When it comes to serving breakfast or brunch, nothing can be worse than a poorly cut slice of bread. And when you fail to select the right bread knife for the purpose. Bread is something that’s hard on the surface but very tender on the inside.
This means, if you are applying a lot of pressure, you run the risk of squishing the bread and damaging the shape of the food. It’s essential to have the best bread knife that can assist you in cutting the bread in a single stroke without tearing or crushing it. So, let’s go through an easy bread knife guide that can help you select the right piece out there.
Why would you require a specially crafted bread knife?
Using the wrongly designed knife will not just make it difficult to slice your bread, but it will vanquish the fluffiness of the bread's insides. The challenge of cutting into the chunk of bread is that the kitchen blade should be through the hard and soft parts of the bread simultaneously without damaging any of the parts.
Without the best bread knife, slices would be highly uneven, and there would be a lot of waste. There would be an unwanted strain on the wrist while slicing, and you would have to put in more effort when slicing the bread. What's worse is that the knife will wear down quickly and become blunt much quickly.
How to select the best bread knife?
There are tons of bread knives out there, but all of them do not function equally efficiently. And even when you are ready to spend a good budget on the knife, price is not always the most critical factor. Thus, it's vital to know what makes a kitchen blade, and this bread knife guide will help you out.
Level of serration
A bread knife is bound to have some level of serration along the edge of cutting. This design will help the blade see through the crispy upper crust of the bread into the soft interior without much friction, which leads to shedding and tearing. Serrations help in cutting the bread while protecting the bread's texture. But all serrations do not work with equal perfection. The iMarku Bread Knife comes with the right serration with a relatively independent edge.
Blade length
Most of these knives have a blade length ranging between 7 and 10 inches, but most people prefer the longer blade of 10 inches as it is suitable for all types of cakes and bread. As it is already pointed out that the action of cutting the bread is known as sawing. And for this, the longer, the better. For instance, the best bread knife like the iMarku 10 inches serrated knife offers more slide for comparatively lesser action since you will be able to utilize the whole 10 inches of the length before you saw in the opposing direction.
Another crucial reason you should settle for a knife with a 10” blade is that when you are cutting a larger loaf, you won’t run the risk of the edge not being able to teach to the end of the slice.
Material of the blade
Most of the bread knives are constructed from stainless steel. This is a great option, but if your budget permits, you must go for high carbon stainless steel. This material is much tough than the other options, which adds to its durability. High carbon raw materials are specially crafted to be anti-corrosive and avoiding rust altogether.
Blade thickness
When choosing the best bread knife, make sure that the blade has a thin edge with an immensely narrow angled and thin bevel. The bevel is the angled edge of the blade angled and sharpened towards the surface of cutting. A knife with a completely smoothed straightened one side and sharpened bevel on the other will be the best choice for you. The general rule of thumb is to have a 16-degree angle at the most. And the thickness of the blade should be a maximum of 2.2 mm. This thickness will give the least friction while slicing.
The number of serration
Many people assume that a knife with more serrations will perform the best, but the reality is quite the opposite. The lesser the serrations, the better will be the performance. This is because the force stemming from these spikes will be spread over a comparatively smaller area of the surface. As a result, it is concentrated on the lesser spikes rather than being spread out. Moreover, when there are fewer serrations, the gap is also wider between two spikes. This helps in lessening the friction rate and results in efficient slicing.
Knife handle material
The knife handle is a significant aspect that holds a special place in the bread knife guide. When the handle is uncomfortable, even the most efficiently designed blade will seem to be useless. When you are finally selecting the same best bread knife, look at the shape of the handle, its surface, and the overall component of the handle.
The handle should give a better grip and must not be slippery. A good grip will make up for a comfortable slicing without exerting excessive pressure on your hand or the bread. Next comes the shape of the handle, which boils down to individual choices. But you should steer clear of fancy-looking handles. It should be made of a single solid piece without any extra attachments or screws installed with it. They may become loose over time and fall apart.
Recommended Reading: How to Sharpen A Bread Knife
Conclusion
Finding the best bread knife is not as easy as it may seem. The blade must be very sharp, serrated, and be 10 inches long at best. It would be great if it's constructed from high carbon steel and have a non-slip grip. Weighing these aspects, you can opt for a kitchen blade like the iMarku bread knife. This knife will not only serve your needs as of now, but its unmatched durability and performance will definitely add to your collection of kitchen tools.
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