Bread knife

A Maître Cuisinier's point of view The bread knife, an often underestimated type of knife for the kitchen and the private household. Feared for its risk of injury and respected for its ability to effortlessly penetrate even hard crusts.

What is the definition of a bread knife?

Bread knives are available in many designs, from classic ones with a beveled, rounded or pointed blade shape. The blade length varies and ranges from 18 to 32 cm for the large bread saws. What absolutely distinguishes the bread knife from other types of knives is its serrated edge. This grind literally digs into the hard bread crust and prevents the knife from slipping off the food to be sliced.

What are bread knives used for?

Sharing the breakfast sandwich is probably the most common use of small bread knives. For the large ciabattas or whole loaves of bread you need a reasonably large bread knife to achieve clean, even cuts.

Which bread knife should I choose?

First think about the primary purpose and further use. In most cases, a bread knife with a rounded, slanted blade tip will be the right knife for a private household. You determine the size according to the most frequent use. Since bread knives rarely come into contact with moisture, you are welcome to use fine woods as handle materials. POM or Plexiglas is of course the preferred handle material for pro use.

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