Cheese Wire Slicer

The cheese wire slicer: A cheese lover’s best friend

When you want perfectly even slices of your havarti, butterkäse, or Cello Copper Kettle Cheese (a Wisconsin favorite!), a cheese wire slicer is your go-to tool. This ingenious tool uses a taut wire to cleanly slice through cheeses with softer, more delicate textures. Where a cheese knife or standard slicer might bungle the job, a cheese wire slicer will give you a clean, smooth slice of Wisconsin cheese every time.

Wire slicers come in a variety of forms, from handheld or board-mounted single slicers to harp slicers that cut multiple slices at once. For anyone who finds joy in topping a sandwich, burger, quesadilla, bagel, or casserole with the perfect slice of creamy Wisconsin goodness, a cheese wire slicer is one of the most indispensable cheese and charcuterie board accessories.

Everything to know about cheese wire slicers

A cheese wire slicer is a specialized tool used to cut cheese into thin, even slices using a tensioned wire. Typically, a wire slicer is fashioned with a stainless-steel wire stretched between a handle or frame. When slicing cheese, the wire allows a smoother, cleaner cut than a traditional knife, especially for softer cheeses that might stick to a blade. In contrast to standard plane slicers, many wire slicers are adjustable, allowing you to choose the thickness of each slice by repositioning the wire.

Types of cheese wire slicers

There are many variations of wire slicers. The most common products include:

• Handheld wire slicers: These are the most common tools used in kitchens everywhere. They are made with a handle attached to a wire that can be pulled through the cheese by hand. Many handheld models can be adjusted to change the thickness of slices by altering the position of the tool or adjusting a knob. Handheld cheese wire slicers are ideal for small to medium blocks of cheese and for semi-soft varieties like havarti, fontina, and young gouda.
• Wire-and-board slicers: This type of wire slicer is mounted on a flat board, typically made of wood, marble, or plastic. One end of the frame holding the wire is attached to the board with a hinge. When lowered by the handle at the other end, the wire can slice through a chunk of cheese with ease. Wire-and-board slicers are more stable than handheld versions and can cut larger blocks of cheese more easily. This type of cheese wire slicer is often found in cheese shops and delis and is ideal for medium-sized blocks of semisoft hard cheeses like colby, cheddar, and provolone.
• Adjustable wire slicers: These tools typically come with a roller that rolls across the face of the cheese as a wire beneath the roller makes the cut. You can adjust the thickness of the slice by changing the distance between the roller and wire. This design is perfect for home cooks and professionals who want to slice cheese at very precise thicknesses.

The benefits of using a cheese wire slicer

• Precise, even slices: A cheese wire slicer allows for the most uniform slices, which can be important for presentation.
• Gentle cuts: One of the biggest advantages of a wire slicer is that it cuts soft and semi-softened cheeses with care. Where cheeses like havarti, fontina, or brie could get crushed under the pressure of a knife or stick to the blade, a cheese wire will glide through these varieties easily, leaving them intact and perfectly sliced.
• Safety: Wire slicers are easy to use and have less risk of injury when compared to sharp cheese knives.
• Adjustable thickness: Wire slicers are the best tool when you want the ability to precisely adjust the thickness of each slice.
• No sharpening: Unlike knives, cheese wire slicers don’t need to be sharpened. If the wire breaks, it’s usually easy and inexpensive to replace.

Alternatives to cheese wire slicers

While cheese wire slicers are excellent tools, there are plenty of other tools for slicing cheese.

• Plane slicers have a flat metal blade that’s attached to a handle which can be used to shave off thin slices. This tool is ideal for firmer cheeses that do not require the more delicate control of a wire slicer.
• Cheese knives offer a variety of tools for cutting different types of cheese. Soft cheese knives, for example, are made with perforations that prevent softer cheeses from sticking to the blade. Cheese knives are also ideal for cutting cheeses like paneer or halloumi which can be easily grilled or baked, and for very soft cheeses like fromage blanc or queso fresco.
• Mandoline slicers like those used for vegetables may also be used to slice very thin pieces of harder cheeses.
• The best cheese graters frequently include an option for slicing cheese in addition to blades for grating and shredding cheese.

The best cheeses for a cheese wire slicer

Wire slicers are best suited to cutting semi-soft and semi-hard cheeses.

Semi-soft cheeses

• Havarti: The creamy, smooth texture of havarti can be sliced cleanly with a wire slicer.
• Fontina: This semi-soft, slightly elastic cheese is ideal for wire slicing.
• Raclette: Known for its melting properties, raclette is best sliced thinly with a wire slicer.
• Butterkäse: The soft, buttery texture of this cheese makes it perfect for wire slicers.

Semi-hard cheeses

• Gouda (young): Young gouda’s soft, pliable texture makes it ideal for wire slicers.
• Provolone: A wire slicer cuts through this semi-hard cheese effortlessly, providing uniform slices.
• Colby: A wire slicer works well with the moist, semi-hard texture of a colby or a marbled cheese like colby jack.
• Cheddar: Though cheddar can be cut with various tools, younger cheddars are easily cut with a wire.

Soft cheeses

• Buffalo mozzarella: A cheese wire slicer is gentle enough to handle the soft, moist texture of buffalo mozzarella without crushing it.
• Burrata: For this very soft cheese, a wire slicer can provide clean cuts, though handling must be delicate.