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Hand cutting a baguette with a serrated bread knife, beside several other bread knives Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

The Best Serrated Bread Knives of 2023

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Hand cutting a baguette with a serrated bread knife, beside several other bread knives Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

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Editor's Choice Product image of Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife
Best Overall

Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife

A joy to use, absolutely acing our tests and earning an unprecedented perfect score, slicing through crusty baguette like butter while soft bread falls into perfect slices. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent at cutting bread
  • Gorgeous design
  • Perfect score

Cons

  • Expensive
Editor's Choice Product image of Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife
Best Value

Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife

Proof that good things don't always come in fancy packages. The design may be a bit boring, but the performance completely impresses. Read More

Pros

  • Slices clean
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Unattractive design
Product image of Tojiro F-737 235mm Bread Slicer

Tojiro F-737 235mm Bread Slicer

It felt silly using such a long blade on tiny tomatoes, but the slices were precise nonetheless, and its performance was strong enough to keep it high on our list. Read More

Pros

  • Thin, flexible blade
  • Comfortable blade
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Very long
Product image of Zwilling J.A. Henckels / Miyabi Kaizen 9 1/2-Inch Bread Knife

Zwilling J.A. Henckels / Miyabi Kaizen 9 1/2-Inch Bread Knife

While it performed admirably on most tests, we felt it was too expensive to justify its performance. We’d look elsewhere if buying as a stand-alone piece. Read More

Pros

  • Gorgeous blade
  • Good for sandwiches

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Expensive
  • Struggles with soft bread
Product image of Misen Serrated Knife

Misen Serrated Knife

This sharp and comfortable knife is great for everyday use, thanks to its comfortable handle and close-set teeth. But it's not very lightweight. Read More

Pros

  • Cuts without dragging
  • Comfortable hold

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Tip may catch on cutting boards.

Most of us really only need three knives: A good chef's knife, essential for general chopping tasks; a paring knife to handle precision work; and a serrated blade.

While many call them bread knives, serrated knives are actually capable of doing much more than just slicing bread. Those jagged blades bite into hard and squishy foods like crusty sourdough bread and tomatoes, making quick work of tough-skinned fruits like pineapple, sawing through hearty vegetables like butternut squash, and creating perfectly thin slices of juicy ripe tomatoes. If you’ve ever used a dull serrated knife, you’ll appreciate the joy that accompanies using a well-honed knife, like our top pick the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife (available at Amazon for $135.95) , which blasts any competition.

For a long time, I held steadfast to the belief that all serrated knives are the same when it came to performance. After all, a serrated blade is a serrated blade, right? Not only that, but since these knives can’t be sharpened at home, I figured you should probably buy a cheap one. I’m happy to report that, after doing this research, my mind has completely changed.

I was shocked to find that every blade was unique, each one with a number of pros and perhaps a few cons. And, while some of the knives I’d rather avoid are on the less expensive range of the spectrum, I never would have guessed that an expensive knife would actually come out on top. Whether the user is a trained culinary genius or a home cook looking to add a great knife to their kitchen, these are the best serrated knives.

Hand using Shun bread knife to slice into a tomato
Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

The Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife is the best we've ever tested.

Best Overall
Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife

If I’m being completely honest, I used to laugh at line cooks who bought the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife. “You spent how much money on a knife that you can’t sharpen?” As it turns out, the joke’s on me: This Japanese steel knife is a joy to use, absolutely aces everything you could throw at it and in turn, earned an unprecedented perfect score causing it to top the list as one of the best bread knives we tried.

During use, it sliced through crusty baguette like butter and even soft bread fell into perfect slices on the cutting board. The blade also moved effortlessly through tomatoes, barely requiring any sawing motion at all. In addition to a high-performing, ultra-sharp blade, this knife is also completely gorgeous with a Damascus finish and an ebony PakkaWood handle. It might cost a pretty penny, but Shun also has a reputation for creating blades with razor-sharp edges that stay that way for years.

Pros

  • Excellent at cutting bread

  • Gorgeous design

  • Perfect score

Cons

  • Expensive

Hand using Mercer bread knife to slice into a baguette
Credit: Reviewed / Timothy Renzi

The Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife is a great knife for its value.

