I bought the Mercer bread knife a year ago under your recommendation, and am so glad I did. It's a remarkable knife, especially for its price, and has made life so much easier. Of all things, it makes chopping chocolate incredibly easy to do.
i am debating the long or the shorter utility serrated knife in my experience i rarely need the longer knife, if you had to buy one which one would you go for?
@@jomangeee9180 I felt when I bought the Mercer that I would only use it for bread. Turns out I use it for much more. It's only two inches longer than my go-to chef's knife, and I'm not sure how much use I would get out of a short serrated utility knife that my other knives can't already handle. Plus at that price, not sure I want to "test" the winner, and the best buy is still a chunk of change. But it's such a matter of personal preference and if you have a need, a good tool can make the world of difference.
I love this knife! It's the best thing I've bought on Amazon all year during the pandemic. I've bought it for so many people that Alexa periodically tells me "according to your history it's time to order more Mercer knives".
I love my 45 year old no- name wedding gift bread knife with scalloped edge! Always a great cut even after 45 years. Never had to sharpen it, not even once. They just don't make em like they used to I guess. Great video! My favorite Victornox knife was your favorite too. I have like 6!!!
@Log Splitta Thank you for your swell story! Yeah, going to tell my kid (only child so no arguements about that !) he best hold on to this wonderful old knife because some things are just better OLD! Like Mom. Ha! I also have my wedding cake knife, it's like new, but then again it's only been used once after all. LOL! I guess I need to get it out one more time before I die. My Moms Amber handled angel food cake knife is now going on 70 years old and I still have the box it came in. Isn't that fun!?! BTW I hope you get it...you seem to really appreciate it so much.❤
It's great to have reviewers who don't just have expertise in what they're discussing, but can also present really well, and have wonderful chemistry going on there too. I could watch the pair of them all day.
Love watching these two. Entertaining and credible. Lisa is always compelling and in charge. Hannah is sincere fun likeable and - totally off point here, but - makes me weak in the knees. I have to replay a lot of her bits because i wasn't focusing on what she was saying lol. "My bad"!
I love a ‘victorinox’ bread knife, which is very similar to your recommendation. I also use the victorinox utility knife. They are sometimes given away as marketing gifts by bakeries or butcheries in Germany. Germans are weird like that, always giving out useful things ... 😁
My experience with Mercer knives has been very similar, they punch WAY over their weight class in terms of performance vs cost. I never hesitate to recommend them
OK, I'll say it I LOVE MY KNIVES.....My favorites are: 1) 12 inch Henkles carbon steel chefs knife that due to its high carbon stains but sharpens like a straight razor, 2) my CONSTANT (brand with a spade symbol) on the rivet, specifically for grapefruits.
I am in the market for one. Thank you!!! EDITED TO ADD: bought the Bread Knife- super cheap price LOL. Other one was way too short for the breads I make. I only have three kitchen knives now. Chef, paring and Bread knife. (Do have two steak ones for company when they need it)
Well, I bought my bread knife before I saw this video. I paid a little more for my Case XX bread knife, and have nothing to compare it to, but my wife is in love with it. I have about 6 chef's knives that I hand sharpen, and they have no problem slicing tomatoes. 4 I got from restaurant supply, 1 Case XX and another just from local retail variety. I sharpen about 15 per month in all.
I bought “the tv knife” when I was 15 at a grocery store after watching their presentation... I’m 40... I still use the knife almost daily and it’s still just as sharp!!! If I got a chance I’d definitely get another!!!
Excellent. I have Henkels serrated utility knife which does a good job in cutting tomatoes. I have never tried it to cut bread. For veggies like cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, i use Henkels chef knife. I am going to try these two in cutting breads after watching your video.
For the sake of conversation only, sharpening a regular blade on a course stone produces deep grooves in the edge that cut a tomato very easily. If you run a steel over that edge, you remove those undulations. A steel is a fine file with the teeth running the length of the shaft.
I quite often use a serrated chef's knife which has enough length for bread, but also the pointy tip. That said, I'm moving more towards having specific knives for specific tasks. If you only want a few knives that can do everything between them, you can save some money and still do a reasonable job of everything, but, if you want the best results and the best ease of use, it's better to have a wider collection of knives.
I recently came across a serrated 4.7" Fiskars All Steel Tomato Knife. Wanted to check this video out again before getting it. I do hope to get it. There are a number of things I could use it for, but one thing I got from your video that didn't cross my mind was hard salami ! Thanks for the heads-up on that one !
In 1980, I bought an as-seen-on-TV gadget called a Mohli (sp?) that was essentially a hand-cranked circular slicer. It came with a “bonus” throw-in: a 7.5” Ginsu serrated bread knife with a plastic handle, made by Quikcut Knives. The gadget slicer lasted two weeks before the blades bent, rendering the thing useless. We still use the serrated Ginsu bread knife to this day. In fact, it’s my wife’s go-to knife for slicing just about anything. Considering that it was a free add-on, I'd rank it above that $100 Mercer.
I have a Dalstrong Gladiator Series sandwich knife. Works well for all aspects of making a sandwich. From spreading a condiment to cutting the sandwich it works well. Love your reviews
My universal knife is a serrated chef's knife - it's an old cheap one I took from my parents when I moved out (I was the only one in the household that ever used it anyway, so they were more than happy to let me take it). I've never liked regular bread knives, I've never seen one that doesn't make a crumbly mess. I'd even prefer a sharp regular chef's knife to a bread knife if I'm honest, even though cutting through thick crusts demand more knife care to keep them sharp.
Hannah, I think your problem with that older bread knife is that you're trying to use it as a slicing knife, rather than as the saw it is. and as long as you're doing the same with the winning knife, as it gets duller, the more it's going to cut like the old one.
