Pros and Cons of Serrated Knives

For normal people, knives are typically the same and can cut through almost all types of produce. But, for professional chefs, home cooks, and newbies in the kitchen, knowing the wide variety of kitchen knives, along with their uses, is the key to a better and more efficient job.

One of the best and perhaps unconventional-looking pieces of equipment for cutting is the serrated knife. It is often characterized by a serration that is wide, deep, and sharp. You can also see concave indentions on its edges shaped like crescents, referred to as gullets. But, there are those knives with serrations that are rounded.  

So, if you are considering purchasing a serrated knife, you should know its advantages and disadvantages. Why? It’s to ensure efficiency and productivity, as well as getting your money’s worth. Hence, here are some of the pros and cons of serrated knives:

Pros

These are the things that you must know before you get yourself a serrated knife. You have to make sure that these pros can meet your needs.

• Can cut through textured materials

The blade used for this particular knife is meant to cut through food with a hard exterior and soft interior. Its uneven quality made it possible to slice the produce perfectly because it can tear the hard outer part through a gripping and initially cutting it until it reaches the smoother part of the food, such as bread.

Moreover, it is the best tool for slicing different kinds of vegetables and fruits that have the same attributes as tomatoes. Apart from food and other edible stuff, this knife is also great for cutting through the fabric and other similar materials.

• Great at slicing

Serrated knives are often compared to a saw, especially in their physical aspects. In terms of usage, the slicing method of this particular tool is done by moving it back and forth. They definitely do an amazing job in slicing bread and carving up a roast. Some people love to have a serrated blade on their steak knives because it makes cutting the steak into pieces easier. Apart from meat and bread, there are also certain vegetables and fruits that are ideally sliced using serrated knives — like melons, cucumbers, squashes, tomatoes, eggplants, and more.

• Make clean cuts with minimal effort

There are many food and materials that are definitely hard to cut using chef knives or other related tools with plain blades. As a result, you have to exert more effort so you can cut through the goods. Why does using serrated knives more preferable than those that have a plain edge? It can create clean cuts without crushing or damaging the food. Thus, downward cutting is easily done with great results and can prevent the risk of crushing or damaging the quality of the food.

Cons

Listed below are the disadvantages that you should take note of before purchasing this type of knife. You have to assess whether these cons are doable on your end or not, so you wouldn’t waste a penny and storage space.

• Needs proper maintenance

Given that the blade is serrated, its sharpness is often its weakest point. Unlike plain blades, this one needs proper and constant maintenance. You need more materials to keep the knife in its optimal state, like a serrated knife sharpener — which you can get at LeBeau’s Honer. Thus, you have to put more time and attention into it by checking if it went dull, sharpening it, cleaning it properly afterward. When will you know that it needs honing? You can observe it when you need to exert more effort in slicing and cutting food.

• Less than optimal for push cutting

Push cutting refers to the act of cutting down something by directing your force forward and pushing the equipment edge in, like what you do when you carve wood. In this case, serrated knives are a big NO because of their saw-like qualities. Plain edge knives with a micro-fine polished edge are more preferred because they can cut through and give a smoother finish.

• Not preferable for chopping

Because of the serrated edges, chopping raw produce and even cooked food can result in an undesirable outcome. Hence, knives with thick and polished edges are more suitable for chopping different kinds of food because they wouldn’t be chipped or get damaged easily.