Using a regular knife to slice a tomato may damage the flesh, leaving it crushed. To ensure that your slices are cut perfectly, you can use a tomato knife. Featuring a specialized serrated blade, this tool can slice your tomatoes cleanly and easily. Some of these knives have a serrated edge on both sides, which allows you to use them regardless of which is your dominant hand.
But with all the tomato knives on the market, which one slices best? In this guide, we’ll go over our top picks and help you find the best tomato knife available!
- Best Overall: Rada Cutlery Tomato Slicing Knife
- Editor’s Choice: WÜSTHOF Classic IKON
- Value for Money: Mercer Culinary Renaissance Forged Tomato Knife
- Premium Choice: Wusthof CLASSIC Tomato Knife
What Kind of Knife Should You Use to Cut Tomato?
Knives with a serrated blade and between 5 to 8 inches long are ideal for cutting tomatoes. The blade can be a one-piece and precision forged, with a full tang running the entire length of the handle. Plus, the handle must have a round spine with an ergonomic design to secure a firm grip. This knife style allows you to push the blade back and forth to rip through the tomato flesh and slice it properly.
What is the Best Serrated Tomato Knife of 2024?
A tomato knife is a small kitchen knife with a serrated blade designed specifically to slice tomatoes without smashing the soft skin. The blade of this knife penetrates the flesh of tomatoes quickly and easily, requiring barely any effort to avoid wasting the tomato. Some tomato knives also have forked tips, which you can use to move the tomato slices out of the cutting board and into a bowl.
The average size of this knife is 8 inches long, with a 5-inch blade.
1. Rada Cutlery Tomato Slicing Knife
This first tomato knife pick comes from Rada Cutlery, an Iowa-based cutlery manufacturer founded in 1948. This company aims to provide customers with the best cutting tools for the cost.
True to Rada’s mission, this tomato knife boasts a surgical-grade blade made from high carbon stainless steel promising superior cutting performance for a relatively low price.
Thanks to this razor-sharp blade, this serrated tomato knife can also be used to effectively slice other fruit, vegetables, bread, and even meat!
To ensure that you make perfect thin slices, you need to cut your tomato properly by first placing it horizontally with the core parallel to the chopping board. Then, making sure you hold it down, you remove its stem and continue to slice it into thin parallel sections using a top-to-bottom motion.
After use, the manufacturer does not recommend putting this knife in the dishwasher and suggests you hand wash it instead.
With its high-quality design and construction, this tomato knife promises to stay sharp for years. To back this up, the product also comes with a lifetime guarantee if it suffers from material or workmanship defects.
Boasting A-grade quality at a very reasonable price tag, the Rada Cutlery Tomato Slicing Knife is one of the best choices if you’re looking for premium tomato cutters!
Key Features
- This knife features a silver brushed aluminum handle that comes in two colors: Black and silver.
- To slice a tomato without squishing, this knife is equipped with a serrated blade that allows you to gently pierce the skin.
- This knife works for both right and left-handed people perfectly.
2. Wusthof CLASSIC Tomato Knife
This product comes from Wusthof, a family-owned manufacturer of cutlery based in Solingen, Germany. Boasting over 200 years of experience in knife making, the company prides itself on their Classic series – a modern twist on a design from the 1940s.
As a part of the traditionally-forged Classic series, this knife features a high-carbon stainless steel blade. Its serrated edge allows you to slice through the skin of your tomato without any damage to the insides.
With Wusthof’s Precision Edge Technology, the blade is made 20% sharper and is twice more likely to retain its edge. This knife stays sharp longer and ensures your tomato is sliced perfectly.
This tomato slicer knife isn’t just sharp, it’s also very precise and much easier to control thanks to its triple-riveted full tang design.
To ensure you slice your tomato perfectly, you should rinse and remove its stem before standing it on the side on a cutting board. Afterward, start slicing from the stem end and make even, parallel cuts towards the fruit’s bottom.
This tomato knife isn’t dishwasher-safe. Hand washing helps maintain the quality of its blade and handle as well as prevent early wear and tear.
