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Best Electric Fillet Knife [2022 Reviews & Guide]

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Fishing is fun. So is eating your catch. It’s the mess in-between that can be a bit taxing. if you spend much time fishing or preparing fish, you need a high-quality knife. The best electric fillet knives don’t tear up and waste your fish. They also save your wrist and hand from unwanted fatigue. That’s why we’re going to take  a look at the best electric fillet knife in 2021. 

Even if you already have a conventional fillet knife, an electric model might be worth a look. They get the job done with less effort and more precision. They also cut your filleting time in half. Below, our top picks for the best electric fillet knife in 2021.

Quick Overview (comparison)

The Ten Best Electric Fillet Knives in 2021

1 –  Rapala Heavy Duty Electric Fillet Knife (Best Pick 🥇)

Cutting while tethered to a cord can be rough. But with 8 feet of wiggle-room, you’re not so tied-down. Now that you’ve got plenty of room to move around the kitchen or that massive fish you just caught, how’s the performance?

Well, the Rapala Heavy Duty is our top electric fillet knife in 2021 thanks to its durability and heavy-duty staying power. It keeps on top of even the most challenging jobs – whether you’re tackling a whole pile of fish or dealing with some really stubborn scales and bones.

But the Rapala Heavy Duty Electric knife isn’t just for filleting fish. It gets bonus points for being versatile and powerful enough to handle all kinds of meat including turkeys, hams, and roasts. And the handle stays cool and comfortable while doing it, saving your wrist and hand from fish-fillet-fatigue!

Key Features

  • Dishwasher safe
  • 7.5” reciprocating blades
  • High quality material
  • Powerful motor
  • 110V 
  • Comfortable grip

Pros

  • Faster and more powerful than the average electric knife
  • 8-foot power cord for plenty of reach

Cons

  • Motor can get warm if you’re filleting a large number of fish
  • Some people don’t like corded knives

2 – Mister Twister 120 V Electric Knife

This bright green and yellow knife is a bold addition to your kitchen cutlery. With 120 volts of power and a super-sharp 7.5” blade, you can get to work on even large fish with this electric knife. The safety lock ensures that every fillet job you embark on – no matter how big or small – is done with your safety in mind.

The blade release comes in handy when it’s time to clean up. This knife gets high marks for its unbelievably low price, ease of use, and remarkable sharpness. Mister Twister is a trusted name in cutlery and it’s easy to see why. Filleting with this knife is comfortable, intuitive, and makes even the biggest projects fly by with ease. 

We also like the spiral cord for better maneuverability and flexibility. And with colors this bright, there’s no chance you’ll ever lose track of your Mister Twister 120V Electric knife!

Key Features

  • 120V AC
  • Safety lock
  • Blade release
  • Relaxed hand design
  • Spiral cord
  • Heavy duty gears and bearings

Pros

  • Tough enough for fish, hams, turkeys, roasts
  • Versatile and powerful

Cons

  • Short cord

3 –  American Angler Pro Professional Grade Electric Fillet Knife

The American Angler Pro Professional Grade is an exciting knife because it comes with 5 kinds of stainless steel blades. This gives you a lot of versatility and options for food prep. This knife was specially designed to run longer and work faster, making it a great choice if you do a lot of bigger jobs like filleting mounds of fresh-caught fish.

The blade on the American Angler Pro is tough but flexible enough to handle fish well. And the ergonomic handle gives you great control while keeping your hand and wrist comfortable. Conveniently, this knife comes with a handy carry bag to keep it preserved and stored safely. With 8 feet of cord, you’ve got plenty of room to move around without feeling restricted. 

Key Features

  • 110V
  • Ergonomic
  • 5 kinds of stainless steel blades
  • Professional grade
  • Superior drive train components
  • Advanced airflow design

Pros

  • Comes with a 2 year limited lifetime warranty
  • 2X more torque than any other EFK

Cons

  • Knife can heat up if cleaning a large amount of fish
  • Assembly is a little difficult

4 –  Cuisinart CEK-30 Electric Knife

Cuisinart is a trusted name in cutlery and for good reason. Their CEK-30 electric knife is no exception when it comes to excellence and high-quality materials. For such a modest price, this knife really gets the job done. 

