The best way to enjoy cheese is to slice it properly! This cuts back on wasted portions and allows full enjoyment of the flavor. But cheese slicers aren’t one-blade fits all. Here are 10 of the best cheese slicers to use if you’re looking to enjoy some dairy-filled goodness.
A cheese slicer is usually used for cutting hard or semi-hard cheeses. Depending on the cheese hardness, the ideal slicer could be a handheld rolling slicer, a cheese plane, or a base model slicer. The handheld slicers are perfect for soft and semi-hard cheese like Camembert and Chevre. On the other hand, a base model comes with a cutting board and a strong steel wire to slice through the hard cheese like Pecorino or Gruyère.
Cheese slicers feature aluminum, plastic, or stainless steel materials. They may also have an adjustable thickness, which helps you make thinner or thicker cheese layers to suit your recipe. Industrial cheese slicers are another option if your macaroni or fondue recipes require melted cheese, but these are primarily for professional use and not for home kitchens.
What Types of Cheese Slicers Are Available?
There are primarily three types of cheese slicers: wire slicer, cheese plane, and rolling slicer. Here’s how each one works and which one’s better depending on your preferences.
Wire Cheese Slicer
If you usually work with softer cheese such as brie or chèvre, then the wire cheese slicer is for you. This tool comes with a cutting board that serves as a base for the soft and extra-hard cheese blocks and a cutting wire that slices through easily. The shape of the sliced cheese is straight, neat, and uniform. Still, you can decide the thickness of the slice depending on the recipe.
While the slicer does consume plenty of space due to the cutting board, it requires less effort than other slicers. Therefore, you can make the slices without applying much pressure.
Modern wire slicers may feature cutting boards made of marble, stainless steel, or plastic materials. You can also use it for cutting particularly moist and oily cheese.
Cheese Plane
This base model slicer comes with a whole set in the base to allow cheese slices to pass through with ease. It’s a type of slicer that you can use to cut large hard cheese into thin and papery slices, which you then put in sandwiches. You can also employ it to cut hard cheese like the Berner Alpkäse, typically aged for two years at least.
A cheese plane is useful for slicing Gruyère and Gouda, too.
The cheese plane also goes by the name Ostehøvel, and it originated in Norway back in 1925. Production of this slicer reached its peak in 1927, with a design inspired by the carpenter’s plane. Nowadays, this particular cheese slicer is most popular in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Rolling Cheese Slicer
This slicer isn’t good with hard cheese but rather cheeses with soft to medium firmness. It comes with an integrated wire designed to do the cutting while putting up less drag than knives. The result is thinner slices for sandwiches or burgers.
I particularly like this type of slicer because it works smoothly. The roller glides around the edges perfectly, maintaining a consistent distance from cheese to cutting wire. Choose this tool if you work with cheddar, Monterey Jack, or similar cheeses regularly.
Top 10 Best Cheese Slicers and Knives
1. Mueller Austria Mandoline Cheese Slicer
A trusted name in European kitchenware, Mueller Austria combines top-notch construction with practical design for superior products. Like their Handheld Vegetable Slicer, the Multi-Blade Adjustable Mandoline Slicer works well with vegetables and fruits and is the best cheese slicer that most people can get for their kitchens.
This product makes slicing cheese a breeze. Just put the block on the mandoline and slide it one direction to create flawless cuts. Since it holds and slices the cheese at the same time, it reduces the risk of injury, compared to using a regular knife.
Given the mandoline’s design, it’s better for slicing hard cheeses like parmesan and pecorino. The adjustable thickness dials give you a lot of options on how thin you want your cheese, which makes it ideal for slices that need to be deep-fried.
Another reason to choose this mandoline is the quality of the materials used. The ABS grade plastic is non-toxic and BPA-free, so you don’t have to worry about food contamination whenever you use it.
Since this product doesn’t have a handle guard, you should be careful to avoid getting cut while using it. The v-blades are extremely sharp compared to the usual straight blade design, so always use the included food guard.
Key Features:
- 420-grade hardened German stainless steel blade has excellent edge retention for cleaner cuts.
- Different attachments can help you slice, dice, and grate cheeses and other food.
- Mueller Austria guarantee provides full refund and replacement in case of damage or defects.
2. BOSKA Copenhagen Spreading Cheese Knives
BOSKA has manufactured high-quality cheese ware since 1896, making it the top choice for many cheese lovers in the world. Similar to Monaco+ Spreading Knife No.1, these Mini Spreading Cheese knives are made of stainless steel but weigh far less. With its small size, it can blend in with almost any kind of cutlery set.
It’s the best knife for spreadable cheeses, like cream cheese or Gournay, because of its slim and small profile. It’s also great for spreading butter over delicate crackers or soft bread since it lacks the weight to crack or disfigure them.
It’s also a cost-effective purchase since you’re getting three-cheese slicers at the price of one. Since they’re easy to clean and dishwasher safe, you don’t have to worry about maintaining them. Even with regular use, they still hold enough of an edge to cut through softer types of cheese.
