If you’re one of those people who go to the grocery store and buy presliced bread all the time, then you won’t understand why you need the best bread slicer in your kitchen.
However, if you’re one of those people who love the smell of fresh homemade bread, or are passionate about home baking, then you know that cutting the bread is more than a daily task, it is a ritual.
A sharp knife will simply not do the job well. You need technique, you need precision to make those bread slices perfectly even and shaped. What makes bread so good – the crunchy crust, that savory kernel – is also what makes it hard to slice in uniform pieces worthy of a sandwich.
Rest assured, there is a solution, and it’s a good one. Enter the bread slicer!
In the Post
Our 5 Picks of Best Bread Slicers to Save You
1. GloBamboo Bamboo Bread Slicer with Cutting Board
This kind of wooden bread slicer is one of the most “famous” on the market. It features a classic bamboo-wood design, with an adjustable cutting board for various types of homemade bread, and a serving tray that could also look good as decoration.
Main features:
- Adjustable to various types of bread
- It offers 3 different kinds of slices
- It comes with a crumb catcher and serving trays
- It can be folded down flat for easy storage
- 100% free of harmful chemicals
- Size: 2.2 x 8.3 x 12.4 inches closed and 12.4 x 8.3 x 6.8 inches opened
It can cut in three different slice sizes, so you could also use it for cakes or bagels. The high-grade quality natural bamboo wood promises durability and safety. Yes, safety, as the manufacturer claims it is 100% free of any harmful chemicals.
After the job is done, you can fold it flat and store it in your kitchen cabinet. It won’t take much space. If you love the light bamboo color, you could also leave it on your kitchen table, as a decoration. It can bring about a sense of style to the room.
Speaking of room and space, this bread slicer measures around 2.2 x 8.2 x 12.4 inches when closed and 12.4 x 8.3 x 6.8 inches when open. According to the manufacturer, it weighs about 2.4 Lbs. Not bad!
Overall, it is a very convenient and easy to use bread slicer, that looks quite durable, and comes with clear instructions on how to operate it and then fold it flat and put it away. Maintenance is not difficult either. Just wipe it clean with a damp cloth and move on.
Compared with other similar products on the market, we have to say that it is somewhat in the higher price range.
Before moving on to the next product, let us sum this one up and also tell you what we loved and didn’t love about it.
Pluses
- Convenient and easy to use
- Made of durable and low-maintenance wood
- It catches the crumbs and that could be a life-saver
- It folds up easily
Your possible dislikes
- Some bread knives might not be long enough for this; you should choose the dimensions
- It will take some getting used to
2. Skater Brand, Japanese Plastic Bread Slicer
From Bamboo wood to plastic there’s a great price difference. This plastic Japanese bread slicer costs less than half of the product above.
Main features:
- Dimensions: 6.6 x 5.7 x 2.4 inches
- Adjustment slots for 4 different thickness levels
- It can cut regular sandwich size bread, like 12 x 15 cm (W x H)
- Foldable and lightweight design
La pièce de résistance here is this: you can cut bread in four different thicknesses with this one. Yes, four, from 1cm to 1.5, 2, and 2.5cm. This is due to some well-spaced adjustment slots. How cool does that sound?
It should work with almost any sort of regular sandwich size bread. It is small, and compact, and can fold up nicely for easy storage. The manufacturer claims you can also slice cheese and ham with it, so you’ve got all the essentials of a delicious breakfast sandwich right in front of you.
Besides, it is made in Japan, for those of you who are in love with the country and know they usually make good products.
That’s about it for this product. It’s an overall less expensive solution. Let’s see a summary of its main features and what are its upsides and downsides.
Pluses
- Various thickness settings
- Good price
- Japanese made
- It is easy to use, no instructions needed
- It folds up nicely and it is highly-convenient
- Good for slicing other sandwich “essentials” like cheese and ham
Your possible dislikes
- Difficult to clean because it’s a box
- It is made of plastic that might give off shavings if “attacked” by angry, clumsy knives; yes, handle it with care
- You need to improvise something to steady the device when cutting the bread
3. Zassenhaus Classic Manual Bread Slicer
Now it’s time for a trip down the very premium side of bread slicers. This is one fine-looking exemplary of a manual, heavy-duty bread slicer from the German company Zassenhaus, specialized in making high-quality kitchen tools, from spice and coffee mills to bread slicers.
