What Is a Serrated Knife Used For?

A serrated knife is used for foods with a tough or slippery outside and a soft inside: crusty bread, cakes and pastries, tomatoes, citrus, and cooked meat at the table. Its toothed edge grips the surface and cuts with a light sawing motion, so you don't have to press down and crush whatever is underneath.

That one idea explains nearly everything about the blade: the jobs it wins, the jobs it loses, and why three very different knives in your drawer (bread, tomato, and steak) all share the same kind of edge.

How a Serrated Edge Works

A straight edge cuts with one continuous line of sharpened steel. On firm, even food, that's ideal. The trouble starts when the blade meets a hard crust or a taut, waxy skin. Unless the edge is very sharp, it skates across the surface, and your instinct is to push harder. The food flattens before it splits.

Serrations change the contact. Instead of a long line touching the food, you have a row of small points with hollow scallops between them. The points concentrate the pressure and catch the surface right away. The scallops, which sit slightly recessed, do much of the slicing as the blade moves back and forth.

That recess is also why a serrated edge tends to stay useful for so long. The points take the wear, while the sharpened hollows are shielded from most contact with the board.

A serrated blade wants long, relaxed strokes and very little downward force. If you find yourself bearing down, either the stroke is too short or the edge has lost its bite.

What a Serrated Knife Is Used For

The size of the knife changes, but the job stays the same. Here's how the main types line up in a home kitchen.

Bread, cakes, and pastry

This is the classic use. Teeth bite through a hard crust, then carry on through the crumb without squashing it. The same logic works for a tender sponge, a flaky pie, or a soft sandwich loaf that would collapse under a straight edge. A long blade helps, because each stroke covers more ground. SAMURA's bread knives run from 200 to 235 mm for that reason, and the guide to choosing a bread knife covers length and tooth shape in detail.

Tomatoes and juicy produce

A ripe tomato is a thin, slick skin wrapped around something close to liquid. Press with a tired straight edge and the juice ends up on the board. A short serrated blade catches the skin on the first stroke, so the slice keeps its shape. Tomato knives also handle oranges, lemons, and other fruit with a firm skin and a soft core. The narrow Mo-V tomato knife, for example, has a 120 mm blade only 22 mm high, which makes it easy to steer around small fruit.

Large fruit with a tough rind

A long bread knife is surprisingly good here. SAMURA recommends its Bamboo bread knife for jobs like pineapple and citrus, and its Damascus bread knife for firm-rinded fruit such as watermelon. The length reaches across the fruit, and the teeth get through the rind without a lot of force.

Cooked meat at the table

A plate is hard on any edge, which is why serrations make practical sense on steak knives. They grip the seared surface and need only a light sawing motion, which suits table use. Not every steak knife is serrated, though. In the SAMURA range, the Harakiri set is serrated and the Hannibal knives are partly serrated, while the Bamboo and Mo-V Stonewash have plain edges, so check the description if you have a preference. The steak knife guide weighs up the two styles.

Frozen food

Frozen food is tough on a thin straight edge, so SAMURA recommends a two-sided saw knife for it. The Harakiri frozen food knife is built for boneless frozen meat, fish, and similar food, and it slices bread too. An ordinary bread knife isn't a substitute. Frozen food puts far more strain on the teeth than a crust does.

Serrated vs. Straight Edge

Neither edge is better overall. They solve different problems.

When Not to Use a Serrated Knife

Teeth tear as well as cut, and some jobs make that obvious:

• Herbs and onions. Sawing bruises soft cells and leaves ragged pieces. Use a chef's knife instead.
• Raw meat and fish. Back-and-forth strokes shred the surface. A long, smooth draw with a straight blade leaves a much cleaner slice.
• Bones. Teeth chip and bend on bone. That's work for a cleaver.
• Prying. Twisting a serrated blade in a bagel or a frozen block stresses the teeth and can ruin the knife.

A serrated knife also can't stand in for a dull main knife. If you're reaching for it because your chef's knife won't get through a tomato, the chef's knife probably needs sharpening.

How to Use One Well

1. Put the food on a stable wood or plastic board. Glass is off-limits for any knife.
2. Start with a few light strokes to set the teeth in the surface.
3. Lengthen your strokes and use as much of the blade as you can.
4. Keep downward pressure low, and let the sawing motion do the cutting.
5. On bread, wait until the loaf has cooled. Warm crumb compresses and clings to the teeth.

Caring for a Serrated Blade

Care is simple. Wash the knife by hand with something non-abrasive and dry it right away; SAMURA doesn't recommend the dishwasher, and a knife shouldn't sit in the sink. Keep it in a block or holder where the teeth can't knock against metal. Our knife storage guide covers the options.

Sharpening is the one real drawback. Each scallop has to be worked individually, and the wrong tool can flatten the teeth. When your knife starts tearing instead of cutting, follow the steps for sharpening a serrated knife, or take it to a professional.

Serrated Knife FAQ

What is the main advantage of a serrated knife?

It cuts tough or slippery surfaces with very little downward pressure, so soft food underneath keeps its shape. It also tends to keep working after a straight edge would feel dull.

Is a bread knife a serrated knife?

Yes. A bread knife is the longest and most common serrated kitchen knife. Tomato knives, many steak knives, and saw knives for frozen food are in the same family.

Can you cut meat with a serrated knife?

Cooked meat, yes, which is why many steak knives have serrations. For raw meat, a straight edge gives a much cleaner cut.

Do I need a serrated knife if I have a sharp chef's knife?

A sharp chef's knife handles tomatoes well, but it can't match a long serrated blade on a crusty loaf. Most kitchens are best served by one of each.