Its sharpness doesn’t just allow you to cut tomatoes. This knife can also slice bread, fruit, cheese, and even pizza! To make sure you use this knife for a long time, Wusthof provides a 10-year guarantee against material and manufacturing defects.
If you don’t mind shelling out extra cash for impeccable German craftsmanship, the Wusthof Classic Tomato Knife will be a staple of your kitchen for a long time.
Key Features
- The Wusthof’s blade rates at a 58 on the Rockwell scale for steel hardness, nearly comparable to premium kitchen knives.
- This product features a two-tined forked tip perfect for picking up your tomato slices for serving.
- This knife features a full bolster that provides protection for your hand as well as giving you extra balance.
3. Pure Komachi 2
This tomato knife is sold by Kai Housewares, a Japanese company founded in 1908. Originating in Seki, a city steeped in blade-making tradition, Kai now provides more than ten thousand house products worldwide.
This tomato knife in striking red boasts a high-carbon stainless steel blade coated in FDA-approved resin to give it the color finish.
With its 16-degree cutting angle standard for Japanese knives, this ensures that you can cut softer items like a tomato with incredible smoothness.
Not only does this knife slice well, but its forked tip also helps you divide tomato slices after you make the cut. In addition, this product will also help you in cutting and serving cheese!
To keep these knives sharp, we recommend that you use a Japanese 1500 grit whetstone at the same 16-degree angle that this product features.
As an added bonus, due to the serrated teeth changing directions halfway down the blade, this knife can be used optimally by left and right-handed people.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that this knife’s sheath opening is very small. If you don’t pay attention when sheathing this product, you might miss the opening and end up cutting yourself.
Offering a low price point without sacrificing quality, the Pure Komachi 2 Tomato/Cheese Knife can be the right tool to help you in the kitchen.
Related Article: The Best Cheese Slicer and Plane
Key Features
- The bright colors in the Pure Komachi 2 series help you color-code your knives, making sure you don’t mix up your cutlery.
- The blade is coated in a non-stick resin coating that allows it to glide through food easily, similar in effect to cutting food using a knife with holes.
- This knife’s ergonomic handle helps reduce fatigue on your hands.
4. Mercer Culinary Renaissance Forged Tomato Knife
This tomato knife comes from Mercer Culinary, a New York-based company that provides kitchenwares to cater to the foodservice market. They adopt a ChefCentric approach, collaborating with master chefs to develop products that take food prep and cooking to a new level.
Like the rest of Mercer’s Renaissance line, this tomato knife features rust and corrosion-resistant blade precision-forged from German stainless steel. For extra strength and durability, they’re made from one piece of metal and given a rounded spine.
When cutting a tomato with this knife, its ergonomic Delrin handle helps give you extra comfort and balance to ensure that you make perfectly even, thin slices without damaging the fruit.
To stop the handle from deteriorating and keeping the blade in top condition, you shouldn’t put this knife in the dishwasher. Instead, opt to hand wash it with soap and warm water, drying it with a soft towel afterward.
So the knife’s cutting edge can be better preserved and to provide extra safety in the kitchen, we recommend that you store this knife in a sheath or magnetic knife block.
With its high-quality German steel blade and generally excellent craftsmanship, the Mercer Culinary Renaissance Forged Tomato Knife can be an alternative to the higher-priced Wusthof Classic. Despite its lower price tag, this product can still deliver excellent cutting performance!
Key Features
- This knife has received an NSF certification for meeting its standards for safety and quality.
- The shortened bolster exposes the knife’s edge fully and makes it easier to sharpen.
- For balance, this knife features a full-tang construction.
5. WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON 5″
Our second Wusthof pick on the list, this product offers the expertise gained from the Solingen-based company’s 200 years of cutlery-making experience.
Part of their Classic Ikon series, this tomato knife features a blade made from high carbon stainless steel tempered to 58 degrees on the Rockwell scale, ensuring that this product has a very sharp cutting edge.
To help cut your tomato and other soft fruits better, the product also features a serrated edge that allows you to slice through them without damaging the flesh inside.
