When it comes to knives, everyone is always “my chef’s knife this” and “my chef’s knife that!” While a good chef’s knife is obviously important, all this talk short-changes the importance of the humble bread knife. It’s one of the three must-haves for every home cook (along with a cheap paring knife and, yes, a chef’s knife) and is good for so much more than just bread. It’s what you’ll reach for when it’s time to slice a tomato, level a cake, cut up a sandwich, take the skin off a squash, and more. So yeah, a good serrated bread knife is right up there with a chef’s knife!
Which one to get, though? You’ve come to the right place. We dug through the reviews at other food sites to see what our colleagues recommend. And then, in true Kitchn fashion, we’ve added our two cents. In the end, we wound up with a slightly splurgy pick and a more budget-friendly option.
Here goes.
The Best Serrated Knife, According to Wirecutter
Victorinox Fibrox 10.25-Inch Serrated Bread Knife, $55
The folks at Wirecutter sliced up 15 crusty loaves of bread, six pounds of ripe tomatoes, four pounds of roast eye round, and 10 roast beef sandwiches in their test, which ultimately declared this Victorinox option the winner. They liked that it’s thin, sharp, and easy to hold. They also liked the price point, saying it’s well-made and versatile, considering it’s not too expensive. Testers noted that it was easy to control and made the thinnest, most-even slices — even against more expensive knives. (Comparable knives cost at least three times as much!)
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The Best Serrated Knife, According to Epicurious
Misen Essentials Serrated Knife, $65
One of the testers at Epicurious called slicing with this knife a “lovely” experience. They noted its sleek look, Japanese steel blade, sloped bolster, perfect heft and length, and the fact that the scalloped teeth were just right (rather than too pointy or too wavy). Sadly, it’s currently sold out, but you can sign up to be notified when it’s back in stock.
The Best Serrated Knife, According to Serious Eats
Tojiro Bread Slicer 235mm F-737, $20
Tojiro makes another bread knife that’s around three times more expensive than this one. And though that one got the “Upgraded Pick” vote from Wirecutter, Serious Eats says this one is more than enough to get the job done. The blade is, you guessed it, 235 millimeters (9.25 inches), and it’s got fine, sharp teeth that whizzed right through everything it met. And because the blade is a little bendy, the tester liked that it’s good for more delicate jobs, too, like removing the peel from hard winter squash and cutting thin slices of tomatoes. (Note: This bendy blade got dinged a little because it wasn’t as good at heavy-duty tasks — like cutting a squash in half.)
The Best Serrated Knife, According to Cook’s Illustrated
Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife, $23
After updating this post, the editors at Cook’s Illustrated stand by their pick for this bread knife, which is also the budget pick from Wirecutter. Cook’s Illustrated called it a “standout” and point out that it had the fewest, widest, and deepest scalloped teeth compared to the other knives they tested. You’d think that’d be a bad thing, but this knife sliced right through crusty bread and squishy tomatoes. Plus, the handle is grippy and comfy to hold.
The Bestselling Serrated Knife on Amazon
Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Serrated Bread Knife, $27
The bestselling knife on Amazon is a smaller (and less expensive) version of the knife that Wirecutter picked. It’s hard to tell which size every reviewer is leaving comments for, but the ones that are clearly for the eight-incher call out how comfortable the handle is, how easily it slices through crusty bread, and how sturdy the blade feels.
Kitchn’s Thoughts on the Best Serrated Knife
There are more differences between the various serrated knives on the market than you’d think. (Our friend at Serious Eats even said the same thing!) Some may look sharp but they’ll totally mangle a piece of bread, crush a tomato, destroy a cake when you try to level it, or push all the ingredients out of a sandwich when you go to cut it. All of the serrated knives on this list are sharp and can easily (and expertly) slice through bread, a tomato, a cake, or a sandwich. They’re all great choices. However! We think you really do need a 10-inch serrated knife — or at least a nine-inch one. (What if you have a large boule? An eight-inch knife probably won’t be long enough to cut it!) And we like the Victorinox and the Mercer Culinary knives the best of the ones on this list. (A splurge and a save option, if you will!) They’re not only the best of the ones on this list, but we also like them best of all the ones on the market — especially the knives for $100 or less.
Do you have a serrated knife that you love? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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