Freshly baked bread is rated as one of the most universally enjoyed smells. Once you smell it, you cannot help but taste it immediately.
If you love to bake bread or buy freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery, you’ve probably noticed that the only downside is slicing the bread neatly.
Using a good serrated bread knife is certainly an option that works well, but if you want a bit of an easier solution, you may consider investing in an electric bread slicer.
What’s the best electric bread slicer? The best electric bread slicer should have strong serrated, reciprocating blades for quick, even, and clean cuts. You can also use most meat slicers to cut bread as long as they have serrated blades, too.
Depending on your household needs and wants, either an electric knife or a food slicer will work wonders for slicing bread.
We’ve explained the differences between the two and outlined 7 of the best electric bread slicers of 2021 to help you slice into your bread as soon as possible.
What is an Electric Bread Slicer?
If you have ever baked a loaf of bread or purchased a loaf from a local bakery that hasn’t been sliced yet, you may have noticed that creating clean, even, non-crushed slices is more difficult than it seems.
Using an electric bread slicer will help take the pressure off you – and your loaf of bread – increasing the speed of slicing which naturally results in more even, less squished slices of bread.
How Good is An Electric Knife At Slicing Bread?
Electric knives are great for slicing bread, especially bread that is hot and fresh out of the oven.
There is only one extremely critical feature that you need to ensure your electric knife has to make it ideal for slicing bread. It must have a serrated blade.
Electric knives can slice through soft bread with crisp crusts with practically no pressure necessary, which means they will not crush, mush, or squish your loaf in any way unless you really manhandle it.
They can also cut extremely thin slices of bread much more easily than a manual bread knife allows, not to mention more quickly. Of course, if you prefer thick slices, they’ll do that just as effortlessly.
Reciprocating Blades
What makes most electric knives extremely good at their jobs in terms of precision are the reciprocating blades. Reciprocating blades are common in construction work but they’re very useful in the kitchen as well.
Electric knives will typically have two blades that work together to create a push-pull cutting action. As one blade saws forward, the other saws backward, getting twice the amount of work done in half the time and with less effort and pressure from the handler.
Even knives that have only one blade use the same reciprocating functionality; however, it’s a single blade that is pushed forward and pulled back.
The less pressure you have to place on the knife, the cleaner your cut will be, whether you’re slicing through a loaf of bread or roast of meat.
Electric Vs Manual Bread Slicers
Manual bread slicers can be used with electric knives in some cases but the trickiest factor to consider is the length of your electric knife’s blade.
A manual bread slicer adds an inch or two to the width of your bread, as the loaf is placed in between the two guide walls to help you achieve a straight, even cut.
If your electric knife’s blade is not long enough to cut through the loaf with extra length to compensate for the guide walls, it will be even more difficult to use than simply cutting your bread without any guide at all.
Another factor to consider is that most manual bread slicers are made out of wood or plastic. They are designed to stand up to the serrated edge of a bread knife but when cutting manually you will stop immediately when you reach the wood or plastic.
With an electric knife, your guide box will likely experience a bit more wear and tear because an electric knife may try to continue cutting for an extra second or two.
This shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but it is something to consider. You will want to invest in a guide box of durable materials.
If you’d like to try pairing an electric knife with a manual bread slicer, our favorite option is this premium bamboo slicer. The combined width of the slicer and the bread try is only 7 ¼” and many of the electric knives we found have blades that exceed this by at least ½”.
It also comes with a great quality manual bread knife if you don’t always want to break out the electric version.
Can You Slice Bread With A Meat Slicer?
Meat or food slicers can be used to slice bread as long as they have a serrated blade. A serrated blade is the most important factor in any bread slicing situation.
A serrated edge will cut through a crisp crust and make quick work of a soft, doughy interior with minimal sticking, crumbling, or crushing.
If you have a large family or like to buy in bulk for any reason, a meat slicer may come in handy as it is a more versatile tool.
You can use it to slice meats and your bread, of course, but you can also create perfect sandwich-sized slices of cheese and even make uniformly sliced vegetables.
They are a much larger machine than the average electric knife and also come at a more premium price because of the complexity of the machinery in comparison.
Meat slicers work best when starting with a straight, flat edge. If you’re going to slice your bread with one of these machines it will work best if you first cut the loaf in half and start slicing from the flat, cut end.
Meat slicers also work best on cold food, so it’s not a good idea to try to slice your fresh-out-of-the-oven loaf of bread this way.
7 Best Electric Bread Slicers
Whether you would prefer an electric knife or a more complex meat or food slicer, we’ve collected the 7 best machines for slicing bread:
| Rank | Product | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cuisinart Electric Knife | Handheld bread slicer |
| 2. | Hamilton Beach Electric Knife | Handheld bread slicer |
| 3. | BLACK+DECKER Electric Carving Knife | Handheld bread slicer |
| 4. | Proctor Silex Electric Knife | Handheld bread slicer |
| 5. | Ostba Electric Deli Meat Slicer | Countertop meat slicer |
| 6. | CUSIMAX Electric Meat Slicer | Countertop meat slicer |
| 7. | Anescra Electric Deli Meat Slicer | Countertop meat slicer |
Bread slicers are definitely the best thing since, well, sliced bread! So let’s get on with the reviews of each so you can hurry up and pick yours up.
1. Cuisinart Electric Knife
For an electric knife, it’s hard to go wrong with this model. It’s very intuitive and easy to use, handling safely without requiring two hands like some devices.