As an added benefit, this knife also has a two-tined forked tip at the end of its blade to pick up your sliced tomato for easier serving.
Similar to most cutlery, we recommend you hand wash this after use to keep its handle and blade in top condition. If you need to sharpen this knife, its half bolster allows the entire blade to be sharpened easier. For added protection, this knife also comes with a warranty against manufacturer and material defects.
You also need to keep in mind that the fork tip of this knife is very sharp and may cause injuries if you handle it wrong. To provide more safety and better handling, this product boasts a full tang, triple-riveted construction that allows for precise control.
If you’re searching for a small, but powerful knife that can cut more than tomatoes, the Wusthof Classic Ikon Tomato Knife is just what you’re looking for!
Key Features
- This knife’s 5-inch blade provides the great cutting ability in a smaller package.
- Wusthof’s PEtec sharpening method grants the blade 20% extra sharpness and the ability to stay sharp longer.
- This knife’s handle is made from the synthetic material POM, enabling it to resist fading and discoloration.
6. Messermeister Handcrafted Serrated Tomato Knife
This product comes from Messermeister, a California-based knife manufacturer founded by German cutlery enthusiast Bernd Dressler. Today, this company is one of the only companies in the world still producing cutting tools using hammer-forged methods.
Messermeister’s knife features a serrated blade forged from stainless steel designed to easily cut foods with tough exteriors and soft insides. For optimal slicing performance, be sure that you stand the tomato on its side and make even downward slices.
Part of the Petite Messer line, this tomato knife is tailor-made for light slicing duties, boasting an ergonomic handle and thin blade for convenience and comfort.
When first using these knives, you should be careful and check the top of the blades because sometimes there may be edges left on the top that could cause injuries. To solve this problem, you can debur it with a stone and sandpaper.
Don’t let its size fool you, Messermeister Handcrafted Serrated Tomato Knife delivers great cutting performance for an affordable price!
Key Features
- This knife comes with its own matching plastic sheath in black or red.
- Messermeister uses durable and environment-friendly materials for their knives.
- This knife is dishwasher-safe, although you need to take care to not place it near the heating element.
7. Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife
This product is sold by Swiss-based cutlery manufacturer Victorinox. Famous as the innovators of the Swiss Army knife, they are famous for making their blades from a special blend of stainless steel from France and Germany.
The 4-inch paring knife they offer features this very sharp stainless steel blade and the knife also features a wavy edge to make cutting through thick tomato skin while keeping the flesh inside intact. We suggest you make even, parallel cuts when slicing.
Not just for slicing, these tomato knives can also garnish, mince, and peel, making it a true multipurpose tool in the kitchen.
Read Also: The Best Silicone Garlic Peeler
This product features a durable plastic handle that’s also dishwasher-safe. However, for safety, you shouldn’t hold this knife with wet hands since it may become slippery.
For a very low price tag, the Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife provides great performance thanks to the manufacturer’s almost 150 years of experience.
Key Features
- For more cutting options, this knife also comes in a straight blade variant.
- This knife is very lightweight at only 0.95 ounces.
- If you need a smaller knife, Victorinox also provides a 3-inch variant.
8. ZYLISS Serrated Paring Knife
Originally from Switzerland, Zyliss has over 60 years of experience in manufacturing kitchen tools with a special emphasis on simplicity and efficiency.
This knife features a high-carbon stainless steel blade that retains its edge and can be sharpened again to ensure it sees use for a long time. To ensure an optimal cut, we recommend that you slice the tomato by laying it on its side.
The serrated blade doesn’t just allow it to cut your tomato well, it can also slice through salami and other tougher foods with ease. However, unlike the Pure Komachi Knife, this product doesn’t feature any fork tips to handle your food slices.
So you have an easier time slicing your tomato, the knife also features a rubber-gripped ergonomic handle that gives you extra precision when cutting as well as reducing the strain on your hand.
Boasting an affordable price without sacrificing cutting prowess, we recommend the Zyliss Serrated Paring Knife if you’re looking for a tomato knife on a budget.
Key Features
- This knife features a safety blade guard for safety in storage.
