Best Bread Knife

Best bread knife What do chefs use bread knives for? Bread of course and all kitchen knife sets need one. Well, it is kind of special which is why people want the best bread knife they can find.

They are explicitly designed for cutting through delicate bread crust without damaging and crushing the soft interior. The blades are serrated. Some have a straight blade at both ends with serrations in the middle and some are serrated all across the blade. Many are only grounded on one side, meaning a single bevel blade with low frequency of serrations. This is how to glide through bread quickly and evenly. It is shaped longer than all knives and allows the person to cut with long smooth strokes much like a saw blade. The serrations keep the bread in place without having to put downward pressure on the knife, therefore a great slice of bread.

However, bread is not the only item that a bread knife can be used for. It is also useful for sponge and pound cakes as well as bagels, English muffins, and many can be used for tomatoes and bell peppers. Some fruit such as pineapple watermelon, and pumpkin can be peeled or cut with a bread knife. The key is to not flex the blade which should be anywhere from a 6 inch to 14 inch blade to be accurate. All of those lengths depend on what you will be cutting the most. There are some very good bread knives out there so let’s see what a person should look for in a good bread knife.

What to Look For in a Bread Knife

A good bread knife must be able to cut through crusty breads, split cake layers, slice squishy tomatoes, peel large, tough skin fruits such as watermelon, pumpkins, and pineapple, and cut stacked sandwiches with ease.

Serrated Blade

The edge must be serrated and it is better to have fewer, deeper pointed serrations. This is for many reasons. First and most important is, the serrated blade increases the real cutting surface of the knife. The teeth of the serrated bread knife edge pierces the surface of anything that is being cut and shields the cutting edge from getting dull. The depth of the slots in between the serrations also influences how much grip you will have. The deeper the slot, the larger the surface of the teeth. This gives you more grip: the knife will cut through the product much easier. The contact surface per serration will, after all, be better, ensuring that each individual serration applies more pressure. The result is that a serrated knife with less serrations will cut deeper than a knife that has many serrations.

Narrower Blade

Since the task of a bread knife is basically sawing, a narrower blade will slice through easier with less friction. A wider blade is mainly for putting more pressure on the product such as deboning. Bread needs very little pressure to get a good cut. Also, most good knives have a Full Tang, although on bread knives, it must be very lightweight so as not to damage the crust of the bread when cutting.

Comfortable Handle

As with any knife, the more comfortable the handle feels in the hand the better so to get a good grip and the bread knife is no exception. The grip on the handle is what keeps the blade from flexing too much. Without control, a slice will not come out good. It must be made of lightweight material so it will not be heavy.

Best Bread Knife Reviews

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ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Bread Knife

ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Bread Knife
58 Reviews
The Zwilling J.A. Henckels bread knife has a curved bolster, which should be a deterrent. However, don’t let it fool you. This knife is top of the line for precision, safety, and grip comfort. It is forged from a single piece of high carbon stainless steel. The Full Tang is visible with three rivets through the Mediterranean Holm Oak handle. The laser-controlled carved edge guarantees a supreme cutting angle for sharpness and durability. This distinctive brand of many years has not scrimped on quality in this knife. The handle has strength and stability making it the absolute best for bread slicing. It is ergonomically designed and also non-stick, stain resistant. These features made it an excellent choice for peeling whole watermelons with ease. It is lightweight and razor sharp. In addition, this knife stayed razor sharp after many tasks. And, the free shipping can’t be beat. This knife is well worth the price and wins the crown of best bread knife.

DALSTRONG Bread Knife - Gladiator Series

The Dalstrong Gladiator series featuring the bread knife is also very distinctive. Made from a single piece of high carbon ThyssenKrupp German stainless steel. It features a full Tang riveted between imported black Pakkawood that has been polished for sanitation as well as feel and hand comfort. . It’s a great knife for a busy commercial or home kitchen. It is also ergonomically correct with extra hardness and flexibility needed for good cutting. Like the Zwilling, this knife also features a rounded bolster. The blade on this knife is taller for better knuckle clearance. It is designed for razor thin slice cutting with one stroke and very little crumbs left. It is also excellent for large fruits as well as meats such as ham but is nimble enough to cut bagels and English muffins with ease. This knife is also first-rate for shredding lettuce or cabbage. This knife comes with its own sheath that is perfectly fitted for the knife in addition to Dalstrong’s great after purchase support with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. And, the price can’t be beat for best bread knife at a value price.

Mercer Culinary Millennia Bread Knife

The Mercer Culinary is in many ways comparable to the preceding top of the line knives. It is also ergonomically correct with textured finger points for slip resistant slicing, good grip, and includes a finger guard for safety. The Tang is not full like the other two but it is made from the best Japanese steel with a razor sharp edge. The rather light weight handle gradually widens where it meets the blade for added finger safety. The Mercer, like the others, is versatile and can be used for a myriad of tasks other than slicing bread such as dicing and chopping as well as thick slicing veggies for the grill. In addition, this knife boasts over eight thousand five star ratings giving it the distinction of the best budget pick. The price is well below the others but it is comparable to them in many features. You can’t go wrong with this one either.

