For carving a turkey, the best knife is a sharp carving knife with an 8 to 10 inch blade and a pointed tip, which works around joints and bones. For slicing a boneless roast or a whole turkey breast, a 12-inch slicing knife with a granton edge gives the cleanest slices. An electric knife does not beat a well-sharpened blade, but it is faster.
Serious Eats named the Wüsthof Classic 9-inch Carving Knife the best carving knife, and America's Test Kitchen picked the Victorinox Fibrox 12-inch Granton Edge Slicing/Carving Knife for slicing. For electric knives, America's Test Kitchen chose the Black + Decker ComfortGrip and Serious Eats chose the Cuisinart Electric Knife Set.
This guide covers manual vs electric, the right blade length, granton edges, whether you need a carving fork, and what to look for in each.
| Carving knife | Slicing knife | Electric knife | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade length | About 8 to 10 inches | About 10 to 12 inches | About 7.5 to 9 inches |
| Tip | Pointed | Rounded | Serrated twin blades |
| Best at | Bone-in turkey, ham, lamb | Boneless roasts, brisket, breast meat | Fast slicing of roasts and soft bread |
| Skill needed | Some | Some | Little |
| Upkeep | Hone and sharpen | Hone and sharpen | Serrated blades are costly to sharpen |
Carving Knife vs Slicing Knife
The two names get mixed up, and many products are sold as both. They are built for different jobs.
Carving knife
A long, narrow blade that tapers to a sharp point. Serious Eats describes it as the tool for poultry and bone-in roasts, with a thinner blade and extra length that make it easier to get around bones and cartilage than a chef's knife.
Slicing knife
A similar blade that stays the same width to a rounded tip. Its long straight edge makes even slices from large boneless roasts. Serious Eats found nearly all slicing knives have granton edges.
Which you need
Serious Eats found knives that try to do both did neither well. Its FAQ recommends a carving knife for taking a whole turkey apart and a slicing knife for thin slices of breast. If you can only buy one, it suggests a budget slicing knife and a boning or petty knife for bony roasts.
Blade Length, Edge, and Handle
Testers point to the same few details on both styles.
Length
Serious Eats found carving knives of about 9 to 10 inches maneuvered best around bones, and knives in carving sets ran closer to 8 inches, which suited the curves of a turkey. For boneless cuts like brisket it recommends an 11 to 12 inch slicer. America's Test Kitchen's slicing winner has a 12-inch blade.
Height
America's Test Kitchen preferred a blade about 1.5 inches tall, which keeps your knuckles off the board.
Granton edge
Grantons are shallow scallops along the side of the blade. America's Test Kitchen found they help slices fall away instead of sticking to the blade. Serious Eats noted its budget carving knife, which has a smooth blade, let meat stick.
Flex
America's Test Kitchen's winner has just enough flex to stay easy to control. Serious Eats prized a flexible blade for carving and found a stiffer blade less adept around bones.
Grippy handle
Serious Eats found rubber or textured handles held better than smooth wood ones when slicing greasy meat. A bolster and a shaped handle also helped.
Electric Carving Knives
An electric knife is a small reciprocating saw: two offset serrated blades move back and forth in opposite directions. Serious Eats found it about on par with a well-sharpened slicing knife, and faster.
What they do well
Serious Eats found electric knives cut clean slices of roasted meat and soft bread without squashing it. America's Test Kitchen found the right model carves roasts and whole turkeys well.
Where they struggle
Serious Eats advises against using one on a bone-in ham, since the blade is hard to steer around the bone. Several models had finger guards that hit the board before the blade cut all the way through bread.
Safety switches
Serious Eats found two-part safety switches could be awkward. One model cut out mid-slice, and one cordless knife kept running for about half a second after release. Its favorites had simple designs.
Noise and grip
America's Test Kitchen chose its winner partly because it was the quietest tested, and for its rounded handle with the start button underneath.
Sharpening
Electric knife blades do dull. Serious Eats notes the serrated pair is costly to sharpen, so weigh that against replacing the blades or the knife.
Do You Need a Carving Fork?
A carving fork steadies the meat while you slice and lifts slices to the platter. It is useful, not essential, and tongs or a regular fork can stand in.
Shorter tines can be better
Serious Eats preferred the short-tined fork in the Wüsthof Classic Two-Piece Hollow Edge Carving Set. It held meat just as steadily as longer forks and kept the hand closer to the roast for more control.
Carving sets
Serious Eats' best set is the Wüsthof Classic Two-Piece Hollow Edge Carving Set, and its pick under a modest budget is the Messermeister Avanta Kullenschliff Carving Set, which cut the thinnest slices in its tests.
What the Testers Picked
Current reviews from America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats cover both manual and electric knives.
Manual: America's Test Kitchen
Its slicing knife review, dated July 9, 2025, names the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox 12-inch Granton Edge Slicing/Carving Knife the winner, with a 15-degree edge, a grippy plastic handle, and a rounded tip. The Mercer Renaissance 11-inch Granton Slicer is a lower-cost alternative.
Manual: Serious Eats
Its carving and slicing knife review, updated July 17, 2026, names the Wüsthof Classic 9-inch Carving Knife the best carving knife, the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12-inch Slicing Knife with Granton Blade the best slicer, and the Mercer Culinary 10-inch Carving Knife the budget carving pick.
