The Best Bread Knife - 2021
We looked at the top 12 Bread Knives and dug through the reviews from 92 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Bread Knives.
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Our Picks For The Top Bread Knives
- The Best Bread Knife
- 1. Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 2. Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Serrated Carbon Bread Knife, 10-Inch
- 3. Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 4. Orblue Serrated Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 13-Inch
- 5. Cuisinart C77TR-8BD Triple Rivet Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 6. PAUDIN Serrated Carbon Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 7. OXO Good Grips Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 8. Victorinox 5.2533.21 Swiss Army Serrated Bread Knife, 8-Inch
- 9. imarku Pro High Carbon Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 10-Inch
- 10. DALSTRONG Gladiator Series German Steel Bread Knife, 10-Inch
- 11. Mercer Culinary Millennia Bread Knife, 10-Inch
- 12. Chicago Cutlery Tradition High Carbon Serrated Bread Knife, 10-Inch
High-Carbon German SteelIf high-quality is what you're looking for, this bread knife with its rust, corrosion and discoloration resistant properties is your best bet.
Attractive PackagingSince this bread knife comes in an attractive package, it makes for an excellent housewarming, holiday or birthday gift.
Attractive Orange ColorThis bread knife gets its attractive orange color by bonding food-safe FDA-approved resin to the knife's stainless steel surface.
Ultra-Thin BladeThis bread knife’s exceptionally thin blade provides less resistance.
Why we recommend these bread knives?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 12 Bread Knives and also dug through the reviews from 92 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Bread Knives.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch
Our Take
Durability is what you'll get with this bread knife, which is forged from a high-carbon German stainless steel. It features a santoprene handle for comfort and a reliable grip. The knife's taper-ground edge stays sharp and allows for a precise cut every time.
What other experts liked
The Best Bang For Your Buck
Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch
Our Take
Not only is this bread knife lightweight, but it also features an ergonomic handle that is designed to reduce hand and wrist fatigue. The blade is made from a durable stainless steel with a reverse scalloped edge. It's also covered with a nonstick resin that keeps food from sticking to the blade.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
Overall Product Rankings
2. Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Serrated Carbon Bread Knife, 10-Inch
6. PAUDIN Serrated Carbon Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 8-Inch
8. Victorinox 5.2533.21 Swiss Army Serrated Bread Knife, 8-Inch
9. imarku Pro High Carbon Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 10-Inch
10. DALSTRONG Gladiator Series German Steel Bread Knife, 10-Inch
12. Chicago Cutlery Tradition High Carbon Serrated Bread Knife, 10-Inch
Our Bread Knife Findings
Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch
What We Liked: Durability is what you’ll get with this bread knife, which is forged from a high-carbon German stainless steel. It features a santoprene handle for comfort and a reliable grip. The knife’s taper-ground edge stays sharp and allows for a precise cut every time.
Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Serrated Carbon Bread Knife, 10-Inch
What We Liked: Thanks to its razor sharp blade, this bread knife effortlessly cuts through French and Italian loaves. The knife itself is made from the highest quality German steel with a 56 rockwell hardness. This means you won’t ever have to sharpen the knife, as it won’t become dull or lifeless.
Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch
What We Liked: Not only is this bread knife lightweight, but it also features an ergonomic handle that is designed to reduce hand and wrist fatigue. The blade is made from a durable stainless steel with a reverse scalloped edge. It’s also covered with a nonstick resin that keeps food from sticking to the blade.
Orblue Serrated Stainless Steel Bread Knife, 13-Inch
What We Liked: This bread knife is made out of stainless steel, and the thin shape reduces friction which leads to a smoother cut. It is a one-piece design, so there are no plastic or wood parts. Keep in mind that the handle can get slippery if your hands are wet.
Cuisinart C77TR-8BD Triple Rivet Bread Knife, 8-Inch
What We Liked: Whether you need to cut through a single roll or an entire loaf of homemade bread, this bread knife has you covered. It features an extra-wide safety bolster and comes with a complimentary reusable blade cover. The blade is also full tang, which means the knife will remain strong and durable for many years to come.
Our Expert Consultant
Culinary Expert
Julie Chernoff is a long-time member of Les Dames d’Escoffier (past president of the Chicago Chapter, and current co-chair of the LDEI Legacy Awards Committee), the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Chernoff is the dining editor of Better, a lifestyle website and print magazine. Her journalism started in the test kitchens of Weight Watchers Magazine. She holds a BA in English from Yale University and is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. She has spent the last few decades styling, photographing, teaching, developing recipes, editing, thinking and writing about food.
Our Bread Knife Buying Guide
Whether you love baking your own artisanal bread or enjoy a trip to the market to grab a loaf fresh from the bakery, slicing your bread with the wrong knife can ruin your treat. A dull, un-serrated knife can squish your beautiful loaf, leaving a trail of crumbs in its wake. If you want to enjoy fresh bread that has been sliced to perfection, then a bread knife is what you need.
Can you use any sharp knife to slice a loaf of bread? If you want to make sure you don’t flatten the bread while slicing, the answer is no. In order to get the perfect slice of bread, pick your bread knife carefully.
