Bagel halves coated with cream cheese or your favorite condiment and topped with meat or bacon bits form the best breakfast meal. But you won’t get pre-cut bagels in the market. Similarly, you won’t get halves of muffins, cupcakes, bread loaves, and more. This is why having the best bagel slicer in your kitchen is more feasible. However, the main problem is in choosing the right product from the long list of options you have. To prevent you from making the wrong choice, we have crafted a complete buying guide for you.
Why Is Having a Bagel Slicer Important for Your Kitchen?
Many people think that having a bagel slicer will be nothing but a waste of money when they can simply use a knife. But that’s not true because this particular appliance can come in handy in your kitchen. We have highlighted some of its major benefits in the below section that you don’t want to miss.
- You don’t have to use knives separately for cutting the bagels into two halves.
- These slicers can produce two bagel halves with smooth surfaces without squishing the entire food item.
- These are ideal for a busy kitchen, both in your home and a professional cafeteria or bakery.
- You can even cut muffins, pastries, pieces of bread, rolls, and other such food items with bagel slicers.
What Are Factors You Need To Keep an Eye on While Choosing a Bagel Slicer?
Storage
Whenever you buy something new for your kitchen, your primary concern is its storage. Therefore, you need to consider how bulky the bagel slicer is because you need to store it appropriately in your kitchen without sacrificing too much space. Besides, if the product has a bulky build, keeping it on the kitchen countertop will become difficult for you. Thus, always go for a compact and small product in size so that you can keep it anywhere in your kitchen at your convenience.
Material
Most bagel slicers are made from stainless steel blades because they can easily cut through the bagels or any other type of bread. But the outer body can be made from stainless steel, rubberwood, or ABS plastic. Stainless steel is the strongest and most durable out of these three materials. It can last for a long time without suffering much wear and tear. On the other hand, the slicers made from ABS plastic are light and can be carried easily to any place. Also, this material is non-toxic and eco-friendly, which won’t compromise the food items’ safety. A few products are also made from rubberwood with a wonderful charm in terms of looks and can last for a long time.
Cutting edge
The performance of the bagel slicer depends on the cutting edge of its blade. Bagels, muffins, bread loaves, and other such food items have a rough texture on the insides. Therefore, a blade with a plain and smooth cutting surface won’t be able to produce even cuts in the food items. That’s why you need to go for a product whose blade has a serrated cutting edge. Such a blade can easily cut through the rough texture of bagels and other bread forms without mangling or squishing them.
Non-stick coating
In some bagel slicers, the blade surfaces are coated with xylan. It is non-stick in nature and can easily produce smooth surfaces in the bagels and bread items. With a smooth surface, it will become easier for you to apply spreads and sauces on the bagel halves and enjoy the meal to the fullest. Besides, this coating material increases the blade's durability, making it much stronger to withstand wear and tear for a long time.
Slot thickness
Bagels come in different thicknesses, so you need to check the slot’s thickness of a bagel slicer. Some products have a very thick slot so that you can cut through any type of bagel, muffin, bread loaf, and more. But if your chosen slicer has a thin slot, you won’t be able to cut through these items easily. In fact, there are high chances that the bagel will be mangled due to limited space inside the slot.
Clamps
Some bagel slicers are reinforced with clamps. These will help you fix the bagel in place once you put it inside the slot. Therefore, it won’t move from its place when you push down the guillotine blade for cutting through the food item.
Protective shields
As the bagel slicers are equipped with sharp blades, it’s best to go for a product having protective shields on both sides of the blade. These are made from an acrylic material that will prevent your fingers from coming in direct contact with the blade, thereby helping you work in your kitchen safely.
Rubber feet
To ensure that the bagel slicer doesn’t move from its original position, its base should be reinforced with rubber feet. Rubber has a rough texture and can generate a traction force that will keep the product in place without letting it move unexpectedly.
Slot divider
In some bagel slicers, you will find a slot divider. Using this, you can change the cutting thickness to 1 centimeter or 2.5 centimeters. Therefore, you can make thin bagel or bread slices for your kids while thicker slices for yourself.
How To Use a Bagel Slicer Correctly
If you are not sure about the utility of the bagel slicer, do not worry much. We have discussed how you can use the product to get the best results in the below section.
- First, you need to put the bagel or bread item inside the slot. Make sure its thickness is apt so that you don’t have to squeeze the food item while putting it in the slot.
- If your product has clamps, fix the bagel in them.
- Remove your fingers from inside and hold the handle with your less-used hand.
- Push down the guillotine blade with your dominant hand. Make sure to press with enough force to cut the bagel in a single motion.
