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Best bread knives for 2024
A good bread knife doesn’t just saw through your crusty baguette with ease. It can peel and slice fruit, veg and meat too. Read on for the 10 best bread knives to buy now.
By Gemma Wilcock | Last updated Apr 17, 2024
If you’re a fan of home baking, you’ll know that cutting through a freshly baked loaf is not easy if you don’t have the right tool. In fact, using the wrong knife can tear the bread and damage the blade too.
The pointed serrations on a good bread knife will, however, bite through a crust easily without damaging your loaf or leaving many crumbs behind. It’s a versatile tool that can also be used to slice through fruit and vegetables with tough skins, delicate pastries and cake sponges, as well as carving meat and fish.
There are budget-friendly options, professional-looking blades and stylish designs at a range of prices, so everyone from novice bakers to keen home chefs can find a good bread knife.
Here are the 10 best bread knives to suit all needs and budgets.
1. Best overall bread knife: Mercer Culinary M22418BL Millennia Offset Bread Knife
Price: £13.44 | Buy now from Amazon
Made by US brand Mercer Culinary, this offset bread knife has a Japanese steel curved blade with wide, sharp serrations for slicing through crusty bread.
That’s not all you can use it for though as the knife effortlessly glides through soft fruit and vegetables too.
At 45cm long, the blade is a good length for tackling large loaves and it feels extra safe to use, with an ergonomic handle that’s easy to grip and a finger guard to stop your hand from slipping.
This knife also comes with a lifetime guarantee and, at less than £15, is really good value for most kitchens.
Pros
Ergonomic, easy-grip handle
Great value for money
Cons
May not be as precise when cutting slices of bread
2. Best budget bread knife: Kitchen Devils Control Bread Knife
Price: £13.99 | Buy now from Amazon
“I have Kitchen Devils knives. Sharpest knives I’ve ever used.”
“My Kitchen Devils knife has done the job for about 10 years now.”
Kitchen Devils is well-known for making good quality products with a purse-friendly price tag. Their award-winning Control range includes this 23cm bread knife which comes with a non-slip soft-touch handle and Japanese steel blade.
It’s lightweight to hold and has a razor-sharp scalloped edge for sawing through tough crusts as well as thick fruit and vegetable skins. You can also pop it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. The handle may not feel as robust as other designs, but we think this is a good budget-friendly option nonetheless.
Pros
Low price
Dishwasher-friendly
Cons
Handle may not feel as solid as other designs
3. Best lightweight bread knife: Victorinox 21cm Bread Knife
Price: From £20.99 | Buy now from Amazon
Weighing just 90g, this bread knife from Victorinox will suit those who don’t like big, heavy kitchen tools.
The 21cm blade is shorter than our best overall knife by Mercer Culinary, but it’s a good quality knife with sharp serrations for tackling most slicing and cutting tasks.
The handle is ergonomic and comes in five fun colours, including purple, orange and green. Plus, it’s dishwasher-friendly, which is always a win in our books.
Pros
Lightweight
Fun, colourful handles
Cons
Blade may be too short for larger loaves
4. Best versatile bread knife: Taylors Eye Witness Syracuse Scalloped Bread Kitchen Knife
Price: £9.97 | Buy now from Amazon
The Taylors Eye Witness Syracuse bread knife can do more than just slice through a freshly baked loaf. It can also be used to delicately slice cakes, peel and cut thick skins like watermelon and butternut squash, and you can even use it to carve meat and fish.
The 20cm blade is fairly short for a bread knife, but it’s sharp and easy to control when slicing through tough crusts. The soft-grip handle comes in a range of nice colours and the finger guard gives extra peace of mind when using a sharp knife like this.
A great all-round product that will make a good addition to any knife collection.
Pros
Ergonomic, soft-grip handle
The blade is designed to stay sharp even after months of usage
Cons
The blade to handle connection might not be as strong as some competitors
5. Best bread knife for sourdough: Global G-Series Bread Knife
Price: £119.50 | Buy now from Amazon
“I have three Global knives. A cook's knife, bread and utility. They're all I use.”
The Global G-9 has been designed specifically for gliding through even the toughest of crusts, like sourdough and tiger bread.
This knife does come with a premium price tag so it may be better suited to serious bakers or chefs, but you get what you pay for with this high-quality blade made from Japanese steel. Global has designed the super sharp 22cm edge to get perfectly even slices from your freshly baked loaf.
Although the G-9 has been set for right handers, lefties can still use it. It’s pricey, but Global do say it can be used for tackling tough meats, such as crackling, too.
Pros
Designed to glide through bread
Premium quality bread knife
Cons
Expensive
6. Best bread knife for crusty bread: Robert Welch Signature Bread Knife
Price: £49.99 | Buy now from Lakeland
“It rather depends on your budget, but I love my Robert Welch knives. They are very sharp and stay sharp too.”
Known for making super-sharp knives, Robert Welch’s Signature Bread Knife is a safe bet for tackling tough crusts.
The award-winning range includes this 22cm blade with fine serrations for sawing through freshly baked loaves and thick skins. Under testing, Robert Welch knives were found to be 21% sharper on first use than their nearest competitor.