Unlike a lot of other knives, this one actually comes with an instruction manual. We appreciate this because assembly and care aren’t always as obvious as they might seem. The powerful motor in the CEK-30 makes it a top candidate for filleting a good number of fish or even larger cuts of meat. 

The no-slip handle ensures your safety and comfort in the kitchen – whether you’re right or left-handed. Because the blade is removable and dishwasher safe, this knife is a breeze to clean and keep in top condition. And the one-touch on-off operation of makes this fillet knife easy to use and no-nonsense. 

There’s a 5-foot cord which gives you plenty of room whether you’re filleting on the counter or right at the table! You can use this strong, sharp knife not only on fish, but also on bread, turkey, ham, roasts, and other cuts of meat. As such, it’s a great tool to have handy, no matter what’s for dinner!

Key Features

  • Stainless steel blade
  • Comes with instruction book
  • One touch on/off
  • 5-foot cord
  • Powerful motor
  • Nonslip handle

Pros

  • Blade is removable and dishwasher safe
  • Comfortable for right or left hand

Cons

  • A little noisy
  • Doesn’t include storage case

5 – American Angler Pro Electric Fillet Knife

This knife was created especially to cut through tough scales and bones. As such, it’s a noteworthy fisherman’s friend. As the American Angler name suggests, this company designs knives for people who like to fish, people who like to eat fish, and people who like to do both!

The ventilated nylon mesh storage case will keep this knife in great shape for years to come. And the high-quality stainless steel blade is rust and corrosion-proof, making the America Angler Electric fillet knife durable and dependable. 

The Santorini grip pad stays cool to the touch even when you’ve undertaken a challenging task. The whole point of an electric knife is to make it easier on your hand and give you a quicker prep time. The American Angler Pro delivers on both counts.

With the 40mm motor, you can slice and prep with ease. The sharp blade makes for maximum maneuverability and accuracy when cutting fish as well and other meats. If you’ve got an extension cord, you can use this knife outdoors or in the garage so you can really let the mess take over. And once you’re ready to clean up, the removable blade makes that plenty easy, too.

American Angler has a ton of available blades that are interchangeable and can be used with this knife. Each blade is specifically designed to work with certain species of fish. If you catch, cook, and prepare a wide variety of fish, this knife might be a great choice. It can essentially serve as five knives in one once you start playing around with different blade options.

Key Features

  • 110V
  • 8” steel blade
  • Titanium-coated 420 stainless steel
  • Comes with ventilated nylon mesh case
  • 40mm motor
  • Cool to touch Santorini grip pad

Pros

  • Great for cutting tough scales and bones
  • Optimal precision

Cons

  • Motor can heat up during long jobs
  • Pricey

6 – Berkeley Electric Fillet Knife

If you’re looking for a good quality electric fillet knife that won’t empty your wallet, the Berkeley Electric Fillet Knife might be a good option. At such a decent price, you might expect to compromise on quality, but Berkeley proves that some good things do come at a fair price.

In fact, the 120V motor outdoes many of the other knives on our list! You can save a lot of time at the kitchen counter with a knife that has this much power. Filleting just went from being a hassle to something you can hustle right through, thanks to this knife.

The rust-resistant stainless steel blade keeps corrosion out of the picture. And the side blade release and tricker lock are there for your added safety. 8” is a good size blade for tackling a wide variety of filleting jobs and is a decent length for most types of fish. 

Clean-up is a cinch with the removable blade and the handle is known for its comfort and easy control. All in all, the Berkeley knife more than makes up for its short cord by being durable, strong, and super sharp. It also handles well and eliminates the need for exertion on your part while filleting difficult fish. 

Key Features

  • 8 inches long blade
  • Rust-resistant stainless steel
  • Serrated blade
  • Side blade release
  • Trigger lock
  • Sharp tip

Pros

  • Comfortable and easy to use
  • Sharp

Cons

  • Short cord

7 –  American Angler Pro Electric Fillet Knife

The main draw of this electric knife is that it promises 2X the torque of any other heavy-duty EFK. While it’s hard for us to measure this exactly, this knife does appear to have impressive torque. If filleting with ease is a big concern for you, this knife is worth a good look.

