Best Electric Knife
It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving or Christmas to enjoy perfectly roasted turkey or juicy ham. These holiday favorites are delicious year-round, but once out of the oven, they can be challenging to carve. That problem is easily solved with an electric knife.
The electric knife was popular in the 1970s but went by the wayside because of uneven and sloppy cutting. But that’s a thing of the past. These days, this handy kitchen tool has been updated and upgraded to expertly and efficiently take all the work out of carving up a joint of meat, slicing to precision so you can enjoy a beautiful presentation at your table.
Sharp blades and precise cutting are the hallmarks of an electric knife, making the task easy for anyone to do. Plugged in or cordless, all you have to do is turn it on, apply light pressure, and in minutes you can cut perfect slices for the whole family.
We feature four electric knives you can buy online. Read on to discover the one that is right for you.
Top Pick Best 8-inch Blade: Chefman Electric Knife
It’s funny how things change, even when you don’t want them to. You used to be really handy with a knife and carving up roasts, ham and turkey at family dinners was an honor you looked forward to. Lately, however, it’s been a challenge to grip the knife and cut uniform slices, especially when it comes to large joints of meat. If you don’t want to give up carving holiday roasts, you may want to consider this electric knife that will help you do the job quickly and easily.
This electric knife from Chefman will have you carving, cutting and slicing with ease. It has reciprocating dual eight-inch serrated blades and comes with a handy carving fork so you can hold the food place and cut with precision and power. With a five-foot cord, you’ll be free and easy to move around without the cord getting in the way.
The one-touch trigger control power switch on this electric knife has an integrated safety button that locks the knife when it is not in use and prevents the blade from becoming activated by accident. cETL-approved with advanced safety technology for long lasting durability, you can have peace of mind knowing that the only thing getting cut is the food, and not your fingers.
The ergonomic handle is comfortable to use if you are right or left-handed and the knife is versatile enough to slice various types of meat such as large roasts, turkey, chicken, ham and steak, as well as small to medium sized melons and pineapple; tomatoes and eggplant; and fresh mozzarella and cheddar cheese. All it takes is light pressure and a steady hand and the knife does all the rest.
And when you’re done, just press the easy blade release button to remove the blade, which, along with the fork, can be hand-washed or put in the dishwasher. When you’re done, just pack it all away in the included case for safe and space-saving storage.
Pros:
- Affordable
- One-touch trigger control power switch
- Reciprocating dual serrated 8-inch blades
- Includes a carving fork and storage case
- Blades and fork are dishwasher safe
- 5-foot long cord
Cons:
- A bit heavy at 2.4 pounds
- Handle may be too thick and heavy for small hands
- Can be tricky to hold the handle and press the safety button and the on button at the same time
Top Pick Best 9-inch Blade: BLACK+DECKER 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife
Your old electric knife was awesome, but the 8-inch blade didn’t always make the cut on large-sized turkeys and joints of meat. The result was sloppy and frustrating. To accommodate all of your carving and cutting needs, you’re now looking for something that can handle anything that comes across your dining room table. If you are looking for an electric knife with a longer, 9-inch blade that will slice through anything with ease and efficiency, then this model may be for you.
The Black+Decker electric knife’s 9-inch blade does all the hard work for you, from carving meat to slicing bread. The stainless-steel serrated blades snap securely into place and they are so sharp, they never need to be sharpened!
Other features include an intuitive trigger that turns the knife on and off, a lock button that prevents the knife from accidentally turning on while it’s plugged in, plus a comfort grip handle that is ergonomically designed to reduce wrist fatigue. Now you can slice through a huge roasted turnkey with ease.
When it’s time to clean up, just hit the blade release button and lay the blades flat on the top rack of your dishwasher. When clean, slip on the blade cover and with a handle designed to hold the knife in a safe, steady position, you can tuck it away until you need it again.
Pros:
- 9-inch stainless steel blades
- Comfort Grip handle
- Blades are dishwasher safe
- Safety lock button
- Blade release button for easy removal
- Includes a blade cover
- Lightweight at less than 1 pound
Cons:
- Does not come with a storage case
- More expensive than other models
Top Pick Best for Filleting Fish: Bubba Li-Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife
You may already have an electric knife to carve turkey and slice through juicy hams and roasted joints of meat, and that’s great. But if you do a lot of fishing, or buy whole fish to save money, then you know how tiring it can be to use a regular knife to fillet fish. A typical electric knife is not made for deboning, so if you’re looking for a premium electric knife that will take the tedium and difficulty out of filleting whole fish, then this is the product for you.
This cordless electric knife from Bubba does not disappoint and comes equipped with everything you need to fillet the fish you buy whole from the store or the catch on your next fishing trip. The ergonomically designed non-slip handle fits perfectly in your hand to allow you to cut through fish like butter.