Made from a single piece of German steel which runs the whole knife, this knife is well balanced and lightweight. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee – and a nice gift box too.
Pros
Knives found to be sharper than nearest competitor
Full tang makes it well balanced
Cons
Pricey
7. Best electric bread knife: Daewoo SDA1806 Electric Knife
Price: £47.99 | Buy now from Amazon
If you want hassle-free cutting, an electric bread knife like this one from Daewoo will make a handy gadget for your kitchen.
This knife packs a punch with a powerful 180-watt motor which will make slicing everything from freshly baked loaves to carving your Sunday roast a doddle. It can even be used for cutting frozen food.
As it’s powerful, you may not get the same level of control as an ordinary bread knife, but it’s very versatile and will do a lot of the hard work for you.
Pros
Cuts meat, bread and frozen food
Powerful 180-watt motor
Cons
Need to have it plugged in to the mains
8. Best premium bread knife: Kai Shun Premier Bread Knife
Price: £209 | Buy now from Amazon
Bread knives can last years, so while the initial cost of the Kai Shun Premier Bread Knife will probably make your eyes water, you’re unlikely to have any regrets.
This is a knife that looks and feels high-quality. Made from corrosion-resistant damask steel, the 23cm blade is embellished with a traditional Japanese hand-hammered finish and sharp serrations for effortlessly gliding through even the crustiest of loaves.
The walnut handle gives the knife a nice finish and both lefties and righties can use it. It also comes in a nice wooden gift box.
Pros
High-quality traditional Japanese finish
Very sharp for tackling touch crusts
Cons
Very expensive
9. Best stylish bread knife: Kitchen Emperor 9 Inch Bread Knife
Price: £30.99 | Buy now from Amazon
The steel blade on the Kitchen Emperor Bread Knife is engraved with attractive engravings that will compliment any knife collection.
The 23cm stainless-steel blade can be used for cutting crusty bread, cakes, pastries, fruit and vegetables without tearing. It’s also corrosion-resistant and it comes with a handy protective cover to keep it safe when it’s not in use.
With a pakkawood handle, this would make a beautiful gift for anyone into their cooking or baking.
Pros
Stylish pakkawood handle and engravings
Handy protective cover for safety
Cons
May not keep the sharpness as long as some competitors
10. Best professional bread knife: ProCook Elite Ice X50 Bread Knife
Price: £44 | Buy now from Amazon
Made from high quality German stainless steel, ProCook knives are designed to stay sharp for longer, so the ProCook Elite Ice X50 Bread Knife is a good option for keen bakers looking for a high-quality tool at a mid-range price.
The blade is stone ground and ice-hardened to make it super sharp and durable for cutting most foods with a hard skin and soft centre, including bread, tomatoes and even frozen food. The knife is also corrosion-resistant, however, it’s not dishwasher friendly.
Although some people may find the knife a bit too heavy, the wood resin composite handle with triple rivets allows for a comfortable grip.
Pros
Durable ice-hardened blade
Made to stay sharp for longer
Cons
Knife may feel heavier than other designs
Related: The best knife sharpeners »
Is a good bread knife worth it?
A straight edge just won’t cut it when it comes to slicing through a crusty baguette or a fresh sourdough. A bread knife will make it easier and quicker to get neat slices without tearing the bread or leaving too many crumbs.
That’s not all you can use it for though – a serrated bread knife can slice tomatoes without squishing them, peel tougher skins on fruits like pineapple and butternut squash, and also cut through delicate pastries and cakes with ease.
You can get plenty of use out of a bread knife. In fact, bread knives are really good value for money as they stay sharp for a long time.
How to choose a bread knife
Handle
These tend to be plastic or wooden. Hold the knife in your hand to see how it feels. Does it sit comfortably in your hand? Knives can come with an ergonomic handle for better grip and non-slip support which is helpful when using a sharp blade. Others have a handle that is offset so the blade is positioned lower than the handle.
Serrations
The serrations on a bread knife help the blade to bite into the surface. The most common shape is a wide, deeper, pointy-toothed edge, but some blades have a more rounded design while others have double serrations. It’s thought that wider, sharp serrations tend to cut through the bread better.
Blade
These come in different lengths and shapes. Generally, you can choose between straight or curved blades. Sizes range from 20 to 30cm –a longer blade slices through a large loaf or joint of meat more easily but will be too big for cutting vegetables like tomatoes. A 22cm blade should do for most tasks.
Other features
Some blades are full tang – this means the blade and handle are forged from the same bit of metal. These tend to be more expensive knives but will generally be good quality.
Price
You don’t need to break the bank to buy a decent serrated blade – they start from as little as £4 but can go up to over £200 for professional blades.
Related: The best kitchen scales »
What is the best bread knife?
The Mercer Culinary Bread Knife is a great value kitchen tool and the best bread knife to buy right now. Made from Japanese steel, the wide serrations on the blade are designed for slicing through crusty bread as well as soft fruit and vegetables. The handle feels safe and easy to grip too.
How we chose our recommendations
Most of our recommendations for bread knives came from Mumsnet users themselves. We searched the Mumsnet forums for posts about which bread knives Mumsnetters really rated. We also researched various review sites to find out which bread knives performed well across the board.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.