I’m not sure I agree with the terminology you use to describe her cutting technique, but yes, it is not good. The way she cut that sandwich in the end was atrocious. She should stop pushing down with only the center section of the blade, and let the force of a slicing motion cut into the bread, using the full length of the edge. One smooth forward push followed by quick backwards pull should be all that is needed. That Mercer knife really is nice for the price, as are the chef knives in the same line. My only complaint with that 10 inch bread knife is that I wish the blade was ever so slightly thinner. For that reason I bought Mercer’s lighter weight offset breadknife, which is a bit flimsy, but glides right through overstuffed club sandwiches and the like with ease. It also takes up less space on my work station when I’m on the cold line. For tomatoes I don’t tend to use a serrated knife, but rather prefer a thin gyuto style 9.5 inch chef knife. In my opinion, if any of my chef knives isn’t sharp enough to cleanly cut through a tomato, it just isn’t sharp enough.
@sarreq teryx @fordhouse8b you are the only two who commented on the poor cutting technique. Thank you, I was beginning to think that I didn't know how to use a knife properly. Who chops bread? That pushing down with the belly rather than pulling through from heel to tip looked awkward.
ok you guys are right, it looks silly! it's a brand new knife, what i was trying to do it get a perfect cross section of the sandwich. i promise i know how to use a bread knife lollll
Are you spying on me, ATK? I was grumbling and shuffling around for a decent knife to split a small loaf of French bread this evening and then this appears on my feed...
Neat! I've been looking for a replacement for my bread knife. It was an impulse buy while grocery shopping one day about 40 years ago. Think I paid about $5 for it :) It's been the best knife and I can't do without it. After 40 years the blade is starting to bend and it tears the bread more than I'd like. Another serrated knife I need to find a replacement for is a plastic handled, cheap knife I'm sure I purchased in a blister pack at some local store. My daughter left it on a hot burner so the handle is deformed. It has the shape of a boning knife with a flexible blade that has millions of tiny, tiny serrations. I've looked everywhere and can't find a replacement. It's the only knife I look for when I'm slicing tomatoes or green onions. I don't even know if that kind of knife has a name :/
I bought that Mercer a year ago and it’s still going strong after cutting a lot of very crusty bread. Best news is, it’s now $8 cheaper at only $15 at the big South American River company. Serrated knives do present sharpening issues but if I go $15 every couple of years, I’m not complaining.
Try slicing tomatoes from top to bottom, whole different world. and you can cut core out after. And I use my bread knife to cut winter squash open, of at least to get the cut started before I get the chef's knife into it. Works great.
I recently got a Misen utility knife and I'm really loving it. When you need to slice or dice smaller things (shallots, garlic cloves) it can be awkward to use a big ol' chef's knife, particularly if you have larger hands. A smaller knife for a smaller job makes sense to me.
Based on your recommendation, I acquired the Mercer 10” bread knife, and it’s great for bread. A good replacement for our 40 year old Chicago Cutlery model. But the idea that a serrated knife is best or even necessary for something like tomatoes is risible. Our pretty generic Anolon chef’s knife goes through tomatoes like a laser, and without any special sharpening techniques (I use the Lansky system).
@A. T. No, indeed, Señor. It’s an English word as well, but perhaps borrowed. “Perhaps” is probably an understatement, since English has been borrowing liberally since before the Norman Conquest.
we don't think they're necessary for tomatoes, we just think tomatoes are a great food to evaluated them on because they have that firm outer layer and squishy middle.
I don't really use serrated knives (I just don't need them since my knives are sharp), but I love a good utility knife! Actually, a 6 in chef is a great option since it gives you the finger clearance.
In general I agree with the sentiment. Except for the case of crusty bread. But for tomatoes, a good sharp knife does a better job as far as I'm concerned. I found it interesting that they chose the Henckels utility knife as I have one, but non-serrated. It serves much the same applications as a 6" chef knife would.
ATK, ,LISA, I had noticed the trend in recent years, that utility knives have gone serrated, I use myBREADKNIFE, to make slices of GOUDA. to put on my spiced buns, but my JAPANESE KNIVES can really make THIN SLICES of tomatoes , The ZWILLIGS , serrated I like , too.like anything , a knife for everything cheers 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I use an 8in chef knife my set came with a Santoku knives 8in (I never use) and 6in which i gave to my dad for his RV he retired to. Smaller knives are great for RV kitchens. At home however I use Mercer Genesis 7peice knife roll set.
you could use a slicing knife like for roasts, victorinox makes our winner. but there are also have super specialized knives just for salmon and ham, if it's a common task for you and you want to splurge. they're pretty gorgeous. i've played with this one before and it was awesome: www.cutleryandmore.com/shun-classic/flexible-hollow-edge-ham-salmon-slicer-p125251
Did you ever look into the difference between left-hand and right-hand oriented serrations? As well as for which products being cut should you opt for one over the other?
This is an important point for lefties. The side that has the bevel, when used by a leftie, tends to "walk" toward the piece being sliced vs toward the loaf. Makes for awkward cutting.
@@a1ar127 It's very much similar to the use of chisels, depending on which way the bevel lies depends on whether the chisel digs into the work, or edges out. I find that with shredding cabbage the bevel side of a serrated bread knife, seriously impacts the thickness of the overall cut of the cabbage.
The reason I'm not fond of serrated knives is that they are impossible to keep sharp. New, a good knife is good, but eventually it'll go dull. I've got a set of simple carbon steel knives I've had over 40 years. Every time I pick up a knife to use it, I run the steel over it. Last night I made myself a salad with tomatoes, which were a bit over ripe (and soft). One clean swipe of the blade and it's completely through with no tearing and most of the jell is still inside the tomato slice. Clean, simple, easy to maintain.
I mean.... if you don't have a super dull knife you can cut it better with a regular knife! BUT FOR bread.... It's nice! I still use my gyutou for breads too as it's very sharp.
honestly did not know a serrated utility knife was a thing. When I buy a loaf of bread it's usually a baguette and the shorter knife would be perfect! Def running out to buy one!
That Mercer bread knife looks strikingly similar to my Victorinox offset bread knife. I used the Victorinox as my main knife for a year when my chefs knife was stolen. I keep it in my kit because nothing performs like it. Also with the wider spaced serrations for $15 you can get the individual serrations sharpened and make the knife like new. But since the knife is serrated and the blade part of the knife never contacts the hard cutting board, the blade stays sharp easily three times as long.
