If you host a barbecue and you don’t invite me, I would assume that you hated me – and I would be right.
That said, one of the things that makes me happy at any good BBQ spot is the choice of tools that the pitmaster chooses to go with. As a lover of knives, you already know that I am interested in what the best knife for barbecue would be.
Especially if you are a lover of ribs, this one is for you.
Today, we talk about the three knives I love cutting ribs with, why they stand out from the mix for me, and why you should get them also.
Well, don’t forget to invite me to your BBQ sessions also.
Table of Contents
Which knives will I cut BBQ ribs with?
Check the table below for a general outlook on the three knives I love, and what I have come to like about them.
They are also some of the bestselling in their niche which is not surprising to me.
Not like I would go for the bestselling knife over the most practical one, but the stars seem to align on this one. Who am I not to be grateful for that?
If you have some more time, stick around for my personal opinion on these knives further below.
| S/N | Knife | Size | Nature | Blade Type | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victorinox Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife | 12 inches | Traditional | Straight | High carbon stainless steel | Check on Amazon |
| 2 | Zwilling Twin Four-Star Slicing Knife | 8 inches | Traditional | Straight | Alloy stainless steel | Check on Amazon |
| 3 | Cuisinart One-Size AC Electric Knife | One-size | Electric | Serrated | Stainless steel | Check on Amazon |
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife – My No.1 Choice
At 12 inches, this is the kind of knife that catches rightly onto varying dimensions of BBQ meat.
If you are dealing with a large volume at once and need precise cuts all around, this is the knife to go for.
Even though the blade is this long – and made of high carbon stainless steel also – I don’t know how Victorinox has managed to keep the price down like this for a while. I don’t see them increasing the price anytime soon, but it is best to grab yours before they change their mind anyway.
At some points, I find myself wishing that this was a serrated blade. If you have used a serrated knife for cutting tender meat before, you would understand why I’m particular about that.
For what we get at this price, though, Victorinox is no slouch.
Zwilling Twin Four-Star Slicing Knife
I have no idea why they missed the chance to call this one the 5-star knife.
That’s not why I am here today, though.
You can read the spec sheet for other info on the knife so I would focus on other important aspects. Like the knife being so sharp that it would nick you if you gently placed your thumb against it.
This is the kind of knife that you need to deliver clean, nice and precise cuts – and not only on ribs. It works great for brisket and other parts of beef BBQ also.
Don’t try to use this knife for any extensive boning and you are good to go.
Made with an alloy steel blade, this is not going to be as sharp as a high carbon steel knife. However, you can also rest assured that it is plenty sharp enough and won’t require such extensive maintenance as you get on carbon steel blades.
Cuisinart One-Size AC Electric Knife
For what it’s worth, I should mention that electric knives are in their infancy and you might not get the same dexterity of use as you would on a traditional knife with them.
Once that’s out of the way, though, you know that you are getting a fine knife on this one.
This knife comes with a serrated blade for a change, allowing it to catch on to the body of the meat better. The serrations also make the knife highly suitable to ribs which have a tougher exterior when compared to their interior.
In this case, the serrated edges hold the meat in place, slice through neatly and don’t make a mess of things.
Since you’ll be applying minimal efforts here, you don’t have to worry about dragging the knife back and forth either.
But, when it comes to storage, the electric knife might be a hassle. For one, most of the conventional knife storage methods that you know won’t work here.
Likewise, you’re now left to always looking for a power source whenever you want to use the knife. If you don’t mind all that, and more concerns that come with electric knives, then go for this knife by all means.
How to slice ribs the right way?
Barbecue is not just about throwing some meat on the grill, following the temperature guide on the manual and hoping you get the right feel, texture and look on the meat.
It is more of an art than a science, which is why the person manning the grill always looks like royalty to me.
If you are in charge of handling the grill, or you’re simply tasked with cutting the ribs, you want to learn how to do it right.
Even if you had the best knives, they won’t do all the work for you. You also need to know what you are doing.
That is where the proper techniques for cutting ribs come in.
Follow the video below and you’ll instantly become the darling of that barbecue gathering. For one, I know I would like my ribs (well, not mine mine) to have been cut by you.
How did I choose these fine BBQ knives?
Whether you are slicing the ribs for a home party or you got into a BBQ competition and you want to impress, the knives above will do wonders for you.
That is not by chance, though. There are a couple of factors that I considered before settling on them. After all, they are not the only knives out there for cutting ribs best – and they are surely not the only ones advertised for this purpose.
So, here goes.
Brand name
When I mentioned Victorinox, you didn’t have to go around looking for some history on the company to know if you could trust them or not.
Although they are more known for making swiss army knives and shipping billons of these small knives yearly, they also make mean kitchen and cooking knives.
Some people will argue that we pay more for brand names when we could get something cheaper from a lesser-known brand. I don’t believe that.
In my opinion, I am paying more for the peace of mind that comes with working with a brand that has skin in the game and will stop at nothing to bring me the best so that their name is protected.
That is worth the few extra bucks that I tack onto the order.
Price
The fact that I want to cut my ribs right does not mean I want to shell out all the money in the world for it either.
When buying knives, I have a habit of sticking within the $100 – $120 cap at the high end. Anything more than that and I would need a lot of convincing.
The knives at this price range work well anyway, so why go for something overpriced that won’t bring any special benefits to the table?
Sharpness/ Materials of Make
The sharpness of the knife, and how well it retains that sharpness, is a factor of the materials that it is made from also.
Well, on the blade, that is. For the handle part, I also want to make sure that the knife is made of good enough materials.
Brisket and ribs are some of the most tender parts of the meat. When you don’t cut them with sharp or good enough knives, you make a mess of the meat when it starts falling apart.
Electric vs Non-Electric
I’m a traditional guy so I tend more towards non-electric knives than electric options.
I also believe (rightly) that when you have a sharp enough non-electric knife, you don’t need an electric blade. When you do a lot of rib cutting, though, you might enjoy the added advantage of that electric knife.
That’s why I decided to look for a fine electric knife to add to the mix.
Which is your best pick?
Now that you have all that information at your disposal, which one of these knives will make the difference for you?
Would it be any of the two non-electric options or the single electric knife on the list?
You might feel the need to buy them all and test them out. That’s how I felt, but you can save that money and use it on something else. If you would get multiple knives at all, it should be one electric and the other non-electric.
With that, I leave you to make the right choice on what knives will get to your next BBQ event. Again, invite me when you can 😉.
