Nothing is more pleasant than enjoying a nutritious breakfast with fresh bread. People used to buy bread in stores, but now, during the pandemic, most people are looking to make bread at home. Therefore, a good bread knife will be necessary to cut it properly and make sure you have even slices. Or, you may just want to make a replacement for the old one.
We have created this comprehensive guide to bread knives to help you make informed purchases. We also selected our favorite. This guide will help you find the best bread knife for cutting your loaf of bread.
Best Bread Knives
1. Orblue Serrated Bread Knife
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Amazon.com
- Ultra-sharp, well-balanced bread knife at a reasonable price
- Upgraded stainless steel serrated edge
- 8-inch blade with 5-inch handle
- Come with a rubber safety glade guard
- One-piece stainless steel design
- Versatile for various bread, bagels, cakes, even tomatoes
- The blade is extremely sharp. Need to be careful in using.
2. Cuisinart C77TR-8BD Bread Knife
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- Well-constructed with high carbon stainless steel blades
- Forged, extra-wide safety bolster and durable plastic handle for better control
- A blade guard for safe storage
- Occasional over-sharp or dull blade reports. Must be careful in use.
3. Tojiro Bread Slicer 235mm F-737
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- Lightweight and sharp high-carbon stainless steel blade with serrated edge
- Natural wood handle
- Can stick to magnetic strip for easy storage
- Blunt after a period of use. May need to sharpen it before use.
4. Mercer Culinary 10-inch Bread Knife
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Amazon.com
- Extremely sharp and thin-slicing bread knife
- Durable and ergonomic handle with textured finger points
- One-piece stainless steel
- Suitable for both left & right-handed
- It doesn’t come with a knife sheath.
5. Mercer Culinary Millennia 9-Inch Offset Wavy Edge Bread Knife
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Amazon.com
- Offset wavy edge creates delicate thin slices
- Narrow serrated blade with non-slip handle
- Can cut at a slight angle
- The blade is a bit thin and too flexible when cutting through the crust.
- Hand wash only and immediate drying needed
6. Imarku Professional Bread Slicing Knife
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Amazon.com
- High quality stainless steel sharp serrated blade
- Left-handed friendly ergonomic pakkawood handle
- Versatile for homemade bread, cakes, crusty bread, bagels, and pastries
- Come in a nice gift box
- It’s better to hand wash and dry it at once to prevent rust.
7. Victorinox Wavy Edge Bread Knife
Amazon.com
- Stamped blade with wavy-edge
- Rosewood handle makes easy to grip
- Hand washing recommended
- The grip is a bit small for some people.
8. WÜSTHOF Classic 9" Double Serrated Bread Knife
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Amazon.com
- Cut bread easily with the 9″ double serrated German high carbon stainless steel forged blade
- Very sharp and effective with the double shaft
- Expensive with high quality
- Hand washing only
- The handle is a bit shorter for some people.
What Is A Bread Knife?
A bread knife is a kitchen knife with a serrated blade and a wood or plastic handle. The tooth-like blade functions just like a saw. The teeth catch the food’s skin, and the knife glides through food back and forth, then you get a slice.
What Is A Bread Knife Used For?
The primary function of a bread knife is to cut through bread smoothly and evenly. Because the serrated blade can easily break the crumb. It can also be used to cut batch baked food like finished cakes, brownies, and cookie bars. The tooth-like edge gives you a better cut, and the longer blade allows you to slice them in one move. Its small teeth can quickly slice through chocolate bars.
There are many other foods that can be cut with a bread knife:
- Cooked meats
- Whole citrus fruits
- Melons
- Pineapples
- Tomatoes
A bread knife is great for slicing tomatoes. Because the teeth on the bread knife can easily grip and cut through the smooth but durable outer skin and soft inner flesh. This is a bit difficult to do with a straight knife. You can use a bread knife to cut other vegetables with tough skin and a soft interior.
What to Consider When Buying a Bread Knife?
