5 Best Electric Knives for Carving and Slicing
We cut soft tomatoes and crusty bread and carved roast beef and chicken to find the top electric knives.
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If you plan to carve a gorgeous roast for your ultimate holiday menu, you can use a great chef’s knife or a large serrated knife. But sometimes you need a little assistance. A good electric knife helps you carve and slice turkeys, briskets, roasted chicken, crusty breads and even tomatoes and cheeses. Electric knives are often designed with a reciprocating blade (meaning two parallel, serrated blades that saw back and forth very quickly in opposition to each other). This design can help reduce the amount of force you'll need when slicing, which can be an important tool for those with limited dexterity.
The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test hundreds of kitchen products and gadgets, including Japanese knives and butcher knives. For this test, they carved roasted chicken and medium-rare beef tenderloin and sliced crusty sourdough, squishy babka and juicy heirloom tomatoes. They were looking for knives that could create clean, razor-thin slices while keeping the sensation of vibration to a minimum.
Pros
- Performed well across tasks in Lab tests
- Useful safety features
Cons
- Vibrations are apparent when slicing crusty bread
This Cuisinart electric knife performed well across the board in our Lab tests. It excelled at cutting through the skin of roasted chicken and tomatoes without tearing. We were able to produce clean slices of sourdough with a dense crust, though we did feel a lot of vibration during this specific task.
Because of its built-in safety feature, you must toggle a sliding lock before you can start cutting. The two blade-release buttons are squeezed from the sides of the handle; this reduces the likelihood that you'll confuse these buttons with the cutting trigger located on the bottom of the handle (read: no accidental releasing of the blades during cutting).
The set includes a carving fork, bamboo cutting board and storage tray that holds all pieces.
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| Set includes | Knife with one reciprocating blade, carving fork, bamboo cutting board and storage tray that holds all pieces |
| Function method | Must hold in unlocked position on top, while simultaneously pulling the trigger on the bottom |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes, blades only |
| Corded or cordless | Corded |
Pros
- Easily cut through meat and produce
- Great price
Cons
- Not suitable for crusty bread
For under $20, this knife gives you the power assist you need for occasional electric carving. It did not produce the thinnest slices in our tests, but it cut through poultry skin fairly cleanly and produced even slices. It sliced delicate brioche and ripe tomatoes with ease, but our tester found some practice was needed to ensure it cut through the skin at the bottom of the slice.
Bread fans, take note: This pick is not a good option for crusty loaves. It struggled to cut through the top crust of sourdough, and it would not slice through the bottom crust without turning the loaf on its side. But for the price, it's a handy tool for meat or produce.
| Set includes | Knife with one reciprocating blade |
| Function method | Pull trigger on bottom |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
| Corded or cordless | Corded |
Pros
- Slices meats, tomatoes and breads cleanly
- Non-slip thumb pad
- Blades are easy to insert and remove
Cons
- Blade-release button did not lock in our tests
Black + Decker's electric knife excelled in our crusty bread test — a struggle for many other models — thanks to its offset blade design, which allows you to slice through foods without the handle or your hand getting in the way. It aced our poultry and tomato tests and earned above-average scores for slicing beef both thinly and thickly.
We found the rubberized non-slip grip for your thumb made the handle feel more comfortable. The large finger grips on the blade made it easy to insert and remove the blades.
Our one caveat is that while the blade was secure during use, the blade-release button did not lock: We were able to release the blades no matter the position the release pin was in.
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| Set includes | Knife with one reciprocating blade |
| Function method | Toggle to unlocked position on the trigger, then pull the trigger on the bottom |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes, blades only |
| Corded or cordless | Corded |
Pros
- Good for slicing chicken
- Scored well for tomatoes, though the blade trapped juices
Cons
- Not suitable for crusty bread
Hamilton Beach's electric knife set includes a carving fork and a slim case that makes storage simple. Our tester was able to slice through chicken skin without tearing and to create both thick and thin slices (though this knife did leave blade marks on the meat).
