I never thought I needed a bread slicer. As a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab—and someone who bakes and buys plenty of sourdough—I was convinced a sharp bread knife was all anyone needed. But testing the Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer changed my mind—and earned it a 2027 Kitchen Award. It sliced homemade and bakery loaves faster, easier, and more precisely than I expected. It might just deserve a spot on the counter of anyone who loves artisan bread.
Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer
Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer
The bread slicer that won us over
The Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer is a manual model that sits on most flat surfaces. It's available in several colors, each with a sturdy beechwood base. Four suction cups underneath help keep it securely in place while slicing. Simply turn the hand crank to guide the loaf through the blade, and use the adjustable dial to choose your slice thickness—from paper-thin slices for canapes to hefty 0.7-inch pieces for thick toast.
I can’t vouch for every bread slicer on the market (yet), but this model made me a believer. After a few minutes of trial and error to find my preferred slice thickness, it consistently produced even sourdough slices, from paper-thin pieces to thick-cut toast. The sturdy suction cups kept it in place while I turned the crank, and cleanup was as easy as wiping it down with a damp cloth.
I was impressed—and I wasn’t alone.
We sent the bread slicer to consumer testers to use in their own kitchens and share their feedback. One at-home tester said, “What a GAME CHANGER! I cannot emphasize how much I didn’t realize I needed this. I love to make sourdough bread, and we’ve never had a great knife for cutting it. It always resulted in smashed, uneven slices. Now we can make toast and sandwiches with evenly sliced bread. It cuts through as smooth as butter.”
What a bread slicer can (and can’t) do
A bread knife is more compact, easier to store, simpler to clean, and far more versatile. You can often find a quality bread knife for less than a bread slicer. While a bread slicer is designed solely for bread, a bread knife can also tackle tomatoes, sandwiches, cakes, and even a rotisserie chicken.
A bread slicer is also best reserved for plain loaves. While it’s easy to wipe away breadcrumbs, I wouldn’t use one for breads with sticky fillings or toppings that could be difficult to clean from the blade.
Some consumer testers cautioned that the exposed, very sharp blade could pose a safety concern, especially around children. “Unless you moved the slide adjuster back to the original position, the very sharp blade was easily accessible,” said one at-home tester.
A bread slicer shines in consistency. It produces perfectly even slices time after time, which is especially helpful for homemade sourdough or artisan loaves. I also found it more comfortable to use than a serrated bread knife because your hands stay farther from the blade while slicing.
How we tested the bread slicer
I first tested the slicer in the Lab using the same sourdough loaf we use to evaluate bread knives. Then I brought one home to try in an everyday setting. It easily sliced everything I threw at it, including olive-filled sourdough, a crusty baguette, everything bagels, and a soft sandwich loaf—all at a variety of thicknesses. Even my husband (who isn't nearly as into kitchen gadgets as I am) was impressed by how well it worked.
Consumer testers used the Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer to slice an assortment of breads, including sandwich bread, French bread, Italian bread, sourdough, pumpernickel, and gluten-free bread. They then shared detailed feedback in surveys.
The bottom line: Is the Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer worth it?
A bread slicer—especially the Zassenhaus Classic Bread Slicer—can be a worthwhile investment if you bake bread at home or regularly buy whole loaves from a local bakery or farmers’ market. Because slicing a loaf dries it out faster, it’s best to cut only what you plan to eat. But getting evenly sized slices with a bread knife isn’t always easy. An adjustable bread slicer lets you cut fresh slices to your preferred thickness whenever you’re ready to enjoy them. It has earned a permanent spot on my counter—and that’s not something I expected to say.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer is a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, where she has tested and written about a wide range of kitchen products, including many knives and bread-baking tools. An avid bread baker, she is a sourdough expert.
