Cutting into a fresh loaf of bread to release that yeasty smell is enough to make your mouth water. If you use the wrong knife, however, you’ll end up smashing the bread instead of cutting easily through the crust. A good bread knife is a kitchen essential and there are plenty of options out there.
The Top 6 Bread Knives
Whether you bake your own bread or buy it fresh from the market, it’s all about that first slice. A dull knife makes it hard to get a clean cut, so you may end up with a flattened loaf or a destroyed crust. A good bread knife makes all the difference.
When it comes to a good bread knife, it’s not just about sharpness. Bread knifes are typically serrated to cut through the bread more neatly. You also need to think about factures like the length of the blade and the comfort of the handle. There’s more to consider than you may realize.
Bread knives come in all lengths with a variety of different features. Check out some of our top picks below to figure out what you’re looking for in a bread knife to narrow down your options.
Here are the best 6 bread knives on the market:
Victorinox 10.25-Inch Fibrox Pro Bread Knife
Award: Best Overall
If you’re looking for an affordable bread knife that gets the job done with no fuss or hassle, this is the knife for you.
Pricey bread knives offer sharp blades and clean cuts, but so does the Victorinox 10.25-inch Fibrox Pro Bread Knife. Priced at just $35, this knife features a stainless-steel blade that measures a quarter-inch longer than standard and has a dishwasher safe Fibrox handle. It is very precise and easy to use but, best of all, incredibly easy to keep clean.
The Victorinox 10.25-inch Fibrox Pro Bread Knife is a favorite among home chefs because it is perfect for versatile applications. Whether slicing into a crusty loaf of bread or cutting a delicate coffee cake, the long, serrated blade is just what you need. This knife has an ergonomic grip for comfort and control, as well as a fingerguard to keep you safe.
Dependable, sturdy, and easy to use, the Victorinox 10.25-inch Fibrox Pro Bread Knife is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable everyday bread knife.
Pros:
- Lightweight, ergonomic grip
- Moderately priced
- Very precise, easy to use
Cons:
- Design is fairly simplistic
Specs:
- Price: $35
- Length: 10.25 inches
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Features: Fibrox handle, dishwasher safe
Tojiro ITK Bread Knife
Award: Best Runner-Up
You don’t necessarily need a bread knife that looks fancy if you want to get the job done. This knife has a clean, classic look and a sharp serrated edge.
For those who don’t use a bread knife often, it may be difficult to justify spending a small fortune on a blade. The Tojiro ITK Bread Knife is affordably priced but delivers superior quality, making it an excellent choice for home cooks and bakers. Made with a 9.25-inch high-carbon stainless steel blade, this knife measures a total of just under 15 inches in length.
The Tojiro ITK Bread Knife is clean in design but beautiful in its simplicity. The handle is crafted from natural wood and the blade is anti-rust stainless steel. Though not dishwasher safe, this knife can be easily maintained with handwashing in mild detergent.
If you’re looking for an affordable bread knife with a simple but attractive design, the Tojiro ITK Bread Knife could be the perfect fit.
Pros:
- Reasonably priced
- Ergonomic wooden handle
- Versatile scalloped edge
Cons:
- Teeth are scalloped, not pointed
- Should only be hand-washed
Specs:
- Price: $25
- Length: 9.25 inches
- Materials: High-carbon stainless steel
- Features: Serrated, natural wood handle
Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-inch Bread Knife
Award: Best Value
Not only is this knife affordably priced, but it is uniquely designed for easy blade maintenance and rapid sharpening which increases the value.
With their serrated edges, bread knives are notoriously difficult to sharpen. The Mercer Culinary Millenia 10-inch Bread Knife is designed to tackle that challenge, made from the highest quality Japanese steel. This material allows for easy blade maintenance and rapid sharpening while still guaranteeing a razor-sharp edge. Priced under $25, that’s excellent value.
The Mercer Culinary Millenia 10-inch Bread Knife is made from a single piece of high-carbon stain-resistant Japanese steel. It features an ergonomic handle with a combination of Stanoprene for comfort and polypropylene for durability. It has textured finger points to ensure a slip-resistant grip with a protective fingerguard for an added degree of safety.
For a knife that lasts and is easy to sharpen, try the Mercer Culinary Millenia 10-inch Bread Knife. It’s also covered by a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros:
- Very sharp blade
- Deep serrations for versatile use
- Comfortable handle
Cons:
- Makes fairly thick slices
- May leave teeth marks
Specs:
- Price: $24
- Length: 10 inches
- Materials: Stain-resistant Japanese steel
- Features: High carbon, razor-sharp edge, textured points
Wusthof Classic 10-Inch Bread Knife
Award: Most Comfortable
This bread knife features a 10-inch stainless steel blade and a classic ergonomic grip handle for comfort, control, and long-lasting durability.
When it comes to quality knives, few names are as recognizable as Wusthof. This Classic 10-inch Bread Knife is part of the best-selling Classic series that has been known and loved by chefs and home cooks for generations. Made with a high-carbon stainless-steel blade, this bread knife delivers a clean cut with ease thanks to sharp serrations along the edge.
The Wusthof Classic 10-Inch Bread Knife is precision forged from a single block of high-carbon stainless steel tempered precisely to 58-degree HRC. Crafted with Precision Edge Technology, the blade is 20% sharper and retains its edge twice as long as previous models. Whether you’re slicing a crusty baguette or a tender loaf of ciabatta, this bread knife is sure to please.
