Just like in many other households around the world, bread is a staple food in our family. Breakfast without some toast is unimaginable to us, and because of that, we always need to have some bread in stock.
Now I don’t like the prepackaged bread, so I often grab a fresh loaf from my favorite bakery downtown or bake my own.
Best Bread Knife
Since I’ve mentioned that we’re big fans of toast, that means that perfectly sliced bread is of utmost importance, and achieving that clean-cut wouldn’t be possible without a good bread knife.
I’ve come across quite a few folks who are not convinced of the amazing capabilities of a quality knife, so I decided to write a little bit about this, as well as mention my top 5 bread knife picks.
Enjoy!
Why buy a bread knife?
As you already know, a bread knife is NOT the primary kind of knife that you will need for the majority of jobs in the kitchen. It will not be used nearly as often as the chef’s knife, but I still firmly believe that it is necessary for a couple of specific tasks.
Its first and most important job is, of course, slicing bread. This can’t be done with any other tool unless you wish to get squishy, deformed slices and ruin your meal preparation.
While most knives have a perfectly straight edge, a bread knife has teeth that help to cut through the bread’s thick crust without compressing the airy interior of the loaf. Believe it or not, a rough crust can even blunt a regular knife’s blade is often used for this purpose.
Besides bread, this sort of knife is very effective in cutting tomatoes without making a mess.
Realizing this fact helped me save a lot of nerves and cleaning time in the kitchen. Because of its teeth, the bread knife rips up the tomato skin easily and then proceeds to separate the flesh without a lot of pressure. You can only do this with an extremely sharp knife otherwise.
Thick-skinned melons and squashes can also be successfully peeled and cleaned with these tools because a blade with teeth will not get stuck in the hard outer layer as a straight blade does.
Lastly, you might not have known, but I can guarantee from experience that a bread knife can cut through a thick steak like butter. Try it out for yourself and see!
What to consider when buying a bread knife?
So now that you know the reasons why you should get this product, I am going to introduce you to the things you should be paying attention to when you decide to buy one. I will get a little bit scientific and break down a bread knife to its main components, their functions, and then let you make your pick based on this information.
Let’s get into it.
1. Length of the blade
Most bread knives have blade lengths ranging from 7″ to 10″ and a bit more. Depending on the size of the food you want to use it for, your ideal size may vary, but generally speaking, a longer knife is more multi-functional. It can be used for small as well as bulky foods such as big loaves, melons, etc. I would advise you to look for at least 9″ inch blades.
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2. The shape of the knife
Most bread knives have a handle that is in the same line as the blade (which can be straight or curved), but in some cases, the handle can be offset so that it is positioned a little bit above the blade. The design of the latter has the purpose of protecting you from hitting your knuckles on the board/table as you slice a piece of food downwards.
Personally, I prefer the “inline” knife because, for some reason, it seems to perform better than an offset one. However, that doesn’t mean that offset models are bad. It is rather a matter of preference.
3. The shape of the knife’s edge
As you know, this kind of knife has a serrated edge, meaning that it has teeth, and they can differ in shape. The first kind has the usual, pointy-edged teeth, and the second type is the one with wavy, serrated edges. In my experience, both types can perform very well or very poorly, so the quality of the knife is more up to the individual model and not the shape of the serrations. In addition, some people claim that bread knives with wider teeth had better performances than those with narrower ones.
4. Maintenance
A very important thing to know is that bread knives are not as easy to maintain as other kinds. When the blade gets dull (and it will eventually), the only way to sharpen it is to hone each tooth individually using a honing steel. Even this doesn’t guarantee that it will be as sharp as when it was brand new. When I feel that the slicing is not as slick and the knife has worn out, what I like to do is simply buy a new one. Whether we talk about cheap or super pricey bread knives, the sharpening process is the same, so if you do not wish to go through this process, don’t spend too much money on these products. However, if you are into expensive models, then specially serrated knife sharpeners can help you maintain them just know it is a lengthy task.
See Also: Sharpening Steels Review
Most Recommended Bread Knives Currently On The Market – My Reviews 2022
In this section, I am going to present reviews of my five favorite bread knives available for purchase right now. After extensive testing and dozens of models, I finally managed to handpick a few products that I believe are more than worthy of mention.
So, let’s jump into the reviews!
Victorinox Fibrox Pro
Victorinox is one of the most famous companies in the world when it comes to cutlery, and as you may or may not know, the Swiss Army Knife is their invention. So from a manufacturer like this one, I would expect nothing but quality.
The Fibrox Pro has a 10.25″ blade, and this length enables the cutting of big loaves of bread, watermelons, and other larger foods. Generally speaking, I am not an advocate of anything shorter than 9″, so this knife’s length is good. The blade is very thin, which is preferable when it comes to bread knives.
As far as the knife’s design is concerned, this model doesn’t have an offset handle, but it does include some additional space for the knuckles, which is a nice feature. The blade is slightly curved, and it allows you to cut in a smooth and rocking motion.