One thing that stands out as advantageous is the airflow design intended to keep the motor (and handle) cool even during long, drawn-out tasks. Because it’s designed to be a heavy-duty knife, you can count on the American Angler Pro to get you through even the most formidable jobs with relative ease. 

Since it’s made from high-quality materials, this electric knife is a bit more expensive than some of the others on this list. However, the investment is worth it when you put this filleter to the test. You’ll notice the ergonomic handle right away and you’ll appreciate the comfort and control when you’re deep into a sizable filleting project. 

And you can have a lot of fun with replacement blades, too. Again, this can become ten knives in one depending on how much experimentation you want to do with blade types and lengths. American Angler knives are designed specifically with fishermen in mind, so you know you can count on them to specialize in the preparation of all kinds of fish. 

Key Features

  • Advanced airflow design keeps knife cool
  • 4X the lifespan of most heavy duty EFKs
  • Superior drive train components
  • Ergonomic handset
  • Compatible with all variations of replacement blades

Pros

  • Good for continuous filleting
  • Powerful

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Handle can get warm

8 –  Black + Decker Electric Carving Knife

Black + Decker is a familiar name in household appliances of all kinds. Though the price threw us a little at first, we were impressed by the quality of such an inexpensive electric knife. Impressively, you’re still working with stainless steel blades and a comfortable grip handle. 

With a 9” blade, you can fillet a wide variety of fish and other meats. The blade is plenty sharp, so there’s no issue with dullness and no difficulty achieving a smooth, efficient fillet. Thanks to the safety lock button, you can be sure the knife won’t turn on while plugged in unless you want it to. This is a great feature if you’ve got little ones in the house.

Because blade release is so simple, cleaning the Black + Decker knife is fast and easy. And since you can get it at a bargain, this is the perfect electric fillet knife if you’re on a budget. The knife is a total of 18” with the blades in and comes with an intuitive trigger for ease of use and safety. The comfort grip will keep you from filleting fatigue and also save you tons of time in the long run.

All in all, the Black + Decker is our favorite electric fillet knife on a budget because it’s got a durable blade, it’s tough, and it’s dependable while still staying affordable.

Key Features

  • 9” blade
  • Stainless steel
  • Comfort grip handle
  • Removable and dishwasher safe parts
  • Safety lock button
  • Blade release button

Pros

  • Good control during slicing
  • Easy to use and safe
  • inexpensive

Cons

  • The safety lock can occasionally lock during cutting

9 – Bubba Li-Ion Electric Fillet Knife

The Bubba Li-Ion Electric Fillet Knife has a striking, stylish design, but it’s also got plenty of substance. The handle is one of the best features of this knife. It’s no-slip for great grip and it gives you fantastic control and accuracy while filleting any number of foods.

The long, super-sharp dual-rivet blade is coated in stainless steel and perfect for getting around scales and bones with maximum precision. The removable blades are easily cleaned and can also be safely stored in the included zippered case for preservation and longevity. 

Although it’s on the higher-end price-wise, keep in mind this knife includes 4 separate blades, essentially making it 4 knives in one. It comes with a 7” e-flex blade, 9” e-flex blade, 9” e-stiff blade, and 12” e-stiff blade. 

Probably one of the greatest things about this knife is that it’s cordless! This makes it ideal for outdoor use and general maneuverability and ease of use. If you can’t stand the thought of being tied to a cord while prepping your meal, the Bubba Li-Ion is probably your best choice. 

The knife includes a wall-charger and 2 lithium ion batteries. It also comes with a premium EVA storage case so you can safely store and transport your knife. For its versatility, mobility, and durability, this electric fillet knife is one of our favorites. And the higher price is definitely worth it if you’ll get use out of all 4 included blades. 

