The 5 Best Electric Fillet Knife Choices [Reviewed] – Top Models
Any fish cleaning method requires a sharp knife and we recommend finding the best electric fillet knife for your fishing needs!
This fantastic tool glides along easily, humming and chop-slicing its way through. They work great for fillets that are a little hard from the freezer too. Perhaps best of all, they clean up easily and store handily.
There are many specifically designed options on today’s market, but choosing the best electric fillet knife may be a bit challenging for those who know little about these knives. In this article, we’ll run through important buying info and five top products.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Electric Fillet Knife on the Market
|
Image |
Product Name |
Corded or Cordless |
Blade Length (inches) |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Gent’s Best Electric Fillet Knife |
Corded |
7 |
|
 |
Rapala Heavy-Duty Electric Fillet Knife |
Corded |
7-1/2 |
|
 |
American Angler’s PRO Series Electric Fillet Knife |
Corded |
8 |
|
 |
Rapala Lithium Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife |
Cordless |
6 and 7.5 |
|
 |
Mister Twister Piranha Electric Fillet Knife |
Corded |
9 |
|
1. Gent’s Best Electric Fillet Knife – Best Overall
The Gent’s Best Electric Fillet Knife helps you put an end to the hassle of filleting and cleaning fish. With this unit, you get fifty percent more cutting torque and thirty percent more power, compared to its closest competitors.
Furthermore, it’s equipped with a seven inch, razor-sharp stainless steel blade that does an amazing job of cutting thinner as well as nearer to the bone. Its 110-volt motor delivers unbelievable power that allows you to cut and clean for longer.
A comfortable, lightweight handle offers a stronger grip for better control with minimal dampening when used in wet conditions. Furthermore, it’s fitted with a convenient and quick blade release for faster blade removal.
Pros:
- Highly flexible electric fillet knife
- Motor offers 50% more torque and 30% more power than its competitors
- Comfortable, lightweight handle offers a stronger grip and superior control
- Seven inch, razor-sharp stainless steel blade cuts closer and thinner
- Slices through bone and meat easily
- Convenient and quick blade release for easy blade removal
- Motor housing comes with a safety lock
Cons:
- Blade may be a bit short for filleting bigger fish
2. Rapala Heavy-Duty Electric Fillet Knife – Best with Heavy Duty Motor
The Rapala provides you with remarkable power. With this model, you get great control that allows you to work on the biggest fish.
Superior power and fast blade speed ensure you’ll effortlessly cut through backbones and rib bones. This makes fast work of trout, salmon, and walleye among other large fish in your collection.
It comes with a 7-1/2 inch dishwasher safe blade that has a reciprocating style, which is right size for most of your filleting needs.
The custom style airflow construction decreases any vibration that may interfere with your operation. Furthermore, this construction ensures the motor runs cool as well as smoothly.
Pros:
- Advanced airflow design reduces vibrations and works smoothly
- Relaxed, comfortable grips offer fatigue-free operation
- Reciprocating style and dishwasher safe blade is easy to use and wash
- Made of high-quality materials for durability
- Offers three times the power and twice the speed
- Comes with heavy-duty motor that doesn’t get hot even after extended use
Cons:
- Quite heavy and big
3. American Angler’s PRO Series Electric Fillet Knife – Best Air Flow Design
American Angler are well-known for producing the best products that offer nothing less of high-quality performance. This is exactly what you get with the PRO Series Electric Fillet Knife.
The PRO Series comes with a powerful motor that boasts two times more torque when compared to any other electric fillet knife. Therefore, big fish bones hardly slow your filleting process.
This model comes with an advanced airflow construction that is highly ergonomic. The airflow design gets rid of any dampening and makes sure that the motor doesn’t overheat during heavy use.
It uses hollow ground, flexible, 8-inch blades that offer reciprocating two-blade action for superior manoeuvrability and greater precision. Also, universal compatibility allows you to use the blades on any other American Angler EFK.
Pros:
- Powerful motor boasts two times more torque for cutting bigger bones
- Advanced airflow construction allows it to run longer and smoothly
- Flexible 8-inch blades offer reciprocating two-blade action for greater precision
- 110-volt power delivers smooth as well as consistent filleting
- Eight-foot polarized power cord is long enough for easy plugging
Cons:
- The power switch may stick or jam
4. Rapala Lithium Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife – Best Cordless Fillet Knife
The Rapala Lithium Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife is reliable for three simple reasons: it’s extremely sharp, does a great job of holding the edge and is very consistent.
This knife produces eighty nonstop minutes of runtime for each battery charge without losing power. Furthermore, you’re provided with two lithium batteries, a wall charger and dishwasher safe six, seven and half-inch reciprocating blades. The blades are incredibly sharp and cut thinner and closer to the fishbone.
Fitted with a powerful motor, it delivers sufficient power for running the filleting and cleaning process for an extended duration.