Best Value
Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife

The Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-Inch Wide Bread Knife is proof that good things don't always come in fancy packages. This brand is a major supplier of culinary school knife kits (I had a set of these knives back in the day). While you'll find the design to be a bit boring, its performance completely impresses. In fact, this budget-priced knife almost outperformed our top pick!

I was pleasantly surprised by perfectly clean slices of the soft sandwich bread, a task most of the knives we used could not do. It certainly won't be a showpiece, but if you’re looking for a knife that can perform without breaking the bank, this is the one for you. Plus, with reviews that describe using it as satisfying, you can feel good about more than just getting a great deal.

Pros

  • Slices clean

  • Affordable

Cons

  • Unattractive design

Other Serrated Bread Knives We Tested

Product image of Tojiro F-737 235mm Bread Slicer
Tojiro F-737 235mm Bread Slicer

There's a lot to like about the Tojiro Bread Slicer 235mm F-737. It's the only knife we chose that features an ultra-thin, flexible stainless steel blade and a wooden handle, features I thought would work against it. I assumed the handle would be slippery and the blade wouldn't have the strength to keep up with other knives. Instead, the simple handle is comfortable and the blade excels at gripping into crusty bread, making exceptionally straight slices that won't crush the crumb at all. It may feel a little silly using such a long blade on tiny tomatoes, but the slices fall with precision nonetheless.

Considering it's up against so many expensive knives, the Tojiro’s performance is impressive enough to keep it high on our list of favorites.

Pros

  • Thin, flexible blade

  • Comfortable blade

  • Affordable

Cons

  • Very long

Product image of Zwilling J.A. Henckels / Miyabi Kaizen 9 1/2-Inch Bread Knife
Zwilling J.A. Henckels / Miyabi Kaizen 9 1/2-Inch Bread Knife

The Miyabi Kaizen 9.5-inch Bread Knife is another gorgeous Damascus blade with a sleek look and a smooth finish. While it has no problems slicing through a BLT sandwich, it tended to struggle on soft sandwich bread and overall felt a little heavy for our liking. We imagine that it wouldn’t bite into loaves of bread the way some other serrated knives that we tested did and based on the weight we think many users would run into the same issues on soft bread.

While it performs admirably, we feel like it's a little expensive to justify the performance. We would be perfectly happy to receive this knife as part of a knife set, but would probably seek out another serrated knife if we were buying it as a stand-alone piece. Of the knives we tested, this as the only one that didn’t quite hit.

Pros

  • Gorgeous blade

  • Good for sandwiches

Cons

  • Heavy

  • Expensive

  • Struggles with soft bread

Product image of Misen Serrated Knife
Misen Serrated Knife

We tested this knife as part of our winning knife set, and the serrated knife impressed us as much as the rest. It’s sharp, with teeth set close together for smooth cutting.

During testing, it cut through everything from delicate tomatoes to a crusty baguette easily, and without any drag. We love that the tip is pointed, rather than rounded like other serrated knives. This helps achieve more complete cuts. However, this design may also make it easier to catch itself on cutting boards when held at a steep angle.

This knife isn't as lightweight as our winning serrated knife, but it’s a great choice on its own or as part of a set.

Pros

  • Cuts without dragging

  • Comfortable hold

Cons

  • Heavy

  • Tip may catch on cutting boards.

Product image of Victorinox 47549 Serrated Bread Knife w/ Fibrox Handle
Victorinox 47549 Serrated Bread Knife w/ Fibrox Handle

While I'm generally a fan of 10-inch blades because they are better suited for large boules of bread, this 8-inch knife is a keeper. It has a nice, comfortable handle that utilizes non-slip Fibrox Pro qualities and a slightly flexible blade that makes great slices across the board. The handle's design places your grip a bit further back than normal, so instead of choking up on the blade you may yourself with an extra inch of cutting space, which tends to lend to comfort. This helps this knife really hold its own against some larger knives, and newer cooks might find the smaller profile less intimidating.

Along with the lifetime warranty, reviews mention that this knife is versatile and a must-have.