I wish that y’all would put links for the winner AND Best Buy versions of each product in all videos in which they are mentioned. It would make budgeting for and deciding on which knife so much easier.
To sharpen, ideally you need a ceramic sharpening or honing rod. Depending on the price of your knife it’s usually easier to just buy a new one. Many chefs consider serated knives disposable, use it for couple years and replace. You’ll rarely see a super expensive serated knife in a chefs knife kit.
I've done this. It's actually quite easy with a ceramic honing/sharpening rod and a whetstone. The good thing is that serrated knives can go years without needing sharpening. But when needed, running the rod down each serration on the chiseled side at the same angle, then removing the burrs on the backside, will extend the life for a few more years. Mind you, this only really works for wider serrations - very small serrations and scalloped edges are probably easier addressed by professionals, or discarded for new ones.
@@jtsholtod.79 Agreed, and imo unless you paid over $50 I prefer the unboxing to the sharpening 😜 Spending good money on a proper chef’s or santoku knife is much better value for money and time needed to maintain.
I have Henkels serrated utility knife. I have been using it for almost 10 yrs. I also have a chef knife by the same brand. That serrated knife is still sharp fortunately. Otherwise i don't know how to sharpen it!
Around the 6 minute mark, when cutting the tomato - that was a cheap shot. She pressed downward instead of sliding forward. I know this is months late, but I had to mention it. Otherwise, fantastic - thanks again!
Someone else had the same question so I'll copy my thoughts here. It's actually quite easy with a ceramic honing/sharpening rod and a whetstone. The good thing is that serrated knives can go years without needing sharpening. But when needed, running the rod down each serration on the chiseled side at the same angle, then removing the burrs on the backside, will extend the life for a few more years. Mind you, this only really works for wider serrations - very small serrations and scalloped edges are probably easier addressed by professionals, or discarded for new ones.
@@seriouslyreally5413 Sharpening a serrated knife correctly is more challenging and time consuming than a plain edge. It really wouldn’t be worth the expense and hassle to send a knife like that Mercer out to be sharpened. In the case of the more expensive utility knife, I’m not even sure I would trust a service to do it with enough care, even assuming they would be willing to do a serrated knife at all. The 10 inch Mercer Millenia they recommend, which I own, currently costs $22. I also have an offset handle serrated knife from the same Millenia line, which is only $17. Both excellent knives, but not ones I would bother having professionally sharpened. If they ever get to dull to be pleasant and effective, I probably either already got my money’s worth out of them, or I really abused them somehow. Or more likely, one of my coworkers abused them.
Can you please do a video on good chopping practices? I bought all the recommended knives then cut my finger on day 1 (filleted said the urgent care). I am now a little scared to use them. Thanks!
I have a hand-me-down shun bread knife that's very pretty but it's gentle wave shape doesn't actually cut bread super well. I think it's time for an upgrade.
For cutting tomatoes, I agree that serrations are important - but you can get an amazing American-made specialty tomato knife from Rada for $9. A bargain, and an easy choice if you love tomatoes.
I've heard Gordon Ramsey also say you only need 3 knives; Chef's, pearing, and serrated. But, his serrated was used to slice meats, roasts, etc. Would this be a different type of knife than the Mercer, or do you also recommend the Mercer for this as well? Thank you!!
@@FunAtDisney That's what I keep thinking, too! I figure I might as well use it till the poor thing dies. But there's no sign of that any time soon. Definitely got my $$ worth on it!
How often do you make contact with every serration? And from your explanation, longer knives are almost always worst than a short knive because more serrations.
My 2 cents, watch closely when she cuts into the tomato with the non-favorite serated knife, she just mashed the knife down, didn’t push, pull glide across the top. I call fowl!
Just a bit of history about what a bread knife actually is . It’s rounded at the end of the blade . The reason for that was that it did less damage to cutting services and therefore was safer for the baker and pastry chef to use both knifes the bread and the cake knives have the same sawing technology but different tooth serrations . Nobody need to push down on the knife with a lot of power in order to show that the serrations are not the best . We can proof easily that a dull knife can cut as bread as well . It just takes longer . Ladies both of you should improve your slicing skills a biIt more . Even with the long knife the slice was not the nicest . Pointed serrated knives ( for the purpose of bread cutting) came first on to the market when one very large knife manufacturer took over a business that was manufacturing cutting boards. Problem with rounded ends was very little damage to the boards. So in order to sell more cutting boards they had to invent a knife tip to damage the boards more than the round ends were doing And as you can see, we are in the industry are still using the long lasting knives with the round ends while the normal consumer ended up with knives that worked but resulted in higher cutting board sales.
12:47 Ummmm... Zwilling got exactly the same serrated prep knife in the Gourmet series, costing only half price. (The two series are made of the same material, and the different price is due to the manufacturing process: Pros are forged, Gourmets are stamped)
7:40 I have the Classic Wüsthof and it cuts flawlesly. I am not sure how better a bread knife can be? Sometimes I push it down and it cuts without the hand saw movement. It looks like the 4th one from the left that you eliminated. My knife set is all Shun and only bread knife is Wüsthof and it is really great.
that is our second place bread knife and old winner. it's a great knife, can't go wrong there! it is more expensive but also has that classic riveted look, which is nice.
You might want to tweak the format, as the two of you are way too nice to make it a creditable competition. As you found here the smaller knife was better at certain tasks and worse at others. I think this video worked best when you showed the split screen of cutting the sandwich (and a tighter shot would have been even better). Hope it helps?
Do you know what is with the rounded vs pointed tip on the bread knife? I’m looking at 2 Victorinox models. 9” with a pointy tip, and 10.25” with a rounded tip (the point at the end, not the cutting teeth). My assumption is pointy is more for bread + meat, rounded is more for bread alone. Is this even close to correct?
Prefer 6” serrated utility knife over bread knife since well, neither of me and my wife eat bread... lol. I do have a bread knife just not a 150 dollar one like my other “pro knives.” I do agree that u need the chef and paring knife. But instead of bread I drop in the serrated in the trio.
I've always found that a serrated edge is too much of a hassle to keep sharp. I find a rounded belly on a knife increases the edge pressure enough to mimic the benefits of a serrated blade.
