Pie Servers
A gorgeous pie can take hours to make—and be mangled in seconds if you cut it with the wrong tool. A pie server must be sharp enough to cut cleanly and agile enough to neatly slide under a fragile slice to lift and transport it intact. It’s been six years since we last tested pie servers, so we tried five priced from $6.99 to $21.14, including our previous favorite.
We baked dozens of pies and then turned to slicing and lifting. Even the dullest pie servers could slice through the creamy filling and single crusts of banana cream and custard apple pies, but multitextured Key lime pie called for more sharpness and precision. Servers with round, blunt tips smashed and shattered the flaky tops of double-crust pies and crushed pecan pie’s delicate sugar-nut scrim. We concluded that slim, sharp tips and edges (whether straight or serrated) were critical. Offset handles helped us navigate neatly under each slice, but we could make do with straight handles if the blade was quite flexible. For lifting and transporting slices to plates, broader blades offered security.
Our previous winner again led the pack. Though its tip was slightly blunter than ideal, that’s a small concession for all-around solid performance.
- Good:
- ★★★
- Fair:
- ★★
- Poor:
- ★
- N/A:
- ----
| Product Tested | Performance | Comfort | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | ||||
 |
Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: FlexibleThe nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus. |
★★★ | ★★★ | $19.95 |
| Recommended | ||||
 |
Wüsthof Classic Boning KnifeHefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasn’t sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts. |
★★ | ★★★ | $99.95 |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
 |
Mundial Boning Knife: FlexibleThe sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat. |
★★ | ★★ | $19.95 |
| Not Recommended | ||||
 |
Shun Gokujo Filet KnifeDesigned to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery. |
★★ | ★ | $179.95 |
 |
MAC Boning Knife—Chef SeriesThe large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult. |
★ | ★★ | $34.95 |
 |
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning KnifeThe blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced. |
★ | ★ | $53.60 |
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