Wusthof Classic Bread Knife

The Wusthof Classic features a double serrated blade that none of the others have. This blade is designed to cut through thick breads and tough-skinned fruits and vegetables easily. It also has a Full Tang with triple rivets to the durable Hostaform polystyrene handle. This knife is designed to reduce crumbs in slicing and so that the internal serrations never hit the cutting planes for a longer lasting sharpness. The blade is seamlessly tapered from bolster to tip and is definitely quality made by hand. The tip is also curved for ease of use.

The balance is excellent in this knife and the blade is about an inch shorter than the rest. The price for the Wusthof is fairly expensive. More so than the Mercer. However, it has had nothing less than five star ratings. Although they both are good quality knives, the Mercer does basically the same job or better in some cases for quite a bit less money.


Shun Classic Bread Knife

This bread knife, also one inch shorter than the rest, has razor sharp with wide serrations designed for cutting through bread without crushing or tearing the interior. Some other bread knives tear the interior. Shun uses an exclusive formula, VG-MAX steel that combines cobalt, carbon, and chromium to enhance strength, durability, and protect the knife from wear, corrosion, and help the blade stay razor sharp.

This knife was made in Japan using an age-old technology with a modern feel of quality. The ebony PakkaWood, traditional Japanese style handle, is water resistant, and provides a comfortable grip with added durability. This knife is excellent for cutting tough encounters like sourdough, baguettes, and ciabatta rolls but is gentle enough for slicing banana bread, cakes, and brioche. This knife is dishwasher safe, however, it is recommended to hand wash it. In addition, the knife does not compare to the top of the line in quality, but the price is considerably higher.


Mac Knife - Bread Knife

The Mac knife is made in Japan with a 2mm Blade and is fully rust-resistant. The unique scalloped serrated blade makes it a good choice to cut through roasts and breads without shredding them apart. This one was exceptionally sharp right out of the box. The blade is made of high carbon stain resistant steel and keeps the edge for a long time. Even after repeated cutting this knife remained especially sharp. It is very light because the handle is made of Pakkawood riveted to a full Tang blade. Hand washable only. Although the price is not visible at this time, the quality of this knife is very good. This knife did have a little more flexibility than I expected. However, there is no knuckle contact with a cutting board with the angled design of the handle so that is a plus with this knife. All in all a good knife to use.

Final Thoughts

The Zwilling J.A Henckels Bread Knife, although more expensive than the rest, would be my choice by far. I’d even be willing to pay a bit more for this knife, compared to the prices and qualities of other comparable knives. Its quality can’t be beat with excellent strength and stability. It was the best for bread slicing by far and also a great choice for peeling fruits with tough skins with ease. It is lightweight and stays razor sharp after many tasks. And, the free shipping can’t be beat. This knife is well worth the price.

A less pricey alternative was the Dalstrong Bread Knife. This consistently stands out for me as being well-balanced and I liked the fact that it is also ergonomic. Its full-tang handle felt good in the curvature of my hand’s grip, so I had better control over slicing. The blade was not as sharp as some of the others but it had a very good saw-toothed edge and still did a great job of cutting through tough loaves and tough winter squash. Yet, it did an excellent job of cutting delicate sponge cake with ease. While the knife stands on its great features, it’s also has a surprisingly low cost compared to the Zwilling. This knife is an alternate best with a great value price.

Another good choice was the Mercer Millennia Bread Knife. What was particularly surprising to me was the price. It is quite a bit lower than the top competitors. If you are looking for quality at a really low price, go with this one. Even though a newcomer to the bread knife market, however, the makers did not scrimp on features. The Mercer Culinary is in many ways comparable to the preceding top of the line knives even without a full tang. It included a finger guard and was ergonomic. The very lightweight handle is versatile and can be used for a myriad of tasks other than slicing bread. In addition, for a new brand, this knife has already amassed many five star ratings making it a very useful budget pick. You can’t go wrong with this one either.

For good features, the Wusthof Classic was a good knife. The balance is excellent in this knife and had almost as many good features as the preceding. However, the price for the Wusthof is fairly expensive. More so than the Mercer. However, it has had nothing less than five star ratings. Although they both are good quality knives, the Mercer does basically the same job or better in some cases for quite a bit less money. Even though, this was a good choice.

You also can’t go wrong with the Shun Classic Bread Knife either. The company did not scrimp on the steel used in this one. It had enhanced strength, durability, and excellent protection from wear and corrosion. Also, the blade stayed razor sharp after many cuttings. The PakkaWood, handle was lightweight and was outstanding for tough breads as well as gentle enough for slicing cakes, and brioche. An all-around knife although the price is considerably higher.

The Mac Knife was not a great price, although the knife seemed to be a good quality. I would compare it to the Shun for the amount of good features, however, the price on the Shun was high for the quality. All in all, the knives presented here were all good quality. Any would be a good choice, but for me the top three were my favorites for many reasons.

Jerry Peterson, Editor In Chief
Jerry Peterson

Jerry is a 34 year old blogger. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently working for a communications company in New York. In his spare time he likes to program computers, go hiking and make knives. Read more about him.

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