- For added protection, Zyliss offers a 5-year guarantee on this product.
- In addition to tomatoes, this knife also cuts fruit, vegetables, and soft meats.
Can You Use a Serrated Bread Knife to Cut Tomatoes?
The serrated edge of a bread knife can slice through tomatoes, but you should only use it with extra-large tomatoes. Bread knives are often large, and using them to cut small fruits may crush the skin. Plus, it can be uncomfortable to use only a small portion of the cutting edge length to cut tiny fruits.
What Else Can You Use a Tomato Knife for?
Tomato knives can also cut other items like cheese or eggplants. A tomato knife is a versatile kitchen tool that perfectly cuts ingredients with thick skins but fragile insides. Besides tomatoes, this knife can cut small pieces of bread, avocado, plums, lettuce, and even hard-boiled eggs. This knife also works well for cutting slick skinned vegetables with soft flesh, such as eggplants.
Additionally, a tomato knife with a forked tip can also cut through citrus fruits. Use it to spear garnishes like pickles, onions, or even maraschino cherries to prepare drinks.
Are Tomato Knives Necessary?
Tomato knives are necessary for slicing the tomato without crushing the flesh. Almost any knife can cut a tomato, but most of them are likely to mash up the flesh partially and let the juice spread over the cutting board. Not only will the tomato lose some of its essence, but the knife could leave a mess behind.
A tomato knife is a simple tool that doesn’t consume much space either. You can keep it virtually anywhere and use it for specific cutting tasks such as cutting soft vegetables or fruits.
What to Look for in a Tomato Knife?
A tomato knife is a very specific tool, which means that you must be careful before choosing one. Consider features like the blade material, the handle, and whether to get a serrated or straight blade. Let’s explore how these elements can affect your performance while cutting.
1. Blade Material
The blade of a tomato knife should retain an edge to slice through the tomato effortlessly. This blade must also be non-toxic and suitable for handling food because it will be in contact with tomato juice or potentially acidic substances. I’ll talk about some of the most common blade materials next, describing the pros and cons so you can choose one that adapts to your needs.
High Carbon Steel. This material is durable and can hold an edge for a longer time, allowing you to focus on the cutting instead of a dull edge. It’s a viable option if you’re a professional or amateur chef that needs to slice high volumes of vegetables quickly. The downside to high carbon steel is that it’s more prone to rust, so you must worry about keeping it clean of tomato juice constantly. Otherwise, the carbon steel may turn the vegetables brown and have a metallic-like smell when wet.
High Carbon Stainless Steel. The combination of high carbon and stainless steel creates a material with greater rigidity, and the chromium attributes make the blade more resistant to rust. Therefore, you don’t have to constantly worry about tomato juice or other residue damaging the blade. However, blades made with this material are harder to sharpen. If you’re an entry-level cook, keeping a sharpened cutting edge will be more of a challenge.
Ceramic. A ceramic blade is thinner and lets you treat tomatoes with the utmost care and fewer risks of smashing them to a pulp. This material also makes the blades sturdier despite being thin, but it’s likely to chip if you don’t use it correctly. Overall, you should use a tomato knife with a ceramic blade if you value slicing over cutting.
Titanium. This type of blade material is one of the most complete, offering flexibility, proper weight distribution, and more resistance against rust or corrosion. Knives with titanium blades are definitely worry-free utensils for all types of cooks. The only issue is that titanium blades are more brittle than steel, limiting their uses significantly. You can use it for slicing or cutting tomatoes and veggies, but not for prying or other tasks that require sheer force over the blade.
2. Handle
Ingredients like tomatoes produce juice when you cut them and the liquid can moist up the handle. A wet handle can be slippery and compromise your grip, not to mention it would be unpleasant to hold. The following materials are less likely to put you in that scenario.
Wooden Handle. A tomato knife with a wooden handle is classy and stylish, especially if it’s Ebony or Rosewood. This material gives you a solid grip for continuous slicing, improving your cutting technique with more accuracy. Nonetheless, smaller bits of the tomato core can penetrate the wood, and the scales get dirty quickly. As a result, you have to be super careful to clean the knives regularly.