While I agree with the fact that there are better and worse bread knives, the filming here of the "worse" ones seemed odd, as in the tomato section, where the cutting motion was closer to mashing than to sawing. It felt like an ungenerous way of treating the worser knife. That said, I agree with the general results. Thanks for this.
Why did you restrict yourself to the short bladed utility knives? Victorinox model 40720 is an excellent utility knife. It's blade is 7.5 inches but is great for tomatoes and hard bread. Also much cheaper in price.
Hi! Thank you for the video, great one as usual, very useful information. 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪 I've noticed that food pros (and food snobs), tend to pooh-pooh the less expensive kitchen items that the majority of us can actually afford. Why not do a test on an affordable knife block set from Walmart? Try each knife for what the company's directions say they are for, and then other things to see what all they are capable of. I say this because 30 years ago I bought a knife block set at Pharmore (or Kmart) it was about $30. My husband used to cook in restaurants, he was shaking his head at me. But since all I owned before that was a carbon paring knife, and a set of free steak knives, to me it was an improvement. (I had started watching cooking shows on PBS.) After a thorough examination my husband tested them, and was surprised that they weren't really that bad. He really doubted the never needs sharpening. I've bought a few fancy knives since, like the Pampered Chef chef's knife in the self sharpening sheath. But I often grab my old block knives to use. So why not test for best economical knife block set? And a “never needs sharpening” set too. Minimum wage earners want to know. Thank you. Take care, stay safe. ☺️✌️☮️🖖 😷 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪
I paid 180 for a utility knife, mine isn’t Zwilling, it’s Wustoff. But it is the only knife I need and use, has been 17 years now, will probably last 20 more. The knife block is pretty, only used when I need to cut bread or break down a whole chicken. The Wustoff lives in my hand in the kitchen. Look up Sam Vimes economic theory of boots.
I tried cutting a loaf of bread with a chef’s knife recently. Like a knife through butter. I could hardly believe it... in fact it was almost as easy as slicing a tomato with just an ordinary sharp knife 😂😂
Speed and pressure. People get too anxious and want the blade to float through like a Star Wars lightsaber. They push and smash and don't let the blade do it's work. When I was learning plumbing the instructor taught us to lock our elbows like it was a machine to get straight cuts. My wife still has me cut the bread when she bakes it. 😀🔪
@@cinnahum You need the Ginsu knife and if you order in the next 10 minutes...... 🤣 Seriously ,I've bought some quality knives off of Shopgoodwill.com for pennies on the dollar if that helps your "timestruck" life 😃👍 Good luck and watch the fingers !
A good sharp knife with a straight blade will cut bread beautifully! But, there's a catch. The flour is actually abrasive and will quickly dull the knife. So, a straight blade is more than capable of the job, but not for very long without frequent sharpening.
I absolutely LOVE my Shun Classic reverse (or scalloped) serrated Tomato Knife. But then, I cut A LOT of tomatoes! I also have the (much cheaper, i admit) Victorinox Bread Knife as well.
Your using the utility knife on an artisanal loaf. That would be perfect for traditional loaf pan bread. I like making banana bread in a Bundt pan the utility knife it what i would grab first
I bought the Mercer bread knife a year ago under your recommendation, and am so glad I did. It's a remarkable knife, especially for its price, and has made life so much easier. Of all things, it makes chopping chocolate incredibly easy to do.
I use a serrated knife for chopping chocolate too! One of the tips I learned somewhere on the ATK site/mags.
i am debating the long or the shorter utility serrated knife in my experience i rarely need the longer knife, if you had to buy one which one would you go for?
@@jomangeee9180 I felt when I bought the Mercer that I would only use it for bread. Turns out I use it for much more. It's only two inches longer than my go-to chef's knife, and I'm not sure how much use I would get out of a short serrated utility knife that my other knives can't already handle. Plus at that price, not sure I want to "test" the winner, and the best buy is still a chunk of change. But it's such a matter of personal preference and if you have a need, a good tool can make the world of difference.
I love this knife! It's the best thing I've bought on Amazon all year during the pandemic. I've bought it for so many people that Alexa periodically tells me "according to your history it's time to order more Mercer knives".
I love my 45 year old no- name wedding gift bread knife with scalloped edge! Always a great cut even after 45 years. Never had to sharpen it, not even once. They just don't make em like they used to I guess. Great video! My favorite Victornox knife was your favorite too. I have like 6!!!
@Log Splitta Thank you for your swell story! Yeah, going to tell my kid (only child so no arguements about that !) he best hold on to this wonderful old knife because some things are just better OLD! Like Mom. Ha! I also have my wedding cake knife, it's like new, but then again it's only been used once after all. LOL! I guess I need to get it out one more time before I die. My Moms Amber handled angel food cake knife is now going on 70 years old and I still have the box it came in. Isn't that fun!?! BTW I hope you get it...you seem to really appreciate it so much.❤
@@sadiegirl5312 believe on Jesus and you will never die
It's great to have reviewers who don't just have expertise in what they're discussing, but can also present really well, and have wonderful chemistry going on there too. I could watch the pair of them all day.
Love watching these two. Entertaining and credible. Lisa is always compelling and in charge. Hannah is sincere fun likeable and - totally off point here, but - makes me weak in the knees. I have to replay a lot of her bits because i wasn't focusing on what she was saying lol. "My bad"!
I love a ‘victorinox’ bread knife, which is very similar to your recommendation. I also use the victorinox utility knife.
They are sometimes given away as marketing gifts by bakeries or butcheries in Germany.
Germans are weird like that, always giving out useful things ... 😁
Always informative and wonderful to watch you two!
I have a whole set of Mercer knives that I love. They were reasonably priced and are really good knives.
My experience with Mercer knives has been very similar, they punch WAY over their weight class in terms of performance vs cost. I never hesitate to recommend them
this video validates my bad bread cutting 😢 IT WASNT ME THE WHOLE TIME
i seriously thought it was me before i had a good bread knife. i used to avoid the task!
OK, I'll say it I LOVE MY KNIVES.....My favorites are: 1) 12 inch Henkles carbon steel chefs knife that due to its high carbon stains but sharpens like a straight razor, 2) my CONSTANT (brand with a spade symbol) on the rivet, specifically for grapefruits.