Key Features

  • 8.5” handle length
  • No-slip grip handle
  • Dual-rivet blade
  • Ergonomic trigger
  • Stainless steel coated
  • Removable blades

Pros

  • Easy to clean and take apart
  • Comfortable and easy to use

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Handle is a little bulky

10 – Mister Twister MT-1208 Piranha Knife

This is a particularly cool electric fillet knife because it was specifically designed for saltwater fish. Mister Twister is a trusted name for fillet knives, and the Piranha is made with avid anglers in mind.

With this knife, you get all the rugged goodness of the original Mister Twister Electric Fisherman, but with increased cutting surface. In fact, the Piranha Knife was created with saltwater species of fish in mind, and especially tough scales and skin.

The 9” heavy-duty stainless steel blade with hundreds of serrations is perfect for handling more challenging saltwater fish like Grouper, Snappers, and Swordfish. And although it’s a pro at cutting through fish bone and skin, the Mister Twister also does a great job with things like turkey, ham, and roast. 

You’ll appreciate the extra torque and power of this knife, as well as the powerful motor and sharp blade. You can interchange the provided blade with others for variety and versatility. Also, if you’re a fan of catfish, this knife does a superb job of cutting through big catfish bones. 

It’s heavy-duty enough for the toughest jobs but also efficient and precise enough for delicate trout fillets. For this reason, the Mister Twister is definitely a fisherman’s best friend. 

Key Features

  • Heavy duty
  • Made for use in saltwater
  • Stainless steel blade
  • Serrated
  • Powerful, high torque
  • 9” blade

Pros

  • Specifically designed to handle saltwater fish
  • Powerful enough to handle tough scales and bones

Cons

  • Does not include the separate set of Piranha blades

A Simple Buying Guide To Determine The Best Electric Fillet Knife

Maybe you’re sold on the idea of an electric fillet knife. But there are a lot of seemingly good options, so it can be hard to narrow it down. Below, we take a look at some factors to keep in mind before springing for that new electric fillet knife.

Benefits Of An Electric Fillet Knife

There are a lot of different knives on the market, and you may have questions about whether electric fillet knives are worth the investment. As with most things, it depends on how much use you’ll get out of it. 

The whole point of an electric knife is to make your food preparation faster and more efficient. An electric fillet knife is popular among fishermen because it’s a heavy duty tool that allows them to get through a huge pile of fish with ease and precision.

If you’ve ever spent too long gutting and filleting fish while you wore out your hand and your energy, you know why an electric knife has appeal. Because they’re powered by a motor, an electric knife isn’t relying on how much force or strength you’re exerting with your arm or hand. This takes the pressure off of you and puts it on the knife.

Once people are comfortable handing their electric knife, they often find the precision is much better and they’re getting the most out of their catch. By cutting bones, skin, and scales with accuracy, there’s no waste involved. 

One of the biggest benefits of an electric fillet knife is saved time. Just because you like fishing or cooking and eating fish, that doesn’t mean you want to clean fish for hours on end. An electric fillet knife helps you free up time to do the things you enjoy and get to the highlight of your day – dinner!

Disadvantages of An Electric Fillet Knife

For all their speed, power, and ease of use, some people don’t like electric fillet knives for fish. Most often, it’s all about habits and comfort zones. As with anything else, people tend to stick with what’s most familiar and natural to them.

If you’ve been using a conventional fillet knife for decades, an electric knife might feel overly-powerful, too fast, or unwieldy in the hand. The best way to figure out if this might be the case it to practice. See if you’ve got a friend or family member who will let you try out an electric knife to see if it’s something you might adapt to.

You can also start out with an inexpensive electric fillet knife. That way, if you don’t love it, it’s not too much of a disappointment. Plus, you can probably regift it to one of your angler buddies. Cords can be another obvious disadvantage of an electric knife, but that doesn’t apply to cordless versions.

Most of the time, when someone dislikes electric fillet knives it’s a simple matter of personal preference. 

What To Pay Attention To When Buying This Product

Blade Material

As with any knife, when selecting an electric fillet knife, blade material is extremely important. You want to look for high-quality stainless steel blades that are durable, sharp, and well-crafted. 