Molded Plastic. This material allows you to use the knife as much as needed without worrying about constant maintenance. A molded plastic handle won’t chip or accumulate residue, and you can even put some in the dishwasher for quick and easy cleaning. Another benefit to this material is that it makes the knives more lightweight, meaning you can use them continuously without feeling wrist or hand fatigue. Naturally, this handle type is not as professional-looking as the other options. It is more suitable if you’re a home cook.
Wood with Plastic. An alternative to the other two options is a wooden handle with plastic infused into it. This handle is impervious to germs and bacteria, creating less trouble if the blade spends considerable time in contact with tomato residue. The grip is much more comfortable, and it requires very little maintenance. You can easily keep it clean with a quick wash and rinse in the sink. Everyone from restaurant chefs to home cooks can benefit from this handle.
Stainless Steel. Metal handles created with stainless steel are food-grade and the most durable, as they can fend off microorganisms and other detriments. You can also get a firm grip for slicing tomatoes and veggies with incredible precision due to the ergonomic design. Weight distribution is also a plus, giving you balance and stability whether you’re slicing or dicing the tomato to remove the core and seeds out. The issue with stainless steel is that it can get slippery if it gets wet, requiring caution while using it.
Tip: Consider getting a handle with a bolster and finger guard to put a barrier between your fingers and the cutting edge. If the handle gets slippery or the blade is dull, you’ll be safer this way.
3. Serrated Edge vs. Straight Edge
Serrated and straight edge blades can cut tomatoes, but a straight edge needs to be sharp while the serrated edge will cut even if it’s dull. Serrated blades are ideal for soft fruits like tomatoes because they penetrate the skin quickly and with minimum pressure. If the straight blade is dull, then the blade will move over the flesh of the tomato without cutting through. Thus, it’s more likely to smash the tomato.
When you cut a tomato, most of the cutting takes place between the serrations. Some tomato knives have serrations on both sides, which are suitable for left-handed and right-handed users. This blade style is also good for bread knives and steak knives.
4. Size
A tomato knife has an average blade length of 5 inches and a handle of 3 or 4 inches. These dimensions create an 8-inch knife, which is perfect if you work with tomatoes and smaller fruits or vegetables regularly. The size of the blade allows you to use the whole length of the cutting edge to slice through tomatoes in a few passes.
Other tomato knives have 3-inch blades, which consume less space but can be less effective while slicing. Smaller blades require you to push the knife back and forth more times, requiring more effort and repetition. If the blade is dull and the tomato is considerably large, 3-inch blades are more likely to push the flesh inwards and mess it up.
5. Forked Tips
Tomato knives like the Kershaw PK 2 have a forked tip, which allows you to lift the tomato slice and move it out of the way after cutting it. This feature is not essential but it’s convenient when you’re cutting many tomatoes and need to put them in a bowl. You will also find it super useful if you regularly work with salads or dishes influenced by Japanese kitchen.
But there are countless uses for the forked section of a tomato knife.
For example, you can use a forked knife to cut through citrus fruit and spearing garnishes such as pickles or onions. When it comes to tomatoes, this type of knife also lets you remove the core and stem out of the cutting board. It gives you more space to cut other ingredients and prevents seeds or tomato juice from penetrating into the wood.
Lastly, forked tomato knives are useful to pierce through other items like bread or larger vegetables.
Conclusion
The best tomato knife combines cutting power with durability – and as an added bonus, it should also be able to slice other food items with ease. With these considerations, here are our top picks:
With its reasonable price tag and good quality, the Rada Cutlery Tomato Slicing Knife is our choice for the best tomato knife. In addition to its performance, it can also cut fruit, vegetables, and even slicing and dicing hard-boiled eggs will be much easier. Not only that, but this product also comes with a lifetime guarantee!
If you’re willing to pay extra for a sharp and well-crafted knife, we recommend the Wusthof CLASSIC Tomato Knife. In addition to being perfectly suited to cut tomatoes, it also has a forked tip so you can serve the slices easier!