I have an whole set of the "best value" utility knife mentioned and I agree. I've been slowly using that utility knife more and more.
I am in the market for one. Thank you!!! EDITED TO ADD: bought the Bread Knife- super cheap price LOL. Other one was way too short for the breads I make. I only have three kitchen knives now. Chef, paring and Bread knife. (Do have two steak ones for company when they need it)
@Elim Garak 007 I wouldn't count it as one but it is VERY useful if you have a need for perfect cuts.
@Elim Garak 007 LOL!!
Dont eat bread, get rid of the knife. Life will be good with two knives.
@@ike7539 LOL- Heck, I might just get rid of the kitchen and go to Soylent Green. 🤓
Well, I bought my bread knife before I saw this video. I paid a little more for my Case XX bread knife, and have nothing to compare it to, but my wife is in love with it. I have about 6 chef's knives that I hand sharpen, and they have no problem slicing tomatoes. 4 I got from restaurant supply, 1 Case XX and another just from local retail variety. I sharpen about 15 per month in all.
I bought “the tv knife” when I was 15 at a grocery store after watching their presentation... I’m 40... I still use the knife almost daily and it’s still just as sharp!!! If I got a chance I’d definitely get another!!!
Excellent. I have Henkels serrated utility knife which does a good job in cutting tomatoes. I have never tried it to cut bread. For veggies like cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, i use Henkels chef knife. I am going to try these two in cutting breads after watching your video.
Love this segment of ATK! Keep 'em coming!
Lisa I love your old school iPod that you have nestled in the speaker
lol, thanks! It's been there so long. But it's full of old songs and an uncommon amount of bagpipe music -- nice to cook with.
It always makes me feel special when she mentions Hannah 😂😂😂
For the sake of conversation only, sharpening a regular blade on a course stone produces deep grooves in the edge that cut a tomato very easily.
If you run a steel over that edge, you remove those undulations. A steel is a fine file with the teeth running the length of the shaft.
Another fantastic review. Thanks Lisa.
I quite often use a serrated chef's knife which has enough length for bread, but also the pointy tip. That said, I'm moving more towards having specific knives for specific tasks. If you only want a few knives that can do everything between them, you can save some money and still do a reasonable job of everything, but, if you want the best results and the best ease of use, it's better to have a wider collection of knives.
I recently came across a serrated 4.7" Fiskars All Steel Tomato Knife. Wanted to check this video out again before getting it. I do hope to get it. There are a number of things I could use it for, but one thing I got from your video that didn't cross my mind was hard salami ! Thanks for the heads-up on that one !
In 1980, I bought an as-seen-on-TV gadget called a Mohli (sp?) that was essentially a hand-cranked circular slicer. It came with a “bonus” throw-in: a 7.5” Ginsu serrated bread knife with a plastic handle, made by Quikcut Knives. The gadget slicer lasted two weeks before the blades bent, rendering the thing useless.
We still use the serrated Ginsu bread knife to this day. In fact, it’s my wife’s go-to knife for slicing just about anything. Considering that it was a free add-on, I'd rank it above that $100 Mercer.
Sorry, I meant the $18 Mercer!
I have an old, old thin, narrow serrated knife that still works magic!
I received my copy of the winning bread knife yesterday. Thank you for the recommendation.
awesome! how's it cutting?
Just perfect through very fresh bread. No slipping, just gripping. My old one was nothing like this.
I have a Dalstrong Gladiator Series sandwich knife. Works well for all aspects of making a sandwich. From spreading a condiment to cutting the sandwich it works well. Love your reviews
Please do a video on how to sharpen a serrated knife.
Do Mercers stay sharp forever?
@Log Splitta the $22 knife IS a mercer?
you only sharpen it one side
I use a diamond circular sharpening stick. Only takes a few minutes.
@Bo Zo some places will do it for $5
My universal knife is a serrated chef's knife - it's an old cheap one I took from my parents when I moved out (I was the only one in the household that ever used it anyway, so they were more than happy to let me take it). I've never liked regular bread knives, I've never seen one that doesn't make a crumbly mess. I'd even prefer a sharp regular chef's knife to a bread knife if I'm honest, even though cutting through thick crusts demand more knife care to keep them sharp.
Hannah, I think your problem with that older bread knife is that you're trying to use it as a slicing knife, rather than as the saw it is. and as long as you're doing the same with the winning knife, as it gets duller, the more it's going to cut like the old one.
I’m not sure I agree with the terminology you use to describe her cutting technique, but yes, it is not good. The way she cut that sandwich in the end was atrocious. She should stop pushing down with only the center section of the blade, and let the force of a slicing motion cut into the bread, using the full length of the edge. One smooth forward push followed by quick backwards pull should be all that is needed. That Mercer knife really is nice for the price, as are the chef knives in the same line. My only complaint with that 10 inch bread knife is that I wish the blade was ever so slightly thinner. For that reason I bought Mercer’s lighter weight offset breadknife, which is a bit flimsy, but glides right through overstuffed club sandwiches and the like with ease. It also takes up less space on my work station when I’m on the cold line. For tomatoes I don’t tend to use a serrated knife, but rather prefer a thin gyuto style 9.5 inch chef knife. In my opinion, if any of my chef knives isn’t sharp enough to cleanly cut through a tomato, it just isn’t sharp enough.
@sarreq teryx @fordhouse8b you are the only two who commented on the poor cutting technique. Thank you, I was beginning to think that I didn't know how to use a knife properly. Who chops bread? That pushing down with the belly rather than pulling through from heel to tip looked awkward.
ok you guys are right, it looks silly! it's a brand new knife, what i was trying to do it get a perfect cross section of the sandwich. i promise i know how to use a bread knife lollll
Are you spying on me, ATK? I was grumbling and shuffling around for a decent knife to split a small loaf of French bread this evening and then this appears on my feed...