Unlike the Mandoline Cheese Slicer, these knives don’t suit big or firm blocks of cheese. They function better as an everyday accompaniment to a butter or cheese tray, since their lightweight yet heavy-duty construction prevents them from breaking or bending.
Key Features:
- 2″ inch premium stainless steel knife is hollow, reducing weight.
- Works with spreads, tapenade, sauces, and other dressings.
- Light construction prevents it from sinking into soft foodstuff.
3. Kai Pure Komachi 2 Cheese Knife
With over 111 years of serving Japanese cooks, Kai knives have been a consistent presence in many kitchens in Asia and beyond. The Pure Komachi 2 Cheese knife is a testament to their commitment to quality at budget-friendly prices, making it accessible to anyone who wants to bring their cheese slicing to new heights.
Unlike other cheese slicers, the blade of this knife incorporates several holes in its design. This has two benefits: it reduces the overall weight of the knife while still keeping workable sharpness, and it prevents the cheese from sticking to the blade after each slice. That makes it better for softer products like Brie, Coulommiers, or Neufchatel.
The non-slip coating of the handle complements its ergonomic design, reducing the strain on the hands and wrist while handling the knife. Both the knife and the sheath are dishwasher safe for easier maintenance and last long even with regular use.
Compared to the LUNAR Premium Cheese knives, this is one product that can handle almost any kind of cheese without trouble. It’s also easy to clean and holds its edge with no sharpening. These features cement its place as the best cheese cutting knife for anyone looking to prepare cheese in large batches.
Key Features:
- 4.5″ inch high carbon stainless steel blade resists rust, spotting, and staining
- 16-degree Japanese cutting edge can slice through hard and soft cheese with ease
- The coating is FDA-approved to prevent cross-contamination
4. Westmark Germany Multipurpose Stainless Steel Cheese Slicer
A staple in Germany’s kitchens since 1956, Westmark has brought their high-quality yet convenient kitchenware to all around the world. For new cooks that incorporate a lot of cheese into their cooking, this stainless steel cheese slicer is a simple yet effective tool to use.
This cheese slicer relies on a knife-and-board design that works most types of cheese. The red guard prevents the cheese from slipping out between cuts and gives you an unobstructed view of how thick or thin your slice will be. The ABS plastic is durable and easy to clean by hand, with a cast aluminum handle that’s water-resistant and doesn’t require a lot of force to push down.
Finally, the intuitive scale design gives you the exact thickness you want for cheese. It performs best with 3×3 or 4×4 blocks of cheese, though you can use a knife to cut bigger blocks into chunks. Take note that the blade isn’t actually affixed to the arm handle – it’s a separate piece that you have to clean around to avoid buildup of bacteria and other detritus.
Same with the Mueller Cheese Slicer, this product is best for hard cheeses like Parmesan and Mimolette. It’s also good for crumbly ones like emmentaler and aged cheddar.
If you’re looking for a cheese slicer but want to stay away from wire cutters, this works well as an affordable yet efficient alternative.
Key Features:
- 5″ inch stainless steel keeps a razor-sharp edge even with repeat use
- Can also work as a slicer for vegetables and meat
- Westmark Amazon guarantee provides a full refund in case of product issues
5. Prodyne Beechwood Cheese Slicer
The creators of the Original Gourmet Cheese Slicer, Prodyne has continued their mission of providing every American household with reliable wire type cutters. The Beechwood cheese slicer is an excellent blend of form and function, backed by years of research and development.
While it’s not as portable as the Kai Pure Komachi 2, it makes up for it with quicker cutting and elegant presentation. Small enough to bring on picnics yet large enough to impress guests at the dining table, this wire cheese cutter can sink into extra hard cheeses cleanly and smoothly. You won’t have trouble slicing pecorino, parmesan, or manchego using this tool.
It can cut without sticking or breaking the cheese itself. In the hands of an expert cook, you can easily go through multiple varieties of cheese in a multi-course meal.
Combined with the easy-to-maintain design, these features make this the best cheese slicer for presentation purposes.
Key Features:
- Stainless steel cutting wire is rust-proof and oil-resistant
- The high-tension wire can also cut other materials like soap
- Lifetime warranty for the cutting wire with each purchase
6. Cambom Manual Rotary Cheese Grater
Cambom kitchenware is known for two things: making food prep less messy and cramming as many functions as they can into one product. Like their Mini Manual Food Processor or their Vegetable Chopper, the Manual Rotary Cheese Grater performs great as a cheese slicer – plus a few other features.
All you need to do is to load the blade you want for shredded, grated, or sliced cheese. It’s effective with semi-soft cheeses like mozzarella and Monterey Jack. The stainless steel blades keep their edge, giving you multiple cuts with one twist of the handle. The non-slip rubber base makes handling easier.
The long crank arm can provide you with more torque for quicker grating. This product relies on mechanical action to speed up the slicing process, which also reduces the strain for you when you use it.
Overall, it’s a heavy-duty kitchen aid that can drastically cut down on prep time for meals, aside from performing well as a cheese slicer. Sturdy and efficient, it’s equally at home in a compact kitchen or a large restaurant.