Because fillet knives are involved in some pretty messy projects, you want to look for blades that are corrosion and stain resistant. Anyone who’s ever cleaned and prepared a big batch of fish knows there’s a lot more sloppy action than a quick steak-cutting. 

The right blade will resist stains and corrosion and should be easily cleaned. Fish guts and tiny bones can be difficult to clean if your blade isn’t removable and dishwasher safe. Look for blades that are hefty yet flexible, sharp and sturdy. 

Corded VS Cordless

This will definitely be a huge point for some people. One of the main reasons people stay away from electric knives in the first place is the idea of cord limitations. Especially when people are in the habit of working on their fish outside or all over the kitchen, a cord can sound like a big inconvenience.

So there are two options for people who need a lot of room to move around. First, you can opt for a cordless electric fillet knife like that Bubba Li-Ion cordless. You have to freedom to take it outside, to the garage, wherever you like. It comes with a charger and ion batteries to keep it powered up. Though cordless knives tend to be a bit more expensive, they turn out to be the best option for someone who might allow a corded knife to just sit unused.

Another thing to keep in mind is length of cord. Some of the corded knives on our list have cords up to 8 feet long. You might be surprised how much movement and flexibility this actually affords you in the kitchen, so if you hate cords but don’t want to take the financial hit that comes with a cordless, just look for a really long cord. 5-8 feet is usually enough for someone to comfortably make their way around the kitchen, and a batch of fish, without feeling restricted. 

Remember, the whole point of an electric knife is to make filleting and food-prepping faster and easier. Don’t compromise with a short cord if you know it’s going to slow you down or frustrate you. 

Blade Length

As with any fillet knife, you’re going to choose a blade length that matches your favorite type(s) of fish. If you typically stick to just one kind of fish, pick a blade length that matches perfectly. You don’t want a great big blade if you’re carving up small mackerel, but you also don’t want to be working on a huge salmon with that tiny blade.

If you eat a lot of different types of fish, consider a knife that comes with multiple blades, or at least one that has a removable blade that can be switched out. The American Angler Pro Professional Grade Electric Fillet Knife is a great pick because it comes with 5 different blades. If you’re looking for versatility and variety, this might be your knife.

Handle

All knife handles are important. But the electric knife handle faces unique challenges. It needs to be comfortable and no-slip while staying cool in spite of a powerful motor. When shopping for an electric fillet knife, keep your eyes peeled for handles that utilizes an advanced airflow design to keep the handle from over-heating.

Again, an electric fillet knife is supposed to make you quicker and more efficient, so anything that slows you down is a huge error in the design. If a handle gets so hot you can’t hold it, your electric knife just failed the test. 

A comfortable, no-slip handle with great grip and precise control is a must for the best electric fillet knives. These tools are intended to help you tackle challenging jobs that might otherwise exhaust your hand or your patience, so they need to be intuitive and easy to use.  

Price

Price might seem like a no-brainer, but there’s a little more to it than what meets the eye. It’s tempting to think that expensive is better and inexpensive is low-quality. But when you’re looking at electric fillet knives, there’s more to consider.

For example, cordless knives tend to cost more. If that’s an important feature to you, then go for it. But if you couldn’t care less about working with a cord, there’s really no reason to fork over the extra dough just to have a battery power knife.

Another thing to consider is the number of blades. An electric knife that comes with 5 blades is obviously going to be more expensive. And while more might sound better, it’s only better if you’re going to use all the blades. Otherwise, you just paid a higher price to have a bunch of extra blades lying around, collecting dust.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best electric knife for cleaning fish?

There are a lot of great electric knives for cleaning fish, and you really can’t go wrong with any of the options on our list. If a cordless design is a must for you, you’re going to want to go with the Bubba Li-Ion.

If you clean a lot of different kinds of fish on the other hand, you might want to pick a knife that comes with multiple blades like the American Angler Pro or the Bubba Li-Ion. But for our top pick, we chose the Rapala Heavy Duty Electric Fillet knife for its strong motor and impressive speed.

How do you fillet fish with an electric knife?

