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Best electric carving knives
An electric carving knife should save you effort and time when slicing a sizeable joint of meat for a Sunday roast. But what if the power cable is too short, the handle awkward to hold – or if the teeth don't cut cleanly?
We've tested the most popular electric carving knives under £30 from Kenwood, Dunelm, Russell Hobbs, Judge and more to see how easily and evenly they slice and how simple and comfortable they are to use.
We found one standout Best Buy that will make light work of your Sunday centrepiece.
The best electric carving knives
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| Electric carving knife | Evenness of slicing | Comfort | Weight | Cable length | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Average | ||||
| Average | Good | ||||
| Excellent | Poor | ||||
| Good | Average | ||||
| Excellent | Good | ||||
| Excellent | Good | ||||
| Excellent | Average |
Date tested: September 2021. Page last checked: February 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The electric carving knives we tested
All the electric carving knives we've tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best electric carving knives from our tests.
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Cookworks 2 Blade Electric Knife
Available from Argos (£20.50)
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Number of blades Two
Weight 628g
Cable length 115cm
Blade length 17cm
Cookworks Blade Electric Knife
Available from Argos (£15.50)
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Number of blades One
Weight 635g
Cable length 115cm
Blade length 17cm
Dunelm Electric Knife
Available from Dunelm (£14)
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Number of blades One
Weight 603g
Cable length 111cm
Blade length 17cm
James Martin by Wahl Electric Carving Knife
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Number of blades Two
Weight 650g
Cable length 142cm
Blade length 16cm
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Judge Electric Carving Knife
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Number of blades One
Weight 716g
Cable length 112cm
Blade length 17cm
Kenwood Electric Knife KN650A
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Number of blades Two
Weight 677g
Cable length 127cm
Blade length 17cm
Russell Hobbs Electric Carving Knife
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Number of blades Two
Weight 683g
Cable length 123cm
Blade length 17cm
VonShef Electric Knife
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Number of blades Two
Weight 653g
Cable length 152cm
Blade length 16cm
See what we rate the best chef's knives and the best knife sets.
How we test electric carving knives
To find out which is the best electric carving knife, left and right-handers of different genders test them all for:
Evenness of slicing
- Each of the electric carving knives is used to slice up a joint of well-done beef.
- These slices are compared to each other to see how even they are.
- The best knives slide right through the beef without issue, while the worst judder or slip.
Comfort
We slice through loaves of thick, stodgy rye bread, scoring each electric carving knife on how comfortable it is to use.
The best knives have smooth slicing action. The worst ones, on the other hand, judder, slip and send vibrations up our wrists and arms.
Cable length
We measure the cable length on each electric carving knives to see how far they reach.
Washing
The dirty blades of each electric carving knife are soaked in gravy for 30 minutes to make sure they present a challenging washing-up experience. Despite this, there isn't much of a difference in how easy any of the blades are to clean.
Build quality
- We check for flaws.
- And investigate how easy it is to safely attach and remove each set of blades.
The best have easy to press buttons, clearly labelled or identifiable parts and no sharp edges or gaps.
Durability
- To test the durability of each of the electric carving knives, they are each dropped five times from a kitchen counter onto a linoleum floor.
- After they are dropped, they are examined for any damage and checked to make sure they still work.
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How to use an electric carving knife
- If your electric knife comes with more than one blade, make sure you select the blade you want first.
- Once it's plugged in, you hold down the trigger or button to activate the blade.
- Instead of pushing the button directly down with the flat of your thumb, use the side of your thumb to avoid fatigue.
- The motor inside the plastic handle will rapidly slide the pair of blades against one another to create the carving action.
- To cut a slice of bread or meat, take the knife to the food like you normally would, but instead of doing the carving motion yourself, you just slice directly downwards.
Can an electric carving knife cut bread?
Yes. An electric carving knife makes quick work of slicing bread and keeping slices straight and even. Some even claim to slice frozen bread.