Ideal for small, medium and large-sized fish, this set includes four different blade styles and sizes: a 7-inch E-flex, a 9-inch E-flex, a 9-inch E-stiff and a 12-inch E-stiff. These blades are constructed from high carbon stainless steel and coated with titanium nitride, making them extremely resistant to corrosion. For added security, the knife has a safety lock and trigger guard, so all you end up cutting is fish.
Loaded with features, this electric knife runs on a lithium-ion battery with an engineered ventilation system designed to maximize motor transmission output for an incredible amount of torque. For added convenience, the blades are removable for easy cleaning and can be stored in a special section of the zippered storage case. And so you’re never disappointed with a non-functioning knife before starting to fillet fish, the handle features an LED battery life indicator to ensure you always have a functioning knife. It doesn’t get much better than that, right?
Pros:
- Includes four different sized blades to fillet fish
- Cordless
- Includes a second replacement battery and charging cord
- Non-slip grip handle for ultimate knife control
- Includes case for storage and transport
- Quiet operation
- Easy cleanup
Cons:
- Expensive
- Can only be used to fillet fish
Top Pick Best Cordless Knife: Cuisinart Cordless Electric Knife
You’re the carving ninja in your house and you take great delight in slicing up roasts, chicken, turkey and ham into perfect pieces to arrange on a serving platter. But as your family has grown, the crew has become impatient waiting for you to get through one or two hams before chowing down. Now that it’s time to get an electric knife to cut down your carving time to literally minutes, you want to be able to use it for backyard dining where there is no electrical outlet. If you’re looking for a premium quality electric knife that is cordless and rechargeable, then this is the product for you.
This cordless and rechargeable electric knife features a powerful motor and two dishwasher-safe stainless steel blades to make short work of any slicing you need to do. The straight-edged blade is specially designed to cut fruit, vegetables and fish, and the serrated blade is perfect for slicing meat and bread with speed and precision.
The two 7.8-volt lithium batteries ensure you’ll have optimal cutting performance for up to 20 minutes on a single charge, which is enough time to meet all of your needs. A safety lock/unlock feature prevents accidents and the heavy-duty case with easy-grip handles makes storing and transporting the knife and accessories especially easy.
And did we mention that it comes with an AC adapter to charge your batteries and a 30-minute quick-charge feature? How’s that for cordless freedom and convenience?
Pros:
- Cordless
- Comes with two knives, one for meat and bread, one for fruit and cheese
- One touch on/off operation
- Two 3.9 volt lithium ion batteries included
Cons:
- Thick handle and weight of 3.38 pounds may be too heavy for some people
- Trigger on back and safety button on front need to be pressed at the same time to work, which may be difficult for some people
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for an electric knife so you will choose a model that best suits your needs:
Type: Corded versus cordless
Electric knives come in two formats: corded and cordless. The cordless variety is battery-operated, which is convenient if you want to use it at the dining room table, at a camping trip or at a backyard barbecue. As well, for some people, maneuvering around a long cord while carving a large turkey can be awkward, so a battery-operated version would work better in this scenario. The downside of a cordless model is the battery length. A quality cordless model will have a good battery life that won’t die in the middle of your cutting tasks. To avoid this from happening, look for a rechargeable model that is more environmentally conscious and will save you money on buying replacement batteries.
A cord-powered knife needs an electrical outlet to operate, so look for one that has a long cord to make it easier to move around the food you are cutting. It’s important to make sure the cord is the right length for your needs. It shouldn’t be too short to restrict your ability to cut, nor should it be too long to interfere with the cutting process. Finally, make sure it stretches from the power outlet to where you will carve it in your kitchen or dining room. An advantage of an electric knife with a cord is it cuts through large amounts of meat without you having to worry about depleting the battery charge.
The handle:
For a comfortable and safe cutting experience, consider a knife with an ergonomically designed, comfortable handle. There is no real standard applied to handle width, so you are sure to find models with bulky as well as slender handles. What you need is one you will be comfortable with using regularly. The handle should provide you the ease to unlock the safety lock and the control button at the same time while you hold the knife with the same hand. Some people find this tricky, so make sure you can handle this task easily. While there is no rule of thumb, cordless varieties are typically sleek and allow you ease of access, while the corded models can be somewhat bulky.
Blades:
Most electric knives come with serrated, stainless steel blades that are sturdy and strong. The blades are detachable so you can clean them, and many are dishwasher safe. In order to be able to slice through larger cuts of meat, look for blades that are at least eight to nine inches long. To cut through really large chunks of meat and bones, look for an electric knife with longer blades. Finally, if you want to cut bread, cheese and vegetables, look for a model that offers up a blade good for cutting these things.