Many fillet knives are designed with fish in mind. While they might be great for other tasks as well, they really specialize in filleting fresh fish. The process of filleting with an electric knife is much like filleting with a conventional knife, but faster.

It’s recommended that you play around with your electric knife before putting it to work on your fish. You might not be used to the speed, vibration, or power behind your knife. So it’s important to familiarize yourself with the way it handles before getting to work on your fish.

Once you’ve got the hang of your new knife, you can set to removing the head, fins, and tail. After, you want to take off the skin. You can make an incision right along the length of the fish’s back. And when you’re done with the skin, you’re ready to fillet your fish.

Can you sharpen electric fillet knife blades?

The idea that you can’t, or shouldn’t, sharpen electric knife blades is false. Most electric fillet knives have a serrated edge that tends to stay sharper longer than an average blade. However, you will still need to sharpen your electric knife blade on occasion to get its best performance.

Sharpening your knife shouldn’t be too tricky, and the removable blade makes it easier. Invest in a good sharpener and you’ll find that you get a lot of great use out of it.

How do you fillet fish quickly?

One of the main reasons to get an electric fillet knife is to fillet fish more quickly. With a conventional fillet knife, you can effectively fillet a fish or two. But if you’re looking at a big catch or some especially challenging scales and bones, you probably want to enlist the help of a high-quality electric fillet knife.

Electric fillet knives help you fillet quickly because they have the power of a motor behind their blade. This makes for effortless and precise cutting and slicing. Also, your hand should remain supported and comfortable as you extend minimal effort. This keeps you from stopping or pausing and drawing out the length of your task.

How do you fillet a catfish with an electric knife?

If you fillet a catfish with an electric knife, you’re going to get the job done in about half the time it would take with a conventional knife. While it will probably take some practice, it’s relatively easy and there are tons of online videos courtesy of professional anglers that can help guide you through.

If you just got your electric fillet knife, play around with it a bit. Get used to the feel of it in your hand. Try it out on some meat or bread or fruit just to see how it handles – anything that doesn’t require quite the precision of a fresh fish. Once you feel comfortable handling your new knife, the process goes like his:

– Remove the head – start from the gills
– Get rid of the fins and tail
– Take off the skin – make a cut on the back of your catfish then use the electric knife to remove the skin
– Fillet the fish – make an incision next to the spinal column on down to the ribs and down to the tail end

How do you fillet a walleye with an Electric Knife?

Walleye are very sought after fish, and popular. If you’ve ever caught a big one in your local lake, you know that filleting them is not the easiest. They have some pretty tough bones and can be a challenge to fillet.

Because the bones require some strength and power, an electric fillet knife is an excellent choice for filleting walleye. When filleting walleye, here is the best method we’ve seen:

Start with the belly of the fish facing you. Make the first cut into the fish right behind the pectoral fin and stop at the back bone.
Then cut along the back bone, through the rib cage, and all the way down to the tail. You will be able to remove the side of the fish but the rib cage will stay attached to the fillet. After you do this, turn the fish over. Now, the dorsal side is facing you. Repeat the same process until you have two fillets with the rib bones still attached.

With a good electric knife, you can now remove the rib bones by cutting behind the ribs and out through the belly. The sharpness and precision of an electric knife should allow you to carefully follow the curve of the rib cage. Don’t be afraid to flatten the rib bones a little before you carve.

No bones should be left in your two walleye fillets. A fun fact for walleye lovers is that the cheeks are sometimes called the “fillet mignon” of the fish! You can save these by using your electric knife to cut along the cheek socket to “fish out” this little pocket of meat. There are some great videos online that show step-by-step filleting and cooking of walleye.

Final Verdict

While fillet knives are certainly your top choice for fish, keep in mind that a good fillet knife can do a whole lot more. Many of the knives on our list can be used not only for your big catch, but your holiday ham or your tender turkey.

But in spite of their many variations, the best electric fillet knives all have a few things in common. They utilize a powerful motor to make short business of challenging tasks, and they efficiently and effectively fillet fish without wasting or mangling your catch.