Electric Knives

Overview:

Often overlooked since their heyday in the 1960s, electric knives remain on the market and claim to be able to cut every course of a holiday meal, from appetizers right on through to dessert. During our testing, passersby from other departments in our company all had the same reaction when they saw what we were testing: “I haven’t seen one of those in years. Does anybody still use them?”

We selected four new models under $20 and tested them slicing roast beef, turkey breast, angel food cake, and apple pie. The results were clear: Contrary to manufacturer claims, electric knives are not adept at slicing meat neatly and thinly—all four models (including the winner of a past testing) shredded beef roasts. Plus, they're aggravatingly loud; we prefer to carve with our favorite slicing knife. What their powered pairs of independently moving serrated blades do best is cut through delicate baked goods without crumbling and slice through crisp turkey skin without ripping.

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Product Tested		Performance	Comfort	Price*
Highly Recommended
	Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: Flexible The nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus.	★ ★ ★	★ ★ ★	$19.95
Recommended
	Wüsthof Classic Boning Knife Hefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasnt sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts.	★ ★	★ ★ ★	$99.95
Recommended with Reservations
	Mundial Boning Knife: Flexible The sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat.	★ ★	★ ★	$19.95
Not Recommended
	Shun Gokujo Filet Knife Designed to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery.	★ ★	★	$179.95
	MAC Boning KnifeChef Series The large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult.	★	★ ★	$34.95
	Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning Knife The blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced.	★	★	$53.60

*Prices subject to change

Electric Knives

Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: Flexible

Wüsthof Classic Boning Knife

Mundial Boning Knife: Flexible

Shun Gokujo Filet Knife

MAC Boning KnifeChef Series

Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning Knife