It even comes with an attractive display unit to store both the handle and the blades, which lock into place for added security.
If you’re considering using the electric knife with a manual bread slicer, the blades are 7 ¾” long which should be long enough to fit most slicer guides.
Key Features:
- Includes 2 blades, one for bread and the other for carving meat
- Ergonomic handle with one-touch on/off controls and safety lock
- Includes attractive butcher block holding tray for the handle, 2 blades, and sharpener
Biggest Drawback: While the on button is large and relatively easy to press one-handed, the motor is weighted towards the back of the handle. If you have a lot of carving to do all at one time, pressing the button and holding the weight of the knife can get a little tiresome, especially for smaller hands.
2. Hamilton Beach Electric Knife
This electric knife is designed primarily for meat, which is obvious because of the matching fork that comes with the unit. However, the reciprocating serrated blade is just as ideal for slicing bread thick or thin, depending on your preference.
Key Features:
- Ergonomically friendly handle and easy to use on switch
- Serrated blade and matching fork both made from stainless steel
- Comes with a handy, small storage container and a matching fork
Biggest Drawback: There is no safety lock on this knife. Some people find this makes the device easier to use, but it does make it a bigger risk, especially if there are younger family members who have access to the knife. It is inherently more dangerous than a non-electric knife and should be stored safely at all times.
3. BLACK+DECKER Electric Carving Knife
One of the nicest features of this electric bread slicer is the trigger design.
Rather than having to keep pressure on an on button, this model has a trigger that is simple to engage and easy on your hand. The handle is altogether comfortable and easy to use and includes a safety lock.
Key Features:
- Features an easy to use, ergonomic trigger design
- The easily removable blades are dishwasher safe
- Comes with a 2-year limited warranty
Biggest Drawback: The marketing advertises the blades as 9 inches long, which is surprisingly long for an electric knife.
What isn’t clearly stated is that the 9 inches include the part of the blade that attaches to the handle. The usable, serrated length of the knife is only 6.25 inches, which is still very effective, but frustratingly misleading.
4. Proctor Silex Easy Slice Electric Knife
The trigger style mechanism and lightweight of this design make this electric knife ideal for slicing bread, especially loaves with softer crusts.
Most electric knives are versatile, working well to slice bread as well as meat, cheese, and other foodstuffs. This particular electric knife seems to be equally popular with the home-baked-bread lovers as well as crafters. It’s so light and easy to maneuver that it makes cutting foam easy, though not nearly as satisfying as cutting through a loaf of bread.
Key Features:
- Lightweight design is easy to handle and control
- Designed with reciprocating serrated blades for precision and control
- Has an on/off safety feature as well as the trigger to use the blades
Biggest Drawback: The motor on this unit tends to get quite warm, heating through the handle with consistent use if the job is a tough one. It’s best used for shorter slicing projects, such as a few slices of bread with softer crusts at a time rather than multiple loaves of crusty fresh baked bread.
5. Ostba Electric Deli Meat Slicer
This electric food slicer is infinitely more versatile than the electric knives previously mentioned, making it just as easy to slice potatoes for chips as it is to slice bread for sandwiches.
The removable blade is easy to wash and the thickness knob is intuitive and fool-proof.
The machine is specially designed to operate more slowly than you might expect from a high-powered appliance, but this allows it to slice through hard, even frozen foods, without overheating or faltering.
Key Features:
- Features an easily removable, 7.5” stainless steel serrated blade
- Adjustable thickness to slice bread thick or thin
- Available in 150 or 200-watt versions
Biggest Drawback: While it is admittedly very easy to clean the blade, cleaning the rest of the machine can be a bit of a chore. There are quite a few small spaces that will need to be sanitized, especially if you’re using the machine for more than just bread.
6. CUSIMAX Electric Meat Slicer
This is the only unit on our list that comes with a non-serrated blade. The power and design of this machine allow it to still be very useful for cutting bread, not to mention meat, cheese, vegetables, and many other food items.
If you’re consistently baking or buying loaves of artisanal breadthat have a very tough crust, you can purchase a serrated blade that will work better, though the standard blade works well for most standard loaves of bread.
Key Features:
- Features a removable, dishwasher safe, non-serrated blade
- Extremely high-quality materials and premium workmanship used to make a safe, durable machine
- Adjustable thickness up to 0.59” with impressive precision
Biggest Drawback: This machine has a lot of power and is very versatile so it’s tempting to use it non-stop to slice everything in your kitchen all at once.
Unfortunately, just like all the machines on this list, it should not be run continuously for more than 10 minutes at a time. This is especially true if you’re trying to slice multiple loaves of crusty bread.
7. Anescra Electric Deli Meat Slicer
This electric food slicer comes with both a serrated and non-serrated blade and is powered by 200 watts, which will make quick work of any foods that need to be sliced.
For soft crusted bread, bread with fruit in it or dessert loafs the non-serrated blade can slice thick or thin without reducing your treat to crumbs, and the serrated blade is there for back-up when you have a specialty loaf with a thicker, crisper crust.
Key Features:
- Comes with two 7.5” stainless steel blades, one serrated and perfect for bread and the other non-serrated for all your other food items
- Features a removable ring guard making the machine easier and quicker to clean
- Lightweight yet durable aluminum body and 200 watts of power
Biggest Drawback: The overall design and functionality of this machine are impressive, but it is very lightweight.
That is good in terms of moving it around your kitchen, but the pieces bend more easily than those of other units. This can result in uneven food slices, which is easy to overlook but less than ideal for an investment kitchen appliance.
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