Blade length and width
Most bread knives on the market have blades between 8 and 12 inches. The blade should be longer than the common bread width, even twice the width of the loaf. This will ensure smooth slices. If you often cut large pieces of loaves and bread, a longer blade will be more useful.
Blade width is also important. A knife with a narrow blade is more flexible but requires more skills to cut bread evenly. A wider blade makes it easy to cut even slices.
Blade shape
Most bread knives have straight or curved blades. A curved blade will prevent your fingers from scratching on the cutting board.
Handle material
Handle material is essential for a comfortable bread knife. Plastic, wood, and steel are the most popular options.
Plastic handles can look great or poor depending on what type of plastic is used. Although inexpensive bread knives are often made of textured plastic handles, they can look and feel cheap. However, you can also find knives with smooth polymer handles that are both strong and attractive.
Wooden handles are classic in appearance and provide a lot of grips. They also feel warm in their hand. The downside is that wooden handles can rot if they get wet so hand wash them well and avoid the dishwasher.
One-piece knives have steel handles that extend beyond the blade. Because there are no gaps between the handle and the blade, they are extremely easy to clean. They also tend to be very balanced. They feel cold and offer little grip unless they are coated with rubber.
Some handles are positioned higher than the blade, some are lower. The best way is to hold the knife and feel the weight and handle.
Handle size
If the hand of the bread knife is too large or too small to fit your hand size, you will not have a comfortable use.
Blade material
Most bread knife blades are made from stainless steel, high-carbon steel, carbon stainless steel, or ceramic. The blades with higher carbon content are more durable and harder. Ceramic knives are more durable than stainless steel. However, they can chip easily and are more brittle.
Balance
Balance is crucial for bread knives. It can make the difference between a knife you enjoy using and one that performs poorly. Make sure the handle of a bread knife has a long or heavy blade is balanced. A bolster may be found in the handle to provide balance. If it is a knife made of hollow steel, it might be filled with sand or another similar substance.
Stamped vs. Forged
Bread knives can be either forged or stamped, just like all knives. Forged bread knives can be made from one piece of steel. Once the steel has been heated, it is hammered into shape. This used to be done manually, but it is now more common to use a machine. Stamped bread knives can be made from large sheets of steel.
Forged bread knives are stronger and more durable because of the way the steel molecules are handled during forging. They also retain their sharp edges for longer. Stamped knives are lighter and more affordable, but aren’t as durable or strong. Although stamped knives are preferred for their flexibility and lighter weight, forged options are more popular.
Tang
The “tang” of a bread knife is the portion of the blade that extends into its handle. Full-tang knives have full-tang tangs that reach all the way to the handle. These knives are more durable than half-tang and partial-tang knives.
FAQ
Q. Do I really need a bread blade?
A. It depends on your food type. If you regularly or occasionally make bread at home or buy bread that needs to be sliced, a bread knife is a must-have in your kitchen. If you only buy sliced bread from the stores, then you can use other knives to cut the bread if needed.
Q. Are there any bread knives for left-handed people?
Bread knives are available right-handed or left-handed. Most bread knives are easier to use for right-handed people. Before making a purchase, it’s best to check with the sellers.
Q. Can I wash the bread knife in the dishwasher?
A. Not all bread knives can be washed in the dishwasher. You should check the product manual before putting it into the dishwasher. If you are not sure, handwashing is the best way to keep the bread knife sharp for a long time. Be careful with the blade and use a sponge or dishcloth to wipe the blade side individually.
Q. Can I sharpen my bread knife?
A. You can, however, you’ll need to use a special tool such as a ceramic or angled sharpening rod. You could also have your bread knife professionally sharpened. This service is available at many hardware and cookware stores.
Q. How to sharpen my bread knife?
A. Although serrated bread knives are more durable than chef’s knives, they still need to be sharpened after using a period of time. A regular knife sharpener or honing steel is not suitable for sharpening a bread knife.
You need to use a specialized serrated knife sharpener. However, the most important is choosing the right model for your knife’s serrations. Follow the instructions.
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