Following centuries of tradition, Wusthof knows knives and this Wusthof Classic 10-Inch Bread Knife is definitely one to have in your kitchen.
Pros:
- Comfortable to grip
- Attractive design
- Well-balanced weight
Cons:
- Blade may not be as sharp as others
- Somewhat pricey compared to others
Specs:
- Price: $130
- Length: 10 inches
- Materials: High-carbon stainless steel
- Features: Ergonomic grip, 20% sharper, precision forged
Shun Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife
Award: Most Attractive
Handcrafted in Japan with a beautiful D-shaped handle, this bread knife is not only sharp and versatile but highly attractive as well.
A good bread knife doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but if you’re willing to pay a little more for a quality product it should look nice. The Shun Classic 9-inch Bread Knife is a sight to behold with its razor-sharp forged steel blade and beautiful ebony PakkaWood handle. You’ll be proud to display this knife.
The Shun Classic 9-inch Bread Knife features a 9-inch blade made from VG-Max steel, a Shun exclusive formula, which combines carbon for durability, cobalt for strength, and chromium for anti-corrosion protection. It also includes tungsten to keep the edge razor-sharp. This knife is comfortable to grip and easy to maneuver with different types of bread, making even the thickest crust simple to manage.
Handcrafted by highly skilled specialists, the Shun Classic 9-inch Bread Knife is a reflection of ancient blade-making traditions combined with cutting-edge technology. The result is beautiful.
Pros:
- Very attractive blade design
- Cuts without tearing or ripping
- Handcrafted in Japan
Cons:
- Fairly pricey compared to others
- Only 9-inch blade length
Specs:
- Price: $150
- Length: 9 inches
- Materials: VG-Max stainless steel
- Features: Handcrafted, durable, VG-max steel
Fat Daddio’s CK-10 14-Inch Bread & Cake Knife
Award: Extra-Long
If you’re looking for a bread knife that is anything but ordinary, try this extra-long 14-inch blade with extra-sharp serrated edges.
A classic bread knife is great but if you’re looking for something a little extra, consider Fat Daddio’s CK-10 14-Inch Bread & Cake Knife. This bread knife is made from high-carbon stainless steel with extra-sharp serrations to slice quickly and cleanly through everything from bread and cake to torts, tarts, and more. It’s the perfect option for home cooks and bakers.
The Fat Daddio’s CK-10 14-Inch Bread & Cake Knife features an ergonomic grip handle molded for comfort with a deep finger guard. The knife is dishwasher safe for your convenience and lightweight for easy use. Plus, it’s affordably priced under $25.
Pros:
- Extra-long 14-inch blade
- Very sharp serrated edge
- Ergonomic comfort grip handle
Cons:
- Some may find it awkward to use
Specs:
- Price: $20
- Length: 14 inches
- Materials: High-carbon stainless steel
- Features: Extra-sharp serrated edge, comfort grip
Do You Really Need a Bread Knife?
Unless you’re a professional chef, you may not understand the difference in different types of knives. Perhaps you’re the type of person who owns nothing more than a chef’s knife and a small paring or utility knife. These are fine for most general cooking applications, but sometimes it makes a difference to have the right tool for the job. This is certainly true with bread.
A good bread knife has the ability to carve through crusty breads without flattening the loaf. You can also use it to slice tomatoes, cut stacked sandwiches, and divide cake layers. With a good bread knife, the possibilities are endless, and you’ll find yourself constantly discovering new uses.
Though bread knives certainly occupy a certain niche in your arsenal of kitchen tools, you’ll find they’re much more useful than you previously imagined. The serrated edge works for way more than just bread and there are plenty of models to choose from.
What to Look for in a Bread Knife
Kitchen tools designed for a single purpose often aren’t worth the cost or the space they take up on your counter. Seasoned chefs and bakers understand the power of a multi-purpose device. Though a bread knife sounds like it may only be designed for bread, it can be so much more.
A long, sharp, serrated blade is a great tool to have when you need to slice tomatoes that have gone a little soft or when you need to cut through a delicate cake without ruining the icing. Having a good bread knife in your knife block will make a big difference, even if you don’t use it every day.
Here are some things to consider when shopping for a bread knife:
- A serrated bread knife should be at least 10 inches in length
- Look for a bread knife with fewer, broader, deeper serrations – around 30 is perfect
- A narrow blade of 16 degrees or less is the best for serrated bread knifes
- Look for a comfortable handle that feels secure in your hand while you slice
- Avoid bread knives with round serrations – they won’t catch on crust as well
Though it’s definitely worth investing in a quality bread knife, keep in mind that it can be difficult to sharpen a serrated knife. You can expect your bread knife to last a good five years with proper care, but you may not be able to justify spending a fortune on one.
If you’re really not sure what you’re looking for, head to a local kitchen supply shop and view the displays. You’ll be able to get a feel for the differences between different models and may even be able to test them yourself. Once you have a better understanding of your preferences, you can shop online for the best deal. You never know what you might find!
The Bottom Line
Good bread can be expensive, so you don’t want to ruin a perfect loaf by trying to slice it with the wrong knife. Whether you’re learning to bake your own bread or you make weekly trips to a local bakery, having a good bread knife on hand is a must. The best part of it is a good bread knife will last you for years with proper care, so it’s definitely a smart investment.
Think about your preferences when it comes to style and comfort, then consider what you’ve learned here about choosing a bread knife. If you’re not sure where to start shopping, check out our top picks.