The celebratory ritual of carving a beautifully roasted turkey or an impressive beef roast brings people together, and in many homes, the tools you use to slice and fill plates for friends and family during the holidays are just as important as the meal itself.
After putting eight carving knife and fork sets to the test by breaking down and slicing five whole turkeys, two boneless beef roasts, and a ham, we recommend the Messermeister Avanta 2 Piece Pakkawood Kullenschliff Carving Set. It offers an unbeatable combination of value, good looks, and great performance. We also tested two electric knives, and the Hamilton Beach Electric Knife Set With Storage Case is our winner.
Our pick
This set combines good looks, a wallet-friendly price, and high performance.
The Messermeister Avanta 2 Piece Pakkawood Kullenschliff Carving Set ticks all the boxes. The knife is sharp right from the factory; it easily carved thin slices and broke down a whole turkey. The fork gives a stable purchase on whatever you’re carving and moves slices to plates neatly.
The set’s wood-grained handles are comfortable and nicer-looking than the black handles on most sets. And the stainless steel and pakkawood (real wood impregnated with waterproof and greaseproof resin) construction makes the Avanta set easy to care for. Finally, it’s very inexpensive for a quality knife.
Also great
With a forged blade, short fork, and traditional riveted handles, this set performs wonderfully and fits into many existing knife collections.
The knife in the Wüsthof Classic 2-Piece Hollow Edge Carving Set is the sharpest we tested, and the fork is about an inch shorter than that of the Messermeister Avanta set, which makes it nimble and easier to maneuver. The handles are a basic, polished black and made of POM resin—a dense, easy-care synthetic that’s been standard on professional knives for decades.
The classic triple-riveted design means this set matches many people’s existing kitchen knives. But our testers preferred the look of the Messermeister Avanta set, which is important as carving sets often serve a ceremonial role in holiday meals. The Messermeister Avanta set is also much cheaper.
Also great
You still need a regular knife to cut apart a whole turkey, but on turkey breast, boneless beef, and ham, the electric Hamilton Beach knife does a fine job.
Electric knives are often seen as a relic of the 1950s, but the Hamilton Beach Electric Knife Set With Storage Case impressed us with its ability to quickly and easily cut large pieces of meat into thin slices. However, it’s loud, the blades are apt to spray juices, and it’s terrible at cutting through joints and around bones. The Hamilton Beach electric knife is also nobody’s idea of good-looking, so it’s not a tool for tableside carving. But it’s great for large, essentially boneless roasts sliced in the kitchen or for anyone not comfortable with a regular knife.
