Electric knives have two camps. Many childhood memories involve a family member using one to swiftly and expertly cut meat or a Thanksgiving turkey. Nevertheless, some of us don’t know what an electric knife is or why you’d use one. I’m in the second camp, honestly. My father never used one because he liked sharpening carving knives (the hardest part of carving, he always said). I hosted Thanksgiving dinner the same way—the apple must not fall far from the tree! I never considered electric knives till this project.
Why choose an electric knife over a carving knife? Before testing these six top-rated electric carving knives, I could have told you they’re loud, pricey gadgets that will clutter your gadget drawer. After using the Black and Decker EK500B 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife (available at Amazon for $21.60), our favourite tool, I may have changed my mind. It showed me how to slice delicate bread, carve chickens, and hog loins in minutes using an electric knife. Top 5 Meat Slicers are Available in the Market 2023, Check Here the Pros and Cons before make a purchase.
A Tester
Chef Lindsay Mattison here. I’m a manual chef, so I’ve never had an electric knife. I’ll hand-knead bread dough next to a stand mixer or carefully cut veggies instead of using a food processor. I fell in love with our winning electric knife after testing these six. It’s likely in my gadget drawer when you visit.
The Tests
Tested six electric knives. We tested each electric knife’s blade sharpness, simplicity of use, safety, and noise level.
We had them carve a rotisserie chicken, thinly slice baguette into crostini, slice soft brioche bread into sandwiches, and slice a block of hard cheddar cheese to test their everyday use. These tests revealed the blade’s sharpness and ability to cut smoothly. We deducted points for jagged knife cuts. Nonetheless, any knife that could slice cheese well earned additional points (the test that most of the knives struggled with).
Then, we tested the knives’ use and safety. We used chicken grease-covered knives without reading the directions. After a few minutes, the finest knives stayed cold and didn’t vibrate. We needed a lengthy lead to keep out of the way when cutting and a safety lock to prevent inadvertent knife activation.
Lastly, we monitored knife noise. Our testers prioritised this. A buzz saw at the dinner table would destroy the mood. Our attention to this crucial detail will please the family dog.
Rapala HDEFAC
While our top two knives were in a close race for first, the Rapala Heavy Duty Electric Fillet Knife came in a far third. Like our top performing knives, the Rapala had a comfortable handle and felt safe to use. When it came to performance, it neither excelled nor failed the majority of our tests. Instead of slicing the cheese, it created a coarsely grated product. While it was able to slice the chicken and bread, it created jagged edges that didn’t look as nice as they could. It wouldn’t be our top pick, but we wouldn’t avoid using it, either.
Pros
- Comfortable handle
Cons
- Doesn’t cut neatly
Hamilton Beach 74275
We absolutely love that the Hamilton Beach 74275 Electric Carving Knife is the only knife in the group to come with a storage case. That makes it easy to bring over to a friends house or safely pack away in your gadget drawer. The set also came with a carving fork, which is great for anyone stocking up a starter kitchen. Unfortunately, its performance struggled, especially on the crusty baguette. It sort of hovered over the crust instead of piercing through the tough exterior. The large handle was also particularly difficult to hold, especially when our hands were covered in chicken grease.
Pros
- Includes carrying case and carving fork
Cons
- Mediocre cutting ability
- Difficult to grip
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Cuisinart CEK-40
The Cuisinart CEK-40 Electric Knife came in a close second to our top pick, acing all the same tests as the Black and Decker. But, the latter rose to the top by performing more quietly than the Cuisinart. That being said, we liked the Cuisinart overall. It certainly wasn’t the loudest knife in the group and it made quick work of carving the chicken. The handle was comfortable and slip-free, and it had no problems taking down both types of bread. It was also one of two knives to actually slice the cheddar cheese, earning it bonus points. And, while we didn’t notice that much of a difference between the blades, it does come with a meat blade, a bread blade, and a nice wooden butcher-block holding tray.
Pros
- Comfortable, slip-free handle
- Can swap blades for different jobs
- Includes butcher-block holding tray
Cons
- Not whisper quiet
NutriChef PKELKN8
You’ll immediately notice that the NutriChef Electric Knife doesn’t share a design with the other electric knives. Instead of being a long handle, this product almost looks like an iron. That odd-shaped handle was actually surprisingly easy to hold, and we enjoyed the two-button safety feature that ensured the knife wouldn’t accidentally go off when we weren’t ready. Sadly, it struggled to do anything except carve the chicken and it sounded like we turned on a table saw every time we clicked it on. Since it had a short cord and an odd smell when in use, it dropped to the bottom of the pack.
Pros
- Unique and easy-to-grip handle
- Two-button safety feature
Cons
- Loud and emits an odor
- Not very sharp
Black & Decker EK500B
There were two stand-out factors that made the ergonomically designed Black and Decker EK500B 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife our favorite knife in the group. First, its serrated blades (which are dishwasher-safe when removed) aced all of our performance tests, creating a presentation-worthy carved chicken and perfect slices of bread (both from crusty baguette and soft brioche sandwich bread). It was also one of two knives that could actually slice cheese! But, that’s not what impressed us the most. The Black and Decker was the quietest knife we tested and its ergonomic handle was the most comfortable of the group. The round handle fit perfectly in our hands and stayed put, even when our hands were covered in chicken grease. The knife created little to no vibrations, making it easy to keep our finger locked onto the trigger without slipping. And its quiet profile made it the most pleasant to use.
I would happily use this knife regularly to slice homemade bread or quickly break down a roast.
Pros
- Slices a variety of foods with ease
- Great grip with minimal vibration
- Quiet
Cons
- None that we could find