Pros

  • Comfortable handle

  • Slightly flexible blade

Cons

  • Shorter blade

Product image of HexClad Damascus Steel 8" Serrated Bread Knife
HexClad Damascus Steel 8" Serrated Bread Knife

This stunning knife comes from HexClad's line of Gordon Ramsay-approved kitchen tools that are designed to meet aesthetic and functional standards. The handle is made from a rare forest green Pakkawood and the 8-inch blade is made from 67 layers of Japanese Damascus Steel. Although this knife is slightly smaller than others on this list, that made it incredibly comfortable to hold and maneuver.

However, given this knife's premium price point, we expected a slightly better performance. Slices of baguette and brioche bread were often jagged and uneven, and gliding through tomatoes wasn't as buttery smooth as it was with our winning knife. But if you value aesthetics—or are using this knife as part of a set—it's a great, well-performing choice.

Pros

  • Beautiful design

  • Comfortable handle

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Shorter design

  • Jagged slices

Product image of Our Place Serrated Slicing Knife
Our Place Serrated Slicing Knife

This handsome knife from cult-favorite kitchen brand Our Place has a nice weight to it, but we ran into a few issues during testing. We found it struggled with more drag when cutting compared to our favorite bread knives. That's because the teeth of the serrated edge are farther apart and shallower than some of the best-performing knives we’ve tested.

When cutting crusty bread and sandwiches, we had to push and pull a little harder to make the knife work. And resulting slices were rarely uniform, often suffering from jagged edges.

The handle on this knife isn't very comfortable, either. With indented sides that are meant for an easy grip, it may hurt your hand after longterm use.

Pros

  • Nice weight

  • Comes in several nice colors

Cons

  • Serrated edge struggles with uniform slicing

  • Uncomfortable handle

How We Tested

Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

The Tester

Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef, and a total bread nerd. I even named my sourdough starter (it's Klaus, in case you were wondering). There’s almost nothing I love more than a freshly-baked loaf of bread, but a dull knife will ruin my excitement faster than you can blink! If you've ever been tasked with cutting crostini from a baguette with a less-than-stellar knife, then you know exactly what I mean. I'd like to help you avoid that particular brand of torture by aligning you with the best (and sharpest) serrated bread knife to add to your kitchen.

The Tests

We selected 10 serrated bread knives between 8- and 10-inches in length–the perfect size to cut through large loaves of bread while still being in control when slicing smaller items like tomatoes. We designed our tests to evaluate sharpness, length and width, and comfort–three critical components of a well-designed serrated knife.

If the serrated edge of the knife isn’t sharp enough, you're in trouble. It can bounce right off hard-skinned food or create jagged tears instead of smooth slices. Even worse: You might push downward with excessive force to pierce the skin, creating a dangerous situation. To test the blade's sharp edge, we cut crostini from crusty baguettes to see if it could get through the hard exterior without crushing the soft crumb inside. Then, we sliced soft sandwich loaves and thinly sliced tomatoes to see if it could pierce tender skin without tearing it. Finally, we made a ton of BLT sandwiches to test the blade on various textures–soft bread, tender tomatoes, and tough bacon–and awarded bonus points if it sliced without ripping or tearing.

While we tested the blade, we also assessed the length and width of the knife. We wanted to know if the knife was long enough to handle large loaves of bread without being too unwieldy to tackle smaller vegetables like tomatoes. The blade's width was also an important factor, as a thick blade generally can't create the thinnest slices.

Finally, comfort is essential for all knives and the serrated blade is no exception. We were looking for a knife that felt comfortable in our hands, with a nice grippy handle that didn’t slip and slide as we sliced away. In addition, it had to be heavy enough to use without requiring excessive force but light enough that it didn't tire your hands as you used it.

Meet the testers

Lindsay D. Mattison

Lindsay D. Mattison

Professional Chef

@linzdmattison

Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.

See all of Lindsay D. Mattison's reviews
Monica Petrucci

Monica Petrucci

Editor, Kitchen & Cooking

@monicatpetrucci

Monica is Reviewed's Kitchen & Cooking editor and an avid home cook; she's been testing a wide range of kitchen products at Reviewed for over a year. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine (and a former barista), she's also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.

See all of Monica Petrucci's reviews
Danielle DeSiato

Danielle DeSiato

Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances

@kissthecake

Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.

See all of Danielle DeSiato's reviews

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