Main features:
- Adjustable up to 0.7 inches
- Stainless steel blade with a serrated edge made in Solingen, Germany
- Wooden base that is easy to wipe clean
- Suction cups to keep the wooden base in place
- Product dimensions: 4.7 x 8 x 11.75 inches
- Weight: 5.41 pounds
Besides, it might bring back memories from the old country days of home-baked fresh bread and all your dear ones around at the Christmas table.
This bread slicer can work wonders on homemade bread and can be adjusted infinitely up to 0.7 inches. It features a stainless steel blade with a serrated edge which looks fierce enough to cut through thick bread crust, but also gentle enough to provide you with evenly-sliced chunks of wonder.
Four suction cups attached to the wooden base keeps it securely in place. All you have to do is to put that blade into action, and also, watch your fingers.
$200 might be a little too steep for a bread slicer, but you know your priorities. If it makes you happy and you love that satisfying perfection of evenly-cut slices of bread, go for it.
Pluses
- Good-quality stainless steel blade with a serrated edge – crust loaves shouldn’t stand a chance
- Classic workmanship and design made in Germany – if you’re a fan
- Solid build quality
- Adjustable options
Your possible dislikes
- The suction cups might not be enough to keep it in place in case of big homemade bread with crispy crusts
4. Large Bamboo bread slicer with bread knife
This is a pretty straightforward bread slicer that also comes with a bread knife, which is a good thing. This way you can be sure the knife dimensions measure up to the cutting board.
Main features:
- 100% nature bamboo wood
- Weight: 3.36 lbs.
- Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.7 x 1.7 inches
- Bread crumbs catcher tray
- Professional bread knife included
The product is also made of bamboo wood, and by the look of it, it boasts a smooth finish and compact design which will not pose any problem in using and storing it.
Below the surface, you have a tray that will catch the crumbs. If you want, you could use it as a serving tray as well.
The bread knife that comes with it, they say it is a professional bread knife. Well, it has a serrated blade and it should do the job well with regular bread. The manufacturer says you can use it to cut homemade bread, banana nut bread, baguettes, challah, Pumpernickle, pound cakes, bagels, and loaf cake. So, lots and lots of good stuff. Is your mouth watering right now?
Yes, it looks good, and the price is also fairly acceptable. So, it’s time for you to decide by looking at this round-up of its pros and cons.
Pluses
- Money back guarantee if you’re not happy with the product
- Very large, generous slicing surface
- Easy to clean
- You can slice crusty fresh bread and not get crumbs all over the counter
Your possible dislikes
- You need to be careful not to cut the bamboo board with the knife, for you can easily do so
- Although it goes well the board, the bread knife might not be the best bread knife you’ve ever used, if you know what we’re saying…
5. Fshopping foldable toast bread slicer
This product might look a little different than all the rest you’ve seen here. It looks more modern, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it?
Main features:
- Foldable design easy to store in almost any cupboard
- Easy to clean, either by wiping it with a damp cloth or washing it with water
- Elastic tines
- The tines feature a little radian in line to clamp the bread well
- The normal thickness of one gap is 10mm, you can change that by using two or three gaps
- Made of food-grade PP
- Product unfold size: 24 x 14.5 x 19 cm (L x W x H) or 9.45 x 5.71 x 7.48 inch (L x W x H)
- It comes with an English user operation manual
It is designed to slice bread, and all the other sandwich essentials, such as cheese, or ham. You can decide on the thickness of the slice by manually placing the knife every one, two, or three tines. Does that mean it offers adjustable cutting thickness? We’re not sure what to think…
Anyways, you can fold it up and store it nicely in your kitchen cabinet. It is not made of bamboo wood, so it should be easier to clean with a damp cloth, or with water. The manufacturer gives clear instructions on the maximum size and weight of the bread that it can cut. That’s a nice touch, so you know what to expect before purchasing.
The tines are elastic, so they won’t break easily. The material is food-grade PP. Folding and unfolding the bread slicer might be a bit confusing at first, but you get an English user operation manual to help you with all the details.
We think it is a pretty good product that does the job well. For a round-up of its pluses and minuses, look below.
Pluses
- It works well with electric knives as well (try 8-9 inch blades)
- Perfect for sandwiches
- Easy to use, just by easily leaning the knife blade against the back guide
- Sturdy and well-spaced tines
Your possible dislikes
- If you need more adjustability on different types of loaf sizes, then this bread slicer is not for you
Basic Considerations for Choosing the Best Bread Slicer
These are not rocket science, you could have come up with them on your own. Nevertheless, to save you the trouble of taking the time to think of all these, let us lay them down for you: 6 criteria for choosing the right bread slicer for you.