The serrations are wavy, around medium size, and in my experience, perform very well. I was able to cut perfect slices of bread using minimal pressure.
The manufacturer’s recommendation for maintenance is to hone the blade after every couple of uses in order for it not to become dull. This is good and honest advice, but I’m sure that some people will find it troublesome.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Ergonomic design
- The curved blade cuts very well.
- Good length
Cons
- A bit pricier than its competition
- Should be honed regularly
Blue Key World Serrated Bread Knife
Blue Key World brings us what they call a bread and cake knife, and in my opinion, it is a decent piece of cutlery.
With an 8″ inch blade, it is not a very long knife. This is not necessarily bad, but you may have a bit of difficulty when cutting big pieces of food.
One of the things I first noticed was the feel of a nice rubber handle, which is not very common for this type of product. It is easy to grip and doesn’t slide as a plastic one might. The design of the knife is straight, meaning the blade and handle are in line, but there is still a little bit of clearance for your knuckles.
The blade is completely straight, and the serrations are wavy and medium length. The knife is exceptionally sharp and has no trouble going through thick crusts, so it is very effective when it comes to slicing.
This product is dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to wash it by hand if you are afraid to do it because of its sharpness and the possibility of cutting yourself. To keep it so sharp, you will inevitably have to hone it every once in a while.
Pros
- An ergonomic rubber handle provides a good grip.
- Very sharp and efficient
- Dishwasher safe
- Affordable price
Cons
- Not very long (8″)
- Needs regular honing
Orblue Stainless Steel Bread Knife
This beautifully designed bread cutter comes to us from Orblue, and in my opinion, it is one of the most visually appealing models on today’s list.
Like the previously reviewed knife, this one also has an 8″ blade. Again, it is not bad, but I would still rather go for a longer one.
The shape of the knife is such that the blade and handle are in the same line. The handle has a wavy, ergonomic design and is 4.9″ long, making it big enough for a comfortable grip no matter the size of your hands. The only downside is that the handle can get a bit slippery after my hands start to sweat.
As far as the blade is concerned, it is made from stainless steel and the teeth are pointy, not wavy. Nevertheless, it cuts really well, so the shape of the serrations doesn’t impact its performance. I tried it on vegetables and pastries and was satisfied with the results.
The knife is dishwasher safe, but I prefer to wash it by hand. Because fingerprints stay on it after every touch, I wipe it constantly after each use to maintain its shine and beautiful appearance.
Pros
- Beautiful appearance
- Cuts very well
- Ergonomic handle
- Affordable price
Cons
- Not very long blade (8″)
- Handle tends to get slippery
Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife
Pure Komachi’s slicer quickly catches one’s attention mostly due to its orange color and partially because of its unique and interesting shape.
This model has an 8″ long blade, and due to its slight curve, it makes up for the lack of length.
The handle and the blade are in the same line, but there is a small indent left for the knuckles. As I’ve mentioned, the blade is curved and is made from high-carbon stainless steel. The vivid orange coloring was a health concern for me, but I learned that it is FDA-approved and does not pose a hazard.
Now, the serrations are quite interesting here because they are pretty wide. This seems to be a good thing because the knife slices flawlessly through all kinds of foods.
The blade is coated with non-stick resin which makes cleaning significantly easier. If you want to keep it sharp, regular honing will be necessary as with all other knives of this category.
Pros
- Very interesting color
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Ergonomic design
- Cuts well
- Easy to clean
- Affordable
Cons
- Blade not very long (8″)
- Dulls quickly
- Not dishwasher safe
J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro
J.A. Henckels is another famous manufacturer, and this bread knife is a part of their Fine Edge Pro collection but can be bought separately as well.
The blade’s length is 8″, so it is suitable for cutting regularly sized loaves but there might be trouble with exceptionally big ones. It is made from high-quality German stainless steel, and this fact should guarantee quality.
The shape of the entire knife is straight, so the handle is in line with the blade, and its design reminds me of the old-school classics from the ’80s. The handle of this model is slightly smaller and narrower than most other bread knives, so folks with smaller hands might like this one.
When it comes to the serrations, they are curvy and medium-sized. The most important thing is that they do a good job and can slice through crusty bread as well as a delicate tomato with the same accuracy.
Similar to its competition, this model too tends to get a bit dull fast, so keep honing it on a regular basis. It is dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Made of high-quality steel
- Ergonomic design
- Cuts very well through various foods
- Good price
Cons
- Gets dull quickly
- Blade not very long (8″)
- The small handle might not suit those with large hands
Conclusion & Recommendation
I am sure that you are eager to know what is my number one pick from today’s list and the answer is – Victorinox Fibrox Pro.
This model is the only bread knife from today’s reviews that is longer than 10″ inches, and as I stated before this is a big benefit to have.
Its blade is thin, yet very strong and beyond good when it comes to cutting anything from bread to pineapples.
The price is higher than other products we mentioned today, but it is most definitely worth every penny.
If properly maintained, this bread knife will last you for years. 🙂
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