Electric knives spend eleven months in the cupboard and then earn their keep on one roast. Electric knives haven't changed much in years, which shows in the reviews: the Sunbeam below has been carving Australian Christmases for long enough to collect a hundred-plus reviews.
1. Best Overall: Breville the Slice n' Carve
Breville's Slice n' Carve is the modern take: cordless, rechargeable, and free of the flex that drags through gravy on a corded knife. It averages 4.2 stars with owners, who mostly praise the clean cuts on roasts and bread, and the charge covers a family carve-up with plenty to spare.
At around $100 it's the expensive option in a cheap category, and cordless means remembering to charge it before the day. Owners suggest putting it on charge when the meat goes in the oven, which solves that neatly.
What We Like:
- Cordless, no flex in the way
- Clean cuts on roasts and bread
- Recharges quickly
What We Don't Like:
- Needs charging before the day
2. Best Classic: Sunbeam Carveasy EK6000
The Carveasy is the electric knife most Australians picture, and it was on this list years ago for the same reasons it's here now. Twin stainless blades, a corded motor that never runs flat, and 126 owner reviews averaging just under 4 stars, most of them mentioning turkeys and ham.
It costs around $60. The cord is the trade for never-flat power, and a few owners find the grip bulky in smaller hands, which is worth knowing for whoever carves at your table.
What We Like:
- Never needs charging
- Spare blades still sold
- Twin blades release for washing
What We Don't Like:
- Cord gets in the way
- Chunky grip
3. Best Budget: Maxim Kitchen Pro
The Maxim is a corded 120W knife at around $40 that owners rate 4.2, which makes it the sensible buy for a once-a-year carver. Stainless twin blades, a safety lock, and enough power for roasts and crusty bread without drama.
There's no case or blade storage at this price, so it lives loose in a drawer, and the brand's spare-blade situation is thinner than Sunbeam's. For occasional duty, owners say it does the same job as knives at twice the price.
What We Like:
- Around $40
- Safety lock
- Light and easy to handle
What We Don't Like:
- No storage case
- Spare blades harder to find
Other electric knives worth a look
- Cuisinart CEK-30A — the American stalwart at around $80, with a bread blade included. Owner scores sit just under 4 locally.
How to pick an electric knife
Corded or cordless is the real decision. Corded never dies mid-ham; cordless moves freely around a crowded bench. Pick by which annoyance you'd rather host.
Twin reciprocating blades do the work. Every knife here uses the same principle, so blade quality and comfort separate them more than power figures do.
Think about the bread. Owners use these on sourdough and pavlova as much as meat, and a knife that's comfortable one-handed gets used beyond December.
Blades come off for washing. All three release their blades for the sink or dishwasher; the motor housings wipe clean only.
RELATED: The Best Bread Knives and The Best Kitchen Knife Sets
FAQs
Can an electric knife cut frozen food?
No, and trying is how blades and motors die. Part-thawed at most, and the manuals of all three above say the same.
Are replacement blades available?
Sunbeam sells replacement blades through its parts network, which is part of why the Carveasy survives decades. Budget brands are harder, so treat the blades gently.
