Premium Bamboo Bread Slicer with Crumb Tray - Adjustable 3-Size Bread Knife for Homemade Loaves, Cakes & Bagels | Compact Foldable Design | Perfect for Kitchen, Baking Enthusiasts & Gift Giving

I worked in the food service business and knew what to look for in a commercial product but, in the home, many years later, that's much different. Since I'm ordering a manual bread slicer, I reviewed briefly what other reviewers said about a few products. Then, I realized that many were on there 2nd or 3rd type of bread slicer, after initial regrets, searching for a better one. So, I determined there's a lot to consider that I hadn't thought about. I then looked for articles about what to look for in a bread slicer and took the following characteristics into consideration.1. The first item to know is what is your budget range. All of the remaining items on this list will dictate your decisions which might be different than mine. I was looking in the range of below about $100.2. The 2nd important thought was to learn to pick one that held a whole loaf, instead of a handheld slicer that was difficult to manage per cut. However, due to considerations, some didn't have the budget to allow for one that would manage an entire loaf.3. The consideration of space available for storage is a factor that might determine if you have a place for one that doesn't fold up or one that does. Either way, don't forget about storage, as you might not be wanting to leave it on the counter all the time. This one does fold up. In my case, I didn't choose it for that reason as a factor since I have a spot on a pantry shelf for it. But, this factor of folding up might be a thought for you.4. Some slicers are able to slice at different thicknesses. Many slicers are not adjustable but you can slice every other slot for thicker slices on this one. The minimum thickness is similar to a regular slice of bread.5. Some slicers don't have an "end stop" to hold the end of the loaf. This one does and some other reviewers also mentioned (on other slicers) that this was something they wished theirs had. This was important for me and helps actually in maintaining similar thicknesses on each slice, when cutting the whole loaf.6. Wood, plastic, or metal is a factor. The articles I read ultimately recommended (in my budget range) to be a hard wood, as opposed to the other 2 materials. Although this is not made from a hard wood, it was well below my upper price range so, eventually in a few years, I'll need to replace it because of this perhaps. It will begin to show cut marks early. The concerns about plastic or metal varied in the articles I read about the materials.7. It's about medium weight sturdiness and is excellent. The rubber feet was a factor I had forgotten about and turned out to be extremely important. These feet keep it extremely secure on my counter-top when slicing, as well as stable on the pantry shelf.8. A wonderful feature is that most of the crumbs will fall into the included recessed crumb tray. A great design idea that I love. I used to cut the bread on a cutting board and crumbs went everywhere.9. It even came with a basic bread knife. The articles I read said that the bread knife should be at least 10-inches in length and this one matches the length of my current bread knife. There are times where I wish it was 11-inches but that is probably my cutting skills showing a rudimentary level.10. With the height of the individual slicing columns, when a full loaf is in place, you'll find that a large homemade loaf will be a problem. I've learned (in my breadmaker) that a recipe with about 3 cups of flour is perfect. A loaf with around 4 cups of flour is a bit "high".I hope this helps others.I bake all our own bread and as such, I cut my own bread too. I've tried just about every slicer you can imagine. But still, always looking for the perfect slicer. Is this slicer perfect? Pretty close, made from bamboo it will last a good long while, can withstand dish soap and water and easily wipes dry. I love that each cut is fairly uniform and if you can cut right between the columns, you shouldn't have a problem with splintering wood. If you do, a light sandpapering will fix it right up.I gave this item 5 stars because I really like how it folds up (see photo, you can even see a loaf of bread and how nicely it cut inside of the breadbox), how it cleans, how it performs and the bonus here is the look of the unit and finish. I just keep it tucked on top of my breadbox and use when needed.Now for the nitty gritty... when cutting bread with a sharp knife, you "ARE" going to experience some knife cuts into the floor of the frame that holds the bread. I purchased some inexpensive hard silicone mats and cut one to fit the frame. Now only the mat experiences the knife cuts and saves the beautiful workmanship of the unit itself. (see photo). Just dump any residual bread crumbs into the tray and clean up.Did this unit comes with slight splinters on the cutting spaces, sure, not bad though. I took an emery board and lightly sanded them away. People... this is wood! Wood will do that. Have you ever seen a bamboo stalk, the very effort of getting this bread cutter to look as good as it does is mind boggling. Even after sanding, if you cut too close, you're going to experience light splintering. I have no trouble at all, avoiding those sides. Should I have to sand a unit brand new out of the box? No, but I'm not sure how it can be avoided. The splintering that occurs can be caused any number of reasons but certainly easy enough to resolve and not so many that one should be concerned. I think I saw 2... that's it! 2 small splinters and I had to look close to see them!The sizes of the slices are absolutely just right in thicknesses. One thing though that no one tells you, and I'll throw it out there... do NOT cut your bread while its warm or just out of the oven. Bread is tender and requires cooling off to maintain its shape during the cutting phase. Otherwise, it'll smush down and won't appear is lovely as just out of the oven.Now the knife that is provided with this unit is considered a Value Add. Most bread cutters don't offer this little jewel, and it is a little short ... BUT, it will do the job. I prefer a longer bread knife just so I can get the job done faster. This knife takes a little more effort but absolutely will clear the cutting area. I thought it was a nice touch to add the knife, though I don't really use it.Overall, would I purchase this product again? Absolutely! I'm already thinking Christmas Gifts since I've gotten most of my family into bread making. It really is a nice addition to my kitchen craft and I'm very grateful to have found it. My search is over!Oh yes, and as another added bonus, this seller has absolutely no problems with returns and constructive feedback. What more could a buyer want? In today's world, where too many shortcuts are taken far too often, this manufacturer really does step up to the plate. That saying "you get what you pay for...", in this case, you get much more than the actual cost of the unit, at least in my opinion.I like that my gluten free bread slices evenly now‼️The product is easy to use, but the board can move a bit when you're cutting into the bread. Also, I wouldn't recommend the knife that comes with the board. Every bread I've used has crumbly and uneven cuts because of the knife.A very terrible product. Where the product arrives in a box that’s so worn out and the product is fallen apart with nails bent. The wood is so poor a quality that you simply cannot use it at all.Absolutely useless contraption. The provided knife was blunt and cheap and the device itself was no better than using a plain old cutting board. Very disappointed. Don’t be fooled into thinking this will help you slice your bread more easily. I would suggest a cheap electric knife- it will do the job far better.Easy to use and clean