February 13, 2019 - 9:48am
Bread Knife
Cutting breads with crackling crusts (the way I love them) is not always easy.
I've been lusting after a new breadknife, and there seem to be few premier choices out there.
What are you using, and are you happy with whatever knives you have?
Thanks
Tom
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One of the highest rated bread knives is also one of the least expensive --
Mercer Culinary M2310 Millenia - 10" long, less that $14 (Amazon)
Many reviews on the web; always rated in the top 5
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I use this knife and can validate the reviews. Easily cuts thick (or thin) crust without squashing the loaf. My only complaint is that I wish the cutting edge extended to the very tip of the blade so that I can make an finishing cut at a slight angle rather than keeping the blade horizontal throughout the entire cut.
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In a related question, anyone know of a good cutting guide so that my slices come out with parallel sides ?
...that home bread-cutting guides are going to be either too complicated to make, or too clumsy to use, or both.
Commercial bread-slicing machines generally do a very nice job, but obviously they're monsters for size. When you take away some of the features they have, in order to save space, you basically get something that doesn't work. Just my opinion.
Maybe it's a field just waiting for "a better mousetrap", but I can't think of anything that fulfills all four of [compact], [easy to use], [effective], and [affordable]. I can think of compact & easy solutions that don't really work. I can think of effective & compact solutions that would be really expensive. But I can't envision all four at once. (Again, maybe it's my envisioning that's defective.)
- a food slicer! One of the best things that saves my hands!
...it myself, but have read many glowing reviews of the 10.25 inch (26 cm) serrated bread knife from Victorinox. Not exactly cheap, but not break-the-bank expensive either. Shop around for the best price - there can be a surprising amount of variation.
I would avoid any very expensive bread knife, no matter how good, unless you yourself enjoy having to sharpen the serrations. Lacking the skill and the tools for that, it's better to buy a new bread knife every time you wear one out. (A decent one will last quite well.)
https://www.etsy.com/market/bread_knife
they are expensive and you need only a hacksaw blade and a holder !
https://www.google.com/search?q=hacksaw+blade+and+frame&oq=hacksaw+blade+and+frame&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.10669j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
heck of a lot cheaper ! Can replace the blade if ever you need to . Won't be buying anymore bread knives.
...that I've made, maybe a nice Sandvik crosscut saw would have been better. ?
Nah... If I cut it, it's useless. But if I don't cut it - hey, it's a baseball bat! ?
Someone bought me one of those bow knives before and they are a complete pain to use. Very awkward slicing motion because of how the blade is offset to the left of the handle a touch. Also the handle on them are designed so that if it is nesting in your hand naturally the blade is actually parallel to the table. Super awkward. The blades are nice and sharp but the one I got the blade was also a little to flexible and I couldn't really get it taught.
I have two nice long (maybe 14", I'd have to measure to be positive) Thermohausen bread knives. They came with the knife kits that both my Wife and I got from culinary school. They aren't too badly priced if you buy them individually and they have lasted years without any need for sharpening...and I cut a lot of crusty bread.
Keeping serrated knives sharp can be intimidating, but it's really not bad. I like to use a ceramic sharpening rod... not to be confused with a steel honing rod, although they are about the same size.
It goes for really any knife, but if you can keep it sharp before it goes dull using a rod, then you'll make the knife last much longer and much safer.
I use the Kai Wasabi Bread Knife. I think it was $15 when I purchased... but it has since gone up to ~$30 on Amazon.
This guy has very good video on sharpening with a ceramic rod. I haven't used his polish method yet. But I was able to get my dull knife back to slicing paper after a few pulls on the rod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dUb4z7JC8M
... really IS all that bad, and really DOES remain a difficult problem, for a lot of people. I know that for you it's just fine, but for many people, it's not worth the effort. I know you just said the effort isn't much, but what you really mean is the effort isn't much for you.
Didn't meant to step on a landmine here. Simply trying to encourage the community and OP. Sharpening knives can be intimidating. But it can be done with a lot less effort than many imagine. And many people in this community are eager to learn knew skills.
For some, they don't feel comfortable sharpening a knife. That's ok.
For others, they may not know how to sharpen a knife. That's ok.
And still for others, buying another knife is the best option. That's ok.
I'm enthusiastic about sharpening knives, but I'm very clumsy. Some day I'm going to sharpen an ordinary blade well enough that it's at least better than it was before I started; but that's never happened yet. Serrated? Forget it. And for a lot of people, they aren't even enthusiastic about the topic in the first place.
$17.87 delivered with Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-Bread-Slicer-235mm-F-737/dp/B001TPA816/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1NTO863CHYKU6&keywords=tojiro+bread+knife&qid=1550111764&s=gateway&sprefix=tojiro%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-5
I am a sharpening geek, and I bought this for serrated blades (very easy!): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RWVB26/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have this one is from Niigata,Japan
https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-Bread-Slicer-270mm-F-687/dp/B004LVIO3
$60
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If you have lots of crusty loaves, this will save your knuckles. Just keep your fingers out of the way. Cupboard can be locked from children and very clever pets. :)
My hand held Bread knife is 26cm wave point serrated blade with round end. I prefer a round end as my bread board lasts longer. The tip doesn't get used cutting bread so a point is useless, it only scratches. :)