Cheese Slicer

The cheese slicer: the essential cheese tool

Cheese slicers are so central to enjoying life with Wisconsin cheese that one might think they have been around since the dawn of time. In reality, the simple cheese slicer we know and love today was invented in 1925 by a Norwegian cabinetmaker named Thor Bjørklund. Frustrated by how difficult it was to cut a uniformly even slice of cheese, Thor took inspiration from the carpenter plane that he used when working with wood and created the first cheese slicer.

A century later, there are multiple types of cheese slicers, but Thor’s simple invention remains largely unchanged and still stands the test of time. Which is a good thing for anyone who loves a slice of Wisconsin cheese on sandwiches, burgers, casseroles, quesadillas, bagels, toast, and cheese platters. Along with cheese knives, cheese graters, and cheese wires, the cheese slicer is a must-have for anyone living the Wisconsin cheese life.

All about cheese slicers

Types of cheese slicers

Cheese slicers come in various designs, each suited to different uses and preferences.

• Plane slicers: Based on the original design by Thor Bjørklund, the plane slicer looks like a spatula and has a blade at the base that shaves off slices of cheese. Plane slicers are ideal for medium to firm cheeses, and these tools offer little room for adjustment in the thickness of the slice.
• Wire slicers: A cheese wire slicer uses a thin wire to create very fine slices. They are often adjustable and work well on semi-soft to semi-hard cheeses.
• Rolling slicers: These slicers are outfitted with both a wire for cutting and a roller for adjusting the depth of the cut. As the tool is pulled across the face of the cheese, the roller keeps the blade at a constant to create an even slice.
• Wire and board slicers: These tools feature a cutting wire and handle that are attached with a hinge to a flat board. After placing a chunk of cheese on the board, you can pull the wire down with the handle to slice through the cheese with the wire.

Alternatives to the cheese slicer

Though the cheese slicer is a go-to tool whenever you want an even cut, you can also use other tools depending on the type of cheese.

• Cheese knives: Cheese knives come in a wide range of shapes and sizes designed to deftly cut certain types of cheeses. The blades of a soft cheese knife, for example, are filled with holes to minimize the blade surface and prevent the cheese from sticking to the blade.
• Wire cutters: A wire cutter is a piece of wire with handles at both ends that can be used to cut large blocks of semi-soft or semi-hard cheese.
• Mandoline: A mandoline is a kitchen tool used to slice and julienne vegetables and other foods very quickly and uniformly. It features a flat platform with an adjustable blade that can be set to different thicknesses. This tool is best used with harder varieties of cheese.
• Paring knives: A sharp paring knife works well for very soft cheeses that don’t need the precision of a cheese slicer.

How to use a cheese slicer

While using a cheese slicer is a simple process, mastering it to get perfectly even slices can take a little bit of practice. Be sure to choose the right slicer for each cheese and bring the cheese to a cool temperature to keep the slices from buckling or breaking. To slice, simply grasp the handle firmly and place the cutting edge or wire at the top of the cheese, then draw the slicer across the surface of the cheese while maintaining steady pressure.

A slicer for every cheese

While cheese slicers are indispensable for cutting your favorite Wisconsin cheddar, swiss, or colby jack cheese, different types of cheeses require a different slicer, and some cheeses are better left to other tools.

Here are suggestions for what to cut with each type of slicer.

• Plane slicers: This tool is best for semi-hard cheeses like baby swiss, brick, and alpine-style cheeses like emmental and gruyere.
• Wire slicers: It’s best to use this tool with semi-soft to semi-hard cheeses like havarti, younger gouda, cheddar blue, queso quesadilla, raclette, lacy swiss, and monterey jack.
• Rolling slicers: Use this tool on semi-hard cheeses like cheddar, gouda, muenster, provolone, fontina, taleggio, and marbled cheeses like colby jack.
• Mandoline: This tool can be used with harder cheeses like romano, pecorino romano, parmesan, and asiago.
• Knives: Certain cheeses are best cut or sliced with a knife. These include cheeses like juustoleipaa and paneer, which are great for baking or grilling, as well as softer cheeses like queso fresco, burrata, and buffalo mozzarella.

Cheeses that don’t want to be sliced

Some cheeses are not meant to be sliced – their texture or moisture content make it difficult to hold form when sliced.

• Crumbly cheeses like feta will fall apart easily when sliced. They’re better served crumbled or in chunks.
• Soft-ripened cheeses like brie and camembert are too delicate for a slicer – they tend to create a gooey mess.
• Creamy cheeses like mascarpone or cream cheese are better spread with a knife than cut with a slicer.
• Blue cheeses like gorgonzola or roquefort are often too soft and crumbly for a slicer – a cheese knife is a more appropriate cutting tool.
• Very hard cheeses like aged gouda, parmigiano reggiano, or pecorino romano become more dense and brittle with age. When attempting to slice these older beauties, the cheese will often break into chunks.