Neat! I've been looking for a replacement for my bread knife. It was an impulse buy while grocery shopping one day about 40 years ago. Think I paid about $5 for it :) It's been the best knife and I can't do without it. After 40 years the blade is starting to bend and it tears the bread more than I'd like. Another serrated knife I need to find a replacement for is a plastic handled, cheap knife I'm sure I purchased in a blister pack at some local store. My daughter left it on a hot burner so the handle is deformed. It has the shape of a boning knife with a flexible blade that has millions of tiny, tiny serrations. I've looked everywhere and can't find a replacement. It's the only knife I look for when I'm slicing tomatoes or green onions. I don't even know if that kind of knife has a name :/
the utility knife here would be a reasonable substitute. it's not flexible but it is a smaller serrated blade.
Great video as always, thank you ladies! My question is what to do if serrated knife gets dull in the end, how to sharpen it, is it possible at all?
stay tuned for a response video all about this! great q!
I bought that Mercer a year ago and it’s still going strong after cutting a lot of very crusty bread. Best news is, it’s now $8 cheaper at only $15 at the big South American River company. Serrated knives do present sharpening issues but if I go $15 every couple of years, I’m not complaining.
So I can just wait 15 years and buy your old knife at the thrift store and sharpen it
Try slicing tomatoes from top to bottom, whole different world. and you can cut core out after. And I use my bread knife to cut winter squash open, of at least to get the cut started before I get the chef's knife into it. Works great.
I recently got a Misen utility knife and I'm really loving it. When you need to slice or dice smaller things (shallots, garlic cloves) it can be awkward to use a big ol' chef's knife, particularly if you have larger hands. A smaller knife for a smaller job makes sense to me.
What steel are they made with?
@@shakerson AUS-10 stainless steel.
I have the Heinkel 5,5 serrated tomato knife. I like it a lot.
Based on your recommendation, I acquired the Mercer 10” bread knife, and it’s great for bread. A good replacement for our 40 year old Chicago Cutlery model. But the idea that a serrated knife is best or even necessary for something like tomatoes is risible. Our pretty generic Anolon chef’s knife goes through tomatoes like a laser, and without any special sharpening techniques (I use the Lansky system).
@A. T. No, indeed, Señor. It’s an English word as well, but perhaps borrowed. “Perhaps” is probably an understatement, since English has been borrowing liberally since before the Norman Conquest.
we don't think they're necessary for tomatoes, we just think tomatoes are a great food to evaluated them on because they have that firm outer layer and squishy middle.
I don't really use serrated knives (I just don't need them since my knives are sharp), but I love a good utility knife! Actually, a 6 in chef is a great option since it gives you the finger clearance.
In general I agree with the sentiment. Except for the case of crusty bread.
But for tomatoes, a good sharp knife does a better job as far as I'm concerned.
I found it interesting that they chose the Henckels utility knife as I have one, but non-serrated. It serves much the same applications as a 6" chef knife would.
ATK, ,LISA, I had noticed the trend in recent years, that utility knives have gone serrated, I use myBREADKNIFE, to make slices of GOUDA. to put on my spiced buns, but my JAPANESE KNIVES can really make THIN SLICES of tomatoes , The ZWILLIGS , serrated I like , too.like anything , a knife for everything cheers 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I find I get a much cleaner cut on a tomato with a well maintained flat bladed knife over a serrated knife. But, to each their own.
Great job explaining this ladies. Really helpful 👌
Thank you for the knife tests. Neither one of you addressed left handed usage. Are these preferred knives as good with a left handed person?
Is anything? ;)
yes, they are ambidextrous!
@@JavierFernandez01 on
I have a 1940s or 1950s vintage bread knife. Its edge has zillion teeth like a saw blade. Cut bread perfectly and has never needed sharpening.
I use an 8in chef knife my set came with a Santoku knives 8in (I never use) and 6in which i gave to my dad for his RV he retired to. Smaller knives are great for RV kitchens. At home however I use Mercer Genesis 7peice knife roll set.
Great video!
What knife do you recommend for thin slicing smoked or cured Salmon?
you could use a slicing knife like for roasts, victorinox makes our winner. but there are also have super specialized knives just for salmon and ham, if it's a common task for you and you want to splurge. they're pretty gorgeous. i've played with this one before and it was awesome: www.cutleryandmore.com/shun-classic/flexible-hollow-edge-ham-salmon-slicer-p125251
thanks for the info.
Did you ever look into the difference between left-hand and right-hand oriented serrations? As well as for which products being cut should you opt for one over the other?
This is an important point for lefties. The side that has the bevel, when used by a leftie, tends to "walk" toward the piece being sliced vs toward the loaf. Makes for awkward cutting.
@@a1ar127 It's very much similar to the use of chisels, depending on which way the bevel lies depends on whether the chisel digs into the work, or edges out. I find that with shredding cabbage the bevel side of a serrated bread knife, seriously impacts the thickness of the overall cut of the cabbage.
I am on the lookout for a good bread knife, what perfect timing!
The reason I'm not fond of serrated knives is that they are impossible to keep sharp. New, a good knife is good, but eventually it'll go dull. I've got a set of simple carbon steel knives I've had over 40 years. Every time I pick up a knife to use it, I run the steel over it. Last night I made myself a salad with tomatoes, which were a bit over ripe (and soft). One clean swipe of the blade and it's completely through with no tearing and most of the jell is still inside the tomato slice. Clean, simple, easy to maintain.
I mean.... if you don't have a super dull knife you can cut it better with a regular knife! BUT FOR bread.... It's nice! I still use my gyutou for breads too as it's very sharp.
honestly did not know a serrated utility knife was a thing. When I buy a loaf of bread it's usually a baguette and the shorter knife would be perfect! Def running out to buy one!
That Mercer bread knife looks strikingly similar to my Victorinox offset bread knife. I used the Victorinox as my main knife for a year when my chefs knife was stolen. I keep it in my kit because nothing performs like it. Also with the wider spaced serrations for $15 you can get the individual serrations sharpened and make the knife like new. But since the knife is serrated and the blade part of the knife never contacts the hard cutting board, the blade stays sharp easily three times as long.
Love the knife.
What brand and model is the gas range in this video?
I’m in the market, and love the grates.