Electric: America's Test Kitchen
Its electric knife review, dated June 11, 2025, names the Black + Decker ComfortGrip 9-inch Electric Knife the winner. It carved meat easily, handled crusty bread better than most, and was the quietest tested. It has a safety lock.
Electric: Serious Eats
Its electric knife review, updated August 7, 2026, after testing eight models, names the Cuisinart Electric Knife Set the best, the Proctor Silex Easy Slice the budget pick, and the NutriChef Electric Carving Knife and Hamilton Beach Electric Knife Set as sets worth buying. Its tester liked the Black + Decker Comfort Grip's handle but found the blade jiggled when installed.
How to Choose a Carving Knife
Decide first whether you carve bone-in birds or slice boneless roasts more often. Then check these points.
Match the tip to the job
Pointed for working around turkey joints and ham bones. Rounded for long, even slices of boneless meat.
Right length
About 8 to 10 inches for carving a turkey, 11 to 12 inches for brisket and large boneless roasts.
Granton edge
Scallops along the blade help slices release cleanly, especially on moist meat.
Grippy handle
Rubber, textured, or shaped handles hold better when your hands are greasy.
Sharp out of the box
Testers marked down several knives that arrived dull. Plan to hone before the holiday either way.
For electric, keep it simple
A comfortable handle, a safety lock that is easy to hold, and a quiet motor matter more than extra features.
Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels
Which Knife to Buy
Pick the one that matches what you carve most, and how often.
Pointed carving knife
The tool for separating legs, wings, and breast from the frame. Serious Eats' winner is the Wüsthof Classic 9-inch Carving Knife, with the Mercer Culinary 10-inch as a budget pick.
Look for
- 8 to 10 inch blade
- Sharp pointed tip
- Some flex
Watch out for
- Smooth blades let slices stick
- Hand wash only on most
Granton slicing knife
Long and straight with a rounded tip, it makes thin, even slices of breast, brisket, and prime rib. America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats both picked the Victorinox Fibrox 12-inch Granton slicer.
Look for
- 11 to 12 inch blade
- Granton scallops
- Blade about 1.5 inches tall
Watch out for
- Awkward around bones
- Needs a long board
Keep Your Board From Sliding: Get the ROO Mat
ROO is a silicone mat that sits under your cutting board. It grips the counter so the board stays put while you carve, and its 7-cup pouch hangs over the edge to catch skin, bones, and trimmings. It fits boards up to 16 inches.
Shop the ROO Mat →Electric carving knife
Fast and easy for anyone not confident with a long blade. America's Test Kitchen picked the Black + Decker ComfortGrip, and Serious Eats picked the Cuisinart Electric Knife Set.
Look for
- Comfortable, rounded handle
- Easy safety lock
- Removable blades for washing
Watch out for
- Hard to steer around bones
- Serrated blades are costly to sharpen
Upgrade Your Prep Workflow: The ROO Bundle
Carving is when a board most needs to stay still: a heavy, slippery bird, a long blade, and a lot of pressure near the edge. The ROO Mat sits under your board and grips the counter so it does not move, and its pouch catches up to 7 cups of skin, bones, and trimmings off the front edge. It fits boards up to 16 inches, and the ROO Bundle adds a rubberwood board that is gentle on knife edges.
Upgrade Your Prep Workflow: Get the ROO Bundle
A rubberwood board that is gentle on knives, a non-slip silicone base, and a 7-cup scrap pouch.
Check out the ROO Bundle →How This Guide Was Put Together
This guide is built from independent knife testing and tested carving technique. Manual knife picks come from America's Test Kitchen's slicing knife review dated July 9, 2025, and Serious Eats' carving and slicing knife review updated July 17, 2026. Electric knife picks come from America's Test Kitchen's electric knife review dated June 11, 2025, and Serious Eats' electric knife review updated August 7, 2026. Resting guidance comes from America's Test Kitchen's turkey carving article published November 17, 2022, and USDA advice as published by University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension on November 18, 2022. All sources were checked October 12, 2026. We did not test these knives ourselves. ROO makes a silicone cutting board mat and a rubberwood board, not knives.
Related Reading
- The Best Carving Boards
- The Best Knife Sharpeners
- How to Slice Brisket
- The Best Cutting Board for Meat
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of knife is best for carving a turkey?
A carving knife with a pointed tip and a blade of about 8 to 10 inches. It gets around joints and bones. A long slicing knife is better for thin slices of the breast once it is off the bone.
Is an electric knife better than a carving knife?
Not better, but faster. Serious Eats found an electric knife about on par with a well-sharpened slicing knife. It is harder to steer around bones.
What is the best electric carving knife?
America's Test Kitchen picked the Black + Decker ComfortGrip 9-inch Electric Knife in its review dated June 11, 2025. Serious Eats picked the Cuisinart Electric Knife Set in its review updated August 7, 2026.
What is a granton edge for?
The shallow scallops along the side of the blade help slices release instead of sticking, so you can cut thinner, neater slices.
How long should a turkey rest before carving?
USDA guidance, as published by University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, says to let the bird stand 20 minutes. America's Test Kitchen suggests at least 30 minutes, or an hour for a bigger bird.
Do I need a carving fork?
It helps steady the meat, but tongs or a dinner fork work. Serious Eats preferred a fork with shorter tines for better control.
If you carve one turkey a year, a sharp 8 to 10 inch carving knife or a simple electric knife will do the job well. If you also slice brisket and roasts, add a 12-inch granton slicer. Rest the bird first, and carve on a board that will not move.