.