"Long disdained by serious cooks, electric knives might seem dated. Market researcher NPD Group, which tracks the $187 million U.S. knife market, doesn't even keep statistics on the plug-in models.
But now there are signs that respect for this kitchen power tool is growing among home chefs. Emeril Lagasse recommends using electric knives for several recipes on FoodNetwork.com, including one for Seared Muscovy Duck Breast. And they have been featured on the PBS series "America's Test Kitchen." According to upscale kitchen retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, an electric knife, with its two fast-moving stainless-steel blades, allows even amateur carvers to turn out thin, even slices with ease.
In preparation for the holidays, we purchased five knives. Then we brought them to Eli's Manhattan, a gourmet grocery store in New York City, where a trio of outspoken pros from the meat, fish and catering departments offered their critiques. Though happy to try these knives, experts were dubious. "If we don't have the skill to cut by hand, we shouldn't be doing this job," said meat-department manager Marc Reyes. A beautifully sliced piece of meat, our pros said, should be of even thickness and free of surface ridges, which occur when the carver has used a back-and-forth sawing motion.
After watching our pros try out the first three knives, it was easy to see why they were dismissive. The blades on the Black & Decker model bowed when they met the boneless glazed ham, making slicing difficult; the Oster delivered slices with unsightly ridges -- vertical, not horizontal -- from the serrated blade edge. And the Hamilton Beach knife positively shredded the rosemary-roasted turkey breast. "It likes to eat meat," joked fishmonger Joe Catalano.
But the infomercial-advertised Sonic Blade, a cordless knife, was surprisingly powerful and provided fairly professional-looking, mostly ridge-free results."
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