DMT (Diamond Machining Technology) WS4C Knife Sharpener

I'm sorry, but this is really bad advice. The best, cheapest way? Those budget dual-grit aluminum oxide stones are notoriously difficult to use, even for a seasoned user. They don't cut well, they make a mess, and they scoop out quickly, requiring regular flattening. So while it may be a cheap option, it's a terrible way to build any skills. Which means you'd need to spend at least $50+ to get a decent whetstone, and at those prices, you may as well just get a budget fixed angle system and a diamond stone for 40 bucks, and now you don't even need any skill at all to keep a consistent angle. Now OP only needs to focus on the right pressure, and type of strokes to get a decent edge. Sure the system takes a few extra minutes to set up, but OP would be able to get stellar results on their first try, vs free hand, which would take many hours of practice and experimentation to learn.

I personally use this sharpening system and DMT diamond stone for my setup, and it works super well. Obviously there are different techniques to learn to get premium results, but it will still get you far better results much faster than trying to struggle with free hand. I also use a 4" piece of basswood that I got at home depot for like 3 bucks or something. Loaded up with a little diamond compound, it makes a great strop that fits perfectly in the stone holder. Balsa can also work, I have heard.

You're forgetting the element of time. You can have something cheap, easy, or fast, but not all 3. If you want it fast and easy, it'll be expensive. If you want it easy and cheap, it'll take more time. I could get a fixed angle sharpening system and a decent diamond stone for 40 bucks, but it'll just take a bit more time. Not a miracle device. It takes away all of the human error and skill from freehand sharpening, and dramatically cuts down on the time it will take for a newbie to get good results when compared to free hand stones. Seems a realistic expectation to me. Quite cheap and skill-free. Maybe not as fast as a professional spending 90 seconds on a stone, but a newbie like OP could still get most of the way there in way less time than struggling through a new skill.

Not true at all. I can get insanely high-quality edges using a $40 sharpening setup. Just a Ruixin Pro and DMT stone. Fixed angle systems don't have to be expensive.

Lol as you can see OP, there are a huge range of diverse opinions on this, and it ultimately comes down to what you want to get out of cooking and your knives. Also, I'm not sure I would even bother sharpening a supermarket knife given how cheap those steels are, but the victorinox could still be worth it. But maybe those supermarket knives could work as great practice/test knives. Either way, let's at least narrow down the options. It seems to me that most of the commenters here didn't actually bother to comprehend your post, since like 90% of them are recommending some sort of free hand sharpening setup. 🤦🏼‍♂️ I agree that learning a new skill is silly given what you've shared, so you can rule out freehand sharpening entirely. Honestly, even if you were keen to learn a skill, I still wouldn't recommend freehand, since I don't think the reward is worth the investment to learn. I would also advise against those diamond-coated honing rods, since they are not a great long-term solution, and they usually result in people unintentionally adding recurve into their edges and scooping out the belly. There are little gadgets you can buy, like drag-through sharpeners and tumbler rollers, but the drag-through ones produce edges that are quite shit and just mangle up the knife more, and the tumblers are also problematic in that they're inconsistent and don't produce quality edges worth your time (IMO). For absolute convenience and ease of use, there are electric gadgets that can do a decent job for someone in your situation, but they certainly aren't cheap. My personal recommendation for ease of use and best results for least cost would be some sort of fixed angle system. They take most of the skill and human error out of sharpening. There are some really fancy fixed angle systems out there that can cost thousands, but you don't need that and can still get phenomenal results with something really cheap. Even though it sounds like I am way more of a cooking and knife nerd than you are, I still use this ultra cheap fixed angle system, and it still gets me killer results for under 30 bucks. That being said, I did personally upgrade the sharpening stones and use a DMT 4" stone instead, but the stones that come stock with this kit would probably be good enough for the standards you have laid out. When I first started out, I was just using the angle finder in my smartphone to make sure I was getting set up with consistent angles, and it worked perfectly fine for me for years that way. Now, just be aware that I am giving you my bare bones advice because it already sounds like your motivation for this is on the low end. But if you're somebody who can tolerate just the slightest bit more fuss, I would also be recommending a strop of some kind. No matter what sharpening method you land on, cleaning up your freshly sharpened edge with a strop will do wonders for improving results and making them longer lasting. You can even use a fixed angle system for this — I just use a 4" piece of basswood loaded up with a little stropping compound, and it fits perfectly in the fixed angle holder. Just my 2¢. Let me know if you have any questions.