Thanks
David Hockett
I wish that y’all would put links for the winner AND Best Buy versions of each product in all videos in which they are mentioned. It would make budgeting for and deciding on which knife so much easier.
How should I take care of a serated knife?
Is it possible to hone its edge? Can I sharpen it myself?
To sharpen, ideally you need a ceramic sharpening or honing rod. Depending on the price of your knife it’s usually easier to just buy a new one. Many chefs consider serated knives disposable, use it for couple years and replace. You’ll rarely see a super expensive serated knife in a chefs knife kit.
I've done this. It's actually quite easy with a ceramic honing/sharpening rod and a whetstone. The good thing is that serrated knives can go years without needing sharpening. But when needed, running the rod down each serration on the chiseled side at the same angle, then removing the burrs on the backside, will extend the life for a few more years. Mind you, this only really works for wider serrations - very small serrations and scalloped edges are probably easier addressed by professionals, or discarded for new ones.
@@jtsholtod.79 Agreed, and imo unless you paid over $50 I prefer the unboxing to the sharpening 😜
Spending good money on a proper chef’s or santoku knife is much better value for money and time needed to maintain.
I have Henkels serrated utility knife. I have been using it for almost 10 yrs. I also have a chef knife by the same brand. That serrated knife is still sharp fortunately. Otherwise i don't know how to sharpen it!
Around the 6 minute mark, when cutting the tomato - that was a cheap shot.
She pressed downward instead of sliding forward.
I know this is months late, but I had to mention it.
Otherwise, fantastic - thanks again!
Good content! Informative! But if you put avocado in a BLT doesn’t that make it a BLAT?
correct. even more fun to say!
How do you resharpen a serrated knife or do you just buy another when the serrations eventually dull?
Someone else had the same question so I'll copy my thoughts here. It's actually quite easy with a ceramic honing/sharpening rod and a whetstone. The good thing is that serrated knives can go years without needing sharpening. But when needed, running the rod down each serration on the chiseled side at the same angle, then removing the burrs on the backside, will extend the life for a few more years. Mind you, this only really works for wider serrations - very small serrations and scalloped edges are probably easier addressed by professionals, or discarded for new ones.
@@jtsholtod.79
So I can send it out?
@@seriouslyreally5413 Sharpening a serrated knife correctly is more challenging and time consuming than a plain edge. It really wouldn’t be worth the expense and hassle to send a knife like that Mercer out to be sharpened. In the case of the more expensive utility knife, I’m not even sure I would trust a service to do it with enough care, even assuming they would be willing to do a serrated knife at all. The 10 inch Mercer Millenia they recommend, which I own, currently costs $22. I also have an offset handle serrated knife from the same Millenia line, which is only $17. Both excellent knives, but not ones I would bother having professionally sharpened. If they ever get to dull to be pleasant and effective, I probably either already got my money’s worth out of them, or I really abused them somehow. Or more likely, one of my coworkers abused them.
No argue!The best knife in the world is Damascus steel,Bob Kramers' shef knifes,by Tzwailing,made in Japan!!!💐💐💐💐🌹🌹🌹🌹🔪🔪🔪🔪
I think they did a carbon steel knife test at one time.
And I do believe the Kramer knife won.
Can you please do a video on good chopping practices? I bought all the recommended knives then cut my finger on day 1 (filleted said the urgent care). I am now a little scared to use them. Thanks!
I have a hand-me-down shun bread knife that's very pretty but it's gentle wave shape doesn't actually cut bread super well. I think it's time for an upgrade.
good thing I'm watching this now, one week after buying a bread knife with broad serrations
I figured I could do a few *sharp* knife puns for you..
But in the end they got *cut.*
At least you gave it a slice.
WHAT THE NEIF?!
... all but one, as usual.
Give it a rest, ok?
Sheesh!, Graham. 😴😣😴
lol, thanks!
For cutting tomatoes, I agree that serrations are important - but you can get an amazing American-made specialty tomato knife from Rada for $9. A bargain, and an easy choice if you love tomatoes.
I've heard Gordon Ramsey also say you only need 3 knives; Chef's, pearing, and serrated. But, his serrated was used to slice meats, roasts, etc. Would this be a different type of knife than the Mercer, or do you also recommend the Mercer for this as well? Thank you!!
They are best for left handed ppl like myself
have you done a video about the best knife magnet ?
I love the COVID extended review! Great job, ladies!
Hey Lisa, is that a classic iPod I saw up there on the shelf? And does it still play?
Hey Ken... I have a Classic iPod that I still use regularly and it works tickety boo. Not a hitch!
@@lucyc That’s amazing! I have iPods Mini although I haven’t used it for several years because I use my iPhone and CarPlay, but it still works!
@@FunAtDisney That's what I keep thinking, too! I figure I might as well use it till the poor thing dies. But there's no sign of that any time soon. Definitely got my $$ worth on it!
Yes, it still works, built like a tank, and full of favorites to play while cooking (the speaker also switches to radio)
How often do you make contact with every serration?
And from your explanation, longer knives are almost always worst than a short knive because more serrations.
Hi Ya'll, What about a serrated slicing knife for roasts, briskets, Pork??
My 2 cents, watch closely when she cuts into the tomato with the non-favorite serated knife, she just mashed the knife down, didn’t push, pull glide across the top. I call fowl!
That has happened to me .
@Bo Zo i DID cheat. i was trying to get a perfect cross section!
Foul 😂
This made me pine for BLTs!
Hey Lisa I love your old school iPod nestled in the speaker in the background.
I really enjoyed that one after we were done filming. BLTs are so good.
there is no fillers in the zwilling set. used the whole set all the time.the set has the short knife and the long 8 inch one.
which cheap knife best for very hard rye bread
Just a bit of history about what a bread knife actually is . It’s rounded at the end of the blade . The reason for that was that it did less damage to cutting services and therefore was safer for the baker and pastry chef to use both knifes the bread and the cake knives have the same sawing technology but different tooth serrations . Nobody need to push down on the knife with a lot of power in order to show that the serrations are not the best . We can proof easily that a dull knife can cut as bread as well . It just takes longer . Ladies both of you should improve your slicing skills a biIt more . Even with the long knife the slice was not the nicest .
