Once it began cutting, the stability of the Wusthof’s blade really showed when we were slicing sourdough; The Wusthof easily made even bread slices barely a quarter-inch thick—thinner than any other knife. While we admit that isn’t a particularly practical use (bread cut that thin has pretty limited applications), it shows just how effective the knife’s design is. Unsurprisingly, it produces perfect, paper-thin slices of tomato too.
What we didn’t like about the Wusthof Classic double serrated bread knife
This is another expensive knife, which might be a turn off (we’d point you to our excellent budget pick if it is). It also has a 9-inch blade, which is an inch and a half shorter than our top pick, and about an inch shorter than other bread knives that performed well in our testing. But the double-serration makes it a dream to use, and might be a more important feature to some cooks than a longer blade.
Specs
Knife length: 13.4”
Blade length: 9”
Weight: 6.4 ounces
The best affordable serrated knife: Dexter Russell Basics Scalloped Slicer
It won’t win any style points, but this excellent bread knife will set you back less than $20. Dexter Russell’s experience in quality cutlery goes back two centuries. The company’s knives, like this inexpensive cleaver favored by cookbook author and Epicurious contributor Hsiao-Ching Chou, show up in professional kitchens all over the place. And this slicer outperformed knives that cost almost 10 times as much. Its 10-inch blade managed almost a dozen mandoline-thin slices of tomato without slipping once and made easy, quick work of two loaves of bread, both thinly and thickly sliced. We used our testing ingredients to make a panini for lunch, which the Dexter Russell cut in half with almost surgical precision, making a perfect clean cut that beautifully revealed all of the fillings.
What we didn’t like about the Dexter Russell Basics Scalloped Slicer
It doesn’t have a full tang, which means the blade doesn’t run all the way through the handle (go ahead and @ us if you know of any $16 kitchen knife that has this). So it just doesn’t feel as sturdy or substantial in hand as pricier knives we liked.
Specs
Knife length: 15”
Blade length: 10”
Weight: 4.8 ounces
What should a serrated knife be used for?
Because it can’t perform tasks like chopping or dicing, a serrated knife is a niche tool. It’s never going to be as versatile as a chef’s knife or a paring knife. But when you need one, you need one. And they are more multipurpose than they get credit for. Obviously, a serrated blade is a must for slicing bread, both crusty and soft. But if you don’t have a carving knife, a good serrated knife can be used to make thin slices of roasts (as our winner, the Mac Professional, advertises), and as Brendan McDermott of the Institute of Culinary Education told us, they’re ideal on anything with a waxy exterior, like tomatoes, watermelon, and even pineapple. Your serrated knife will allow you to slice confidently without fear of the blade slipping and ruining your cut or your hand.
Can you sharpen a serrated knife?
Yes, you can sharpen a serrated knife yourself, but you probably don’t want to. Unlike a chef’s knife or santoku knife, you can’t use a regular old knife sharpener or whetstone on a serrated knife. You need a special tool called a ceramic honing rod. This is not to be confused with the honing steel that may have come with your knife block. A honing rod is thinner and designed to go between the serrations on the knife to raise the teeth back to points. You’ll need to work in between every curve on the blade and, as with other manual knife sharpening, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can cause some real damage to the knife. There are some services like Knife Aid that offer sharpening services for serrated knives, but if you have someone sharpening your knives for you, make sure to check if they do serrated knives, because not everyone will. To keep your serrated knives in top shape, consider them hand wash only. No quality kitchen knife should go in the dishwasher, since repeated dishwasher trips can damage the blades.
What we looked for in our serrated knives
Does the knife effectively cut through bread and tomatoes?
We were looking for a serrated knife that cut cleanly through a bread’s hard crust and a tomato’s tender exterior without mangling or tearing the delicate insides, and one that required minimal downward pressure to get there. The knives we found to be the most effective had narrower blades. The thinner the blade, the less surface area the knife has to destroy whatever it is you’re slicing. Points went to knives that cut crisply through the top crust of our loaf, didn’t tear the soft center, and broke through the bottom crust with minimal resistance. For tomatoes, the most effective knives—again with narrower blades—glided through the fruit in one fell swoop, leaving even, thin slices perfectly suited for a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich.
Does it have heft?
We recommend a knife that has enough heft to easily carve through tough crusts, layer cakes, tomatoes, and anything else with a firm exterior and delicate interior. However, the knife shouldn’t be so heavy that it becomes cumbersome and uncomfortable to use. It should be sturdy, durable, and balanced to increase control and productivity.
What shape are the teeth?
The shape of the teeth is an important factor: rounded, more scalloped teeth can have a reputation for being less effective than pointy teeth, but this is not always the case. In fact, pointy teeth have their drawbacks for bread cutting—if they’re too pointy, they can get caught on everything from the crust to the squishy centers and ultimately tear the bread. The combination of both pointy and scalloped teeth in the double serrated design actually proved very effective.
How does the knife feel in the hand?
Blade design aside, a knife will not work well for you if it isn’t comfortable to hold. The knives we liked best had ergonomic handles that felt good using multiple grips, long-enough blades to pinch without losing a lot of slicing area, and sloped bolsters, which are the pieces of steel between the blade and handle that keep the knife balanced—and our hands from slipping.
How we tested
We tested 16 serrated bread knives on crusty sourdough bread and winter vine tomatoes. We only tested knives with blades between 8 inches and 10½ inches. As we considered blade length, we wanted them to be long enough to easily slice through a wide boule, but not so long that they’d become unwieldy. As for shape, we only tested knives with blades that were in line with the handles. Some serrated knives are offset, meaning the handle is above the blade, but we avoided these to keep our test as streamlined as possible, and because former senior food editor Anna Stockwell told us they aren’t as safe as advertised.