The advanced air flow construction features superior venting that allows the motor to run cool as well as smooth.
Pros:
- Comes with a 6 inch and 7.5-inch blades for preference and convenience
- Runs continuously for 80 minutes on a single charge
- Handle offers a relaxed and comfortable grip for extended use
- Reciprocating style knife blade cuts thinner and closer to fish bone
- Powerful motor offers consistent speed as well as torque
Cons:
- Release button may get stuck
5. Mister Twister Piranha Electric Fillet Knife – Best Saltwater Fillet Knife
If you’ve been searching for a top-quality saltwater electric fillet knife, look no further than the Mister Twister Piranha. It’s a classic and rugged choice for the money.
A razor-sharp nine-inch stainless steel blade makes it very effective at cutting through any fish.
This model also comes with a powerful motor that provides superior torque and faster speed. The motor will not get too hot after nonstop use.
It’s fitted with a lightweight and ergonomic handle that offers a strong grip. Therefore, you have better control when filleting and cleaning bigger fish.
Pros:
- A great choice for saltwater fish
- Razor-sharp nine-inch blade for filleting bigger fish
- Lightweight and ergonomic handle offers superior control
- Heavy-duty motor offers strong torque and faster speed
- Long electric cord for versatility
- Stainless steel blade retains edge and is durable
Cons:
- Does not come with a fillet blade, you have to buy one separately
Things You Should Know Before Buying the Best Electric Fillet Knife
A lot of people think they can clean fish with just any type of knife. Basically, you can, but it’s so much simpler if you use the proper equipment. An electric fillet knife is the ultimate fish cleaning tool. However, you can buy the best model if you take the following factors into consideration.
Blade Size
This is one of the most important considerations. You should buy an electric fillet knife with respect to the size of the fish you regularly catch. If you’re dealing with mostly smaller perch, trout, and smaller freshwater species, you should consider a six or seven-inch blade.
For larger saltwater or freshwater species, then settle for a blade size of eight to nine inches. With both smaller and larger fish, consider buying two separate knives of different length.
Finally, the most popular size is an eight-inch blade. This blade size is suitable for multiple species as well as sizes of both freshwater and saltwater fish.
Plain vs. Serrated Blades
A key advantage of a plain edge blade is ease of sharpening. Any sharp knife is better than a dull knife, no matter whether it’s plain or serrated. A plain edge can stay sharp with just a few minutes of work, and it requires no special equipment.
Most electric fillet knife manufacturers tend to favor serrated blades because they cut through fish easily. In general, serrated edges seem to work better as far as filleting is concerned. However, a serrated blade requires a special sharpening tool.
Blade Material
When it comes to blade materials, the most ideal choice is high-quality stainless steel that will not corrode, warp, or tarnish even in wet fish filleting situations. Here is a list of all the fillet knife blade materials you can choose from.
- Stainless Steel Blades
As mentioned, stainless steel is the most preferred electric knife blade material because of its durability and high corrosion resistance. There are several compositions and grades of stainless steel material that vary depending on the properties used.
While stainless steel fillet knife blades are favored by most because of their ability to resist corrosion, they’re normally not as sharp as knives made of ceramic and carbon.
- Carbon Steel Blade
Electric fillet knife blades made of carbon steel are known to be very sharp and easier to sharpen compared to the ones made of stainless steel. However, these blades do not contain chromium. This means that they have poor rust as well as corrosion resistance.
Carbon steel blades tend to need careful maintenance, due to possible discoloration. If you’re working on a tight budget, then a carbon steel blade is a good choice, but it won’t be as durable as stainless steel.
Handle
You should always settle for an ergonomic handle. This means one that fits your hand comfortably and allows full control of the blade while filleting. Watery conditions require you to have a handle that offers the firmest grip. A firm and comfortable grip eases strain as well as fatigue during extended fish cleaning.
Cord or Cordless
Electric fillet knives can be corded or cordless. A corded unit is fitted with an extension cord for plugging into power; while a cordless unit is fitted with a battery that may require charging. Their functions are similar. The major difference is where you can use them.
If you like doing most of your fish cleaning outdoors or immediately after fishing just at the shore of a river or a lake, then the cordless unit is your best bet. The powerful lithium battery provides enough charge for filleting and cleaning outdoors.
However, if you like doing your fish cleaning indoors, the corded electric fillet knife can do the job. You just have to make sure that the model you buy has an extension cord that is long enough to reach your power extension or socket outlet.
With that said, the cordless electric fillet knife seems to be more versatile, since it can be used outdoors and indoors. However, the final choice depends entirely on you.
Final Review
With so many choices and price points, the best electric fillet knife is worth every dollar, especially by brands that offer customer-friendly warranties. You should definitely go for an option that fits the budget, just make sure it will get the job done.