“The long, rectangular-shaped serrated blade of a good bread knife was designed to safely cut through crusty loaves of bread,” says Julie Chernoff, dining editor of Better, a lifestyle website and print magazine. “The longer blade is just right for slicing through big loaves without crushing the bread’s interior.”
The key to a good knife is the serrated edge. The jagged edge of a bread knife makes it perfect for cutting through food that has a harder exterior and a softer exterior, such as bread. Like a miniature saw, the blades of the serrated knife plunge into the hard exterior of the crust. As you push the knife back and forth, it cuts through the crust without damaging the soft interior. The gullets, which are the spaces between the teeth of the knife, reduce any friction between the knife and the food. This ensures that the knife can cut bread without any tearing or ripping.
Not all serrations are the same. Pointed serrations can easily pierce hard crusts. However, you will get more crumbs using this kind of knife. The softer, curved serrations require more pressure but are better for bread with softer exteriors.
In addition to the shape of the serrations, take into account how many there are. The more serrations there are on the knife, the smoother your cut will be. Fewer serrations may mean a more rough cut. However, you need to find a balance. The space between the teeth is what helps the knife move smoothly while cutting. As a result, you need to have a decent-sized gullet in order to more easily slice your bread.
DWYM Fun Fact
Unlike the name suggests, a bread knife isn’t just good for slicing bread. The unique serrations make the knife useful for other purposes too. A serrated knife is best used on foods where the exterior is harder than the interior. The points of the knife pierce into the outer edge of the food while keeping the inside flesh safe from ripping and tearing.
“[Bread knives] are wonderful for slicing delicate, thin-skinned fruits that bruise easily like tomatoes and peaches,” says Chernoff. “As with crust, it slices cleanly through the skin without smooshing the fruit itself, maintaining the integrity of each slice.”
Tomatoes, peaches and nectarines can all be easily sliced using a serrated bread knife. If you try to slice a tomato thinly using a different type of knife, you will end up with a pile of smashed fruit, as the knife will not be able to pierce the skin of the tomato without force. Fruits that have a hard exterior, like pineapples and melons, are also great fodder for a bread knife. You can use the serrated edge to shave away the hard exterior without causing the soft interior to get cut.
Bread knives go beyond just fruit and vegetables. If baking is your thing, you may find yourself working with a large chunk of chocolate. This can be quite difficult to break into smaller pieces using a different kind of kitchen knife. However, the serrations of a bread knife make it easy to slice a hard block of chocolate for use in cakes, cookies and more.
Speaking of cakes, a bread knife is also a great tool for slicing the uneven tops. When your cake has risen too much or unevenly, you can level it out using a serrated bread knife. It will not rip or tear your cake to crumbs like other kitchen knives might.
The Bread Knife Tips and Advice
- The most important element to review when selecting your bread knife is the blade. Take into account what kind of material it’s made out of, how long it is and what the serrations look like. This will affect how well the bread knife slices your bread. The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch is 8 inches and is made out of one piece of high-carbon, stainless German steel. The high quality of the blade ensures that it’s easy to maintain and keep razor-sharp. The Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Bread Knife, 10-Inch is made out of imported high-carbon German steel. The 10-inch knife has geometrically angled serrations, which make it easy to make slices with a single stroke. There is minimal crumb dispersion with this knife, thanks to the smooth cut. The Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch is 8 inches of high-carbon, stainless steel. The knife has a unique serrated edge that grips and cuts the bread without any tearing. The Orblue Serrated Bread Knife is eight inches and made out of stainless steel. With its ultra-sharp serrated edge, it has a strong grip and can cut bread effortlessly.
- The handle of your bread is almost as important as the blade. The handle enables you to have control of your knife, ensuring that you get the slices you want. Look for handles that provide a good grip and ensure your hand doesn’t slip. The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch has an ergonomic handle, which is made out of Santoprene. This ensures it is both comfortable and durable. The Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch has a handle that is made out of a molded resin, with an ergonomic design.
- A sheath for your bread knife ensures that your blade and your fingers are protected while the knife is not in use. The Pure Komachi 2 Series Bread Knife, 8-Inch comes with a durable sheath, which you can use when the knife is being stored. The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch and the Orblue Serrated Bread Knife do not include sheaths.
- For many home cooks and professional chefs alike, affordability is a determining purchasing factor. If you’re just starting out as a professional or dabbling in making your own bread, you may not want to spend too much on a bread knife. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced cook who understands the beauty of a well-carved knife, you may want to splurge on your new kitchen tool. The Mercer Culinary Genesis Forged Bread Knife, 8-Inch and the Orblue Serrated Bread Knife are both very affordable options. The Zelite Infinity Comfort-Pro Bread Knife, 10-Inch is more mid-range but still attainable.
About The Author
Alicia Bodine is a New Jersey-based writer that is always on the hunt for kitchen gadgets that can help save time and money, especially with two food-loving daughters at home. With more than 15 years of experience, her work has appeared in sites like on leading food and drink publications.