This model struggled with sourdough bread: It was unable to slice through the top crust at all. It did earn a high score for cutting tomatoes, but the blades trapped the juices, which made for drippy slicing.
| Set includes | Knife with one reciprocating blade, carving fork and storage case for all pieces |
| Function method | Pull trigger on bottom |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
| Corded or cordless | Corded |
Pros
- Easy to hold and operate
- Earned top scores in tomato tests
Cons
- Not suitable for crusty bread
Cuisinart appears on our list again with the CEK-30 designed with a non-slip grooved surface on the underside for fingers and a top-mounted on-off button, which beginners may find more comfortable than other models. It also performed particularly well in our tomato tests, leaving no blade marks and creating both thick and thin slices without tearing or crushing. The blades feature large, contoured finger grips that make them easy to remove and reattach.
One drawback we noted during testing: This knife is not ideal for crusty bread. The blade struggled to get through the top crust, took several passes to slice the bottom crust and smashed the bread along the way. We also found that this knife was just barely long enough to navigate the sourdough boule at its widest part.
| Set includes | Knife with one reciprocating blade |
| Function method | Push button on top |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes, blades only |
| Corded or cordless | Corded |
How we test electric knives
The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test electric knives on a variety of ingredients: hard, soft, sticky, juicy.
We carved a roasted chicken to see how each knife navigated around bones and sliced through poultry skin. We sliced medium-rare beef tenderloin to evaluate how cleanly and thinly we could cut meat. We sliced crusty sourdough to assess whether the blade could penetrate the tough exterior without smashing the soft interior. And we sliced both tender brioche babka and ripe heirloom tomatoes to check the knife's ability to move through delicate foods without tearing or crushing.
Our favorite knives left minimal blade markings on foods, cut cleanly all the way through foods and weren't too loud. The blades were easy to change, and the handle and level of vibration during use was comfortable.
What to consider before buying an electric knife
✔️ Corded vs cordless: Cordless knives must be charged while those that plug in are always ready to use. If you opt for a corded model, be sure the cord is long enough for your workspace. These tend to work well for kitchen prep, where you're more likely to be near an outlet. If you want to carve tableside, a cordless model might be a better pick.
✔️ Blades: Our pros found that electric knives with 8- to 10-inch blades were most versatile for small tasks like slicing cheese as well as large tasks like carving roasts or bread. Some models come with two blades to provide this versatility (often one for meat and one for bread). In our tests, good knives could handle most tasks with just one type of blade, and we like that you don't then have to keep track of a second blade.
✔️ Ease of use: As a safety feature, most electric knives function only when you pull a trigger or press a button. If you can hold the knife in person before buying, you might find that you prefer one style over the other. We also recommend looking for large finger guards on the blades; this feature makes it easier to insert and remove the blades for clean-up.
✔️ Accessories: Because electric knives are bulky, they can be hard to store with your regular knives. Therefore, a storage case is a nice feature. It keeps the blade (or blades) safe and corrals the cord. Some models come with a carving fork and/or cutting board. We found these can be harder to store, but they might be a value to you if you don't own these items.
Can you sharpen an electric knife?
Technically, yes, you can sharpen an electric knife blade, but it's something that is best left to a professional.
For those determined to sharpen at home, be aware that you cannot use a standard whetstone or electric knife sharpener. You'll need a sharpening rod, which is different from a honing rod.
And keep in mind that because electric knives use two reciprocating blades, you'll be doing twice the work, because you will need to sharpen each indentation on the serrated edge individually.
Most critical: If you decide you have the tools and patience, completely remove the blades from the power handle before sharpening.
Can you cut frozen meat with an electric knife?
We don't recommend that you cut frozen meat with an electric knife because it can be harder on the motor over time. But, as with any appliance, consult the user manual for the manufacturer's instructions.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Gregory Wharton led the most recent test of electric knives. She has been cooking professionally and testing kitchen gear since 2016. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now Institute of Culinary Education).
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all content and testing related to cooking products. She started testing and developing cooking tools, gadgets, gear and appliances in 2014. She is trained in classic culinary arts and is a professional recipe developer. She particularly loves testing knives and cutting boards.
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