Pointed serrated knives ( for the purpose of bread cutting) came first on to the market when one very large knife manufacturer took over a business that was manufacturing cutting boards. Problem with rounded ends was very little damage to the boards.
So in order to sell more cutting boards they had to invent a knife tip to damage the boards more than the round ends were doing
And as you can see, we are in the industry are still using the long lasting knives with the round ends while the normal consumer ended up with knives that worked but resulted in higher cutting board sales.
Do you have a review for ladles and serving spoons?
12:47 Ummmm... Zwilling got exactly the same serrated prep knife in the Gourmet series, costing only half price. (The two series are made of the same material, and the different price is due to the manufacturing process: Pros are forged, Gourmets are stamped)
7:40 I have the Classic Wüsthof and it cuts flawlesly. I am not sure how better a bread knife can be? Sometimes I push it down and it cuts without the hand saw movement. It looks like the 4th one from the left that you eliminated. My knife set is all Shun and only bread knife is Wüsthof and it is really great.
that is our second place bread knife and old winner. it's a great knife, can't go wrong there! it is more expensive but also has that classic riveted look, which is nice.
Lisa and her knives...
What about double serrated bread knives like Wusthof makes?
You might want to tweak the format, as the two of you are way too nice to make it a creditable competition. As you found here the smaller knife was better at certain tasks and worse at others. I think this video worked best when you showed the split screen of cutting the sandwich (and a tighter shot would have been even better). Hope it helps?
Do you know what is with the rounded vs pointed tip on the bread knife?
I’m looking at 2 Victorinox models. 9” with a pointy tip, and 10.25” with a rounded tip (the point at the end, not the cutting teeth).
My assumption is pointy is more for bread + meat, rounded is more for bread alone. Is this even close to correct?
Prefer 6” serrated utility knife over bread knife since well, neither of me and my wife eat bread... lol. I do have a bread knife just not a 150 dollar one like my other “pro knives.”
I do agree that u need the chef and paring knife. But instead of bread I drop in the serrated in the trio.
Do serrated knives ever need sharpening? If yes, how do I do that?
What was the knife that Hannah showed last?
I've always found that a serrated edge is too much of a hassle to keep sharp. I find a rounded belly on a knife increases the edge pressure enough to mimic the benefits of a serrated blade.
You only need like 2 knives in the kitchen. An 8-10 inch serrated "utility" type knife and a serrated paring knife. You get what you pay for.
While I agree with the fact that there are better and worse bread knives, the filming here of the "worse" ones seemed odd, as in the tomato section, where the cutting motion was closer to mashing than to sawing. It felt like an ungenerous way of treating the worser knife. That said, I agree with the general results. Thanks for this.
Why did you restrict yourself to the short bladed utility knives? Victorinox model 40720 is an excellent utility knife. It's blade is 7.5 inches but is great for tomatoes and hard bread. Also much cheaper in price.
Hi! Thank you for the video, great one as usual, very useful information.
🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪
I've noticed that food pros (and food snobs), tend to pooh-pooh the less expensive kitchen items that the majority of us can actually afford. Why not do a test on an affordable knife block set from Walmart? Try each knife for what the company's directions say they are for, and then other things to see what all they are capable of. I say this because 30 years ago I bought a knife block set at Pharmore (or Kmart) it was about $30. My husband used to cook in restaurants, he was shaking his head at me. But since all I owned before that was a carbon paring knife, and a set of free steak knives, to me it was an improvement. (I had started watching cooking shows on PBS.) After a thorough examination my husband tested them, and was surprised that they weren't really that bad. He really doubted the never needs sharpening. I've bought a few fancy knives since, like the Pampered Chef chef's knife in the self sharpening sheath. But I often grab my old block knives to use.
So why not test for best economical knife block set? And a “never needs sharpening” set too.
Minimum wage earners want to know.
Thank you. Take care, stay safe.
☺️✌️☮️🖖 😷
🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪
I paid 180 for a utility knife, mine isn’t Zwilling, it’s Wustoff. But it is the only knife I need and use, has been 17 years now, will probably last 20 more. The knife block is pretty, only used when I need to cut bread or break down a whole chicken. The Wustoff lives in my hand in the kitchen.
Look up Sam Vimes economic theory of boots.
Are serrated knives harder to sharpen that a straight bladed knife?
I tried cutting a loaf of bread with a chef’s knife recently. Like a knife through butter. I could hardly believe it... in fact it was almost as easy as slicing a tomato with just an ordinary sharp knife 😂😂
Speed and pressure. People get too anxious and want the blade to float through like a Star Wars lightsaber. They push and smash and don't let the blade do it's work. When I was learning plumbing the instructor taught us to lock our elbows like it was a machine to get straight cuts. My wife still has me cut the bread when she bakes it. 😀🔪
My bread knife is terrible and i use a chefs knife to do that job lol
@@cinnahum You need the Ginsu knife and if you order in the next 10 minutes...... 🤣
Seriously ,I've bought some quality knives off of Shopgoodwill.com for pennies on the dollar if that helps your "timestruck" life 😃👍 Good luck and watch the fingers !
A good sharp knife with a straight blade will cut bread beautifully! But, there's a catch. The flour is actually abrasive and will quickly dull the knife. So, a straight blade is more than capable of the job, but not for very long without frequent sharpening.
@@kencharm2909 Good point !
ty
it makes a great knife for slicing a block of cheese
I absolutely LOVE my Shun Classic reverse (or scalloped) serrated Tomato Knife. But then, I cut A LOT of tomatoes! I also have the (much cheaper, i admit) Victorinox Bread Knife as well.
Which one should I use to cut down the Christmas tree or trim the tree? Cause you know we've all done it. lol
what?!!!
@@hannahcrowley5134 LOL
They should really give them better camera and lighting setups. ATK should look at least as good as any of the top UA-camrs.
I use a steak knife all the time. I guess that's my serrated utility knife.
similar in a lot of ways! serrations, length.
Your using the utility knife on an artisanal loaf. That would be perfect for traditional loaf pan bread. I like making banana bread in a Bundt pan the utility knife it what i would grab first