Mechanical or manual? Which one is better?
As you have seen above, you can go for the manual type or the mechanical one. Usually, there is a considerable difference in price here. So, you have to ask yourself two simple questions.
- How often do I intend to use the bread slicer?
- How often will I bake my bread?
If the answer to the second question is “occasionally”, then regardless of what you answer to the first question, save yourself some money and buy the manual one.
However, if you’re an adept home bread baker, then a mechanical slicer would be the right choice, for it can handle more precision cutting. Plus, it is more satisfying, if you’re a true baking enthusiast.
Materials
Bread slicers, especially manual bread slicers come in a wide range of materials. From the infamous bamboo wood which can be cut easily, to plastic or even hardwood, you will see different variants.
While you may have likes and dislikes for slicers of various material, bamboo wood is the star here. It has its shortcomings, but it is the most used material on the market of bread slicers.
This is mostly because it is quite environmental-friendly. They’re durable and sturdy, but you could easily scratch or splinter them if you’re not careful when slicing bread.
Plastics are also popular. However, make sure you choose one made of BPA-free plastic, just to be safe. As you have seen, plastic bread slicers are more affordable, and they’re usually easier to clean.
Being more attractive and durable, wooden bread slicers won’t splinter or break like the bamboo slicers. However, they require higher maintenance.
Be that as it may, the material will not have much effect on the quality, or taste of the bread you’re slicing. It is simply about aesthetics, quality, and durability in the long-term.
The slicing thickness
This is maybe the most important aspect of a bread slicer. You need to aim for a bread slicer that offers you a little bit of adjustability. This might come in the form of adjustable slots or standard builds.
- If you are a bread aficionado and will want to slice all shapes of bread, then make sure the bread slicer of choice can accommodate both horizontal and irregular-shaped loaves.
- If you just want sandwich-ready slices of bread from regular, horizontal bread, then any bread slicer could do that.
In case that you want something more complicated, you need to give it more thought, read the dimensions, specifications, and everything the manufacturer offers.
Balance and stability
When slicing bread you will usually use a very sharp knife, right? Some of you – even an electric knife. So, on the off chance that something goes wrong, the bread slicer needs to be stable enough to prevent the knife from coming into contact with your skin.
The loaf needs to be firmly secured in the bread slicer, and the device itself should not move from the flat surface of your table or kitchen countertop. For this, the product should come with feet support, suction cups, or simply be firm and heavy to ensure it stays in its place.
Usually, wood bread slicers are more firm, than plastic ones.
The ease of use and maintenance
Bread slicers are meant to make things easier, right? I mean, why purchase a bread slicer that would only overcomplicate things in the first place?
So, let’s make a short checklist here:
- Easy to fold and unfold/ assemble and disassemble
- Gentle on the knife blade
- Easy to clean or wash; dishwasher-safe would be a nice touch
Let’s talk about the storage space
A bread slicer is just another thing in your kitchen. If you love kitchen tools, utensils, and all the rest, then you probably deal with the lack of storage space all day long. We know the feeling. So a bread slicer shouldn’t be just another nuisance in the storage department.
Foldable slicers are ideal in this case. Most of the products we’ve reviewed above can be folded up flat and put away easily. However, if you choose a mechanical bread slicer, you should know that you will have to sacrifice a great deal more space.
Summing Up
“Too much fuss for some sliced bread”, the “laity” might profess. However, we would like to reiterate that cutting bread is sometimes a ritual, it imbibes delight, memories, or just the incredible feeling of home.
If you want to do it properly, with great precision, and enjoy it, then you need the best bread slicer out there. Now, the best bread slicer on the market is not a “universal title”. It’s got many implications, and the most important thing is that it is made for you, and not everybody else.
Know that feeling when you just know that a specific product might have been made just for you? Yes, it sounds mostly like a marketing statement, but at times it happens. If you resist the temptation of buying the first product you see and take your time to analyze the different features and materials, you can make a perfect buying decision.
That is why we have taken the time to analyze five of the best products we could find on the market, at the moment. They’re different products, just so you see all the options you have. We’ve also highlighted our rationale behind picking every one of them. However, we will not add them to your cart. No, that is your responsibility.
No matter how many buying guides you read, the final choice is yours. So, happy shopping! And we wish you wake up every morning to the smell of freshly-baked bread that you can cut to the ultimate precision with the best bread slicer for you. Maybe eat one slice in our honor if this guide helped you. *wink*
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