Key Features:
- 3 different stainless steel attachments: fine, coarse, and slice
- Can work on potatoes, nuts, salad toppings, nuts, and other pastries
- Includes accessories such as cleaning brush and food pusher
7. LUNAR Premium 6-Piece Cheese Knife Set
ICOSA Living has had years of experience in crafting high-quality tools, furniture, and other home essentials, blending quality with good pricing. The LUNAR Premium Cheese Knife Set is a superb example of fine craftsmanship and thoughtful design in one product that’s sure to delight any avid cheese eater.
Like the Cambom Rotary Cheese Grater, you can use these knives for a variety of cheeses. However, you can handle these knives with more finesse compared to mandolines and graters, which expands the cheese options you can serve at your table.
The specially designed blades and handles are balanced perfectly, so you don’t drop them or cut your cheese by accident. Aside from slicing, you can also use the other utensils to serve and spread cheese on your food. Similar to the HARVEST Premium Cheese Slicer Set, this is one product that sits comfortably in your hands with its ergonomic grip.
The set comes with 6 unique blades that each have different uses:
- Pronged Knife: Best used for spreading soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert.
- Thin Knife: Works best for semi-firm cheeses like Jarlsberg, Cheddar, and Swiss Cheese.
- Heart Knife: The curved edge makes this ideal for hard cheese like Parmesan and Grana Padano.
- Chisel Knife: A versatile tool best for hard and crumbly cheese like Emmentaler and Aged Cheddar.
- Cheese Fork: Great for holding cheese while cutting, also useful for serving olives and charcuterie.
- Cheese Spreader: Perfect for soft and spreadable cheese like Rocchetta and Cream Cheese.
Key Features:
- Each cheese slicer is made of solid stainless steel for better performance and longer life
- Includes 4 cheese slicers, 1 cheese fork, and 1 cheese spreader
- Comes in a beautiful box for easy storage and gift-giving
8. BOSKA Holland Cheese Slicer and Plane
BOSKA’s cheese ware isn’t just limited to delicate cheese spreaders. The Cheese Slicer Monaco is a straightforward and effective design based on decades of the company’s expertise in making the best tools to enjoy your cheese.
With a finely honed edge, this cheese slicer requires almost no effort to glide along the surface of the cheese. It’s able to shave firm cheeses like Jarlsbergs, though it works best with semi-soft cheeses like cheddar. It’s dishwasher safe and stain-resistant, so it will perform well and still look good on any cheese tray.
Experienced cheese handlers can definitely take advantage of the adjustable thickness afforded by using this cheese plane, since shaving the surface can get you thinner cuts than what you’d get with using a cheese wire. It also gives you more consistent cuts compared to a cheese knife.
The basic design combined with the heavy-duty build makes this the best cheese plane that you can buy on a budget. It can easily streamline your cheese prep and can consistently outperform competitor products.
Worried about where to put your favorite cheese plane in the kitchen? Then read this article to find the Best Magnetic Knife Strip.
Key Features:
- 100% stainless steel build ensures peak slicing even after intense use
- Cutting action aerates the cheese, resulting in a stronger flavor with each slice
- 10-year warranty with each cheese slicer purchased
9. FrontTech Stainless Steel Cheese Slicer
Most of FrontTech’s products are heavy-duty and designed for big jobs, and their kitchenware is no different. The FrontTech Cheese Slicer is a utilitarian knife capable of cutting, serving, and shaving the toughest and biggest cheese blocks.
This is primarily due to its solid stainless steel construction, coupled with a non-slip reinforced grip that’s tough and waterproof. While it has a nice heft that can easily take the top off a cheese block, it’s also maneuverable enough to use on semi-soft cheeses like Monterey Jack. Like a wire cheese slicer, you can choose how much force to apply to get the exact thickness that you want.
If you’re looking for a stainless steel cheese slicer that can shave slices with ease, then this should be your pick. It’s a great shaver and makes for an excellent cheese knife for hard cheese without being cumbersome to use.
Key Features:
- 8.5″ inch long, 2.5″ inch wide stainless steel is extra-sharp for even slicing
- The matte handle is dishwasher safe and avoids staining and rust
- 1-year warranty provided with every purchase
10. The Cheese Knife OKP2
The Cheese Knife is a product of Fairchild Engineering, this cheese slicer combines a non-stick formula with a uniquely designed blade that can cut through soft cheese effortlessly. These elements make this tool an amazing cheese knife for Brie and other soft cheeses.
Unlike LUNAR Premium Cheese Knives, this product is a general-use knife that can work for everyday cheese that needs slicing. The plastic handle is food-safe and molded for a softer and more comfortable grip while remaining dishwasher safe. The protective sleeve ensures that the blade doesn’t chip while in storage and protects you from getting cut while handling it.
What’s amazing about this knife is the resin blade. While it lacks the durability of stainless steel, it makes up for it by being lighter and more maneuverable than your average cheese slicer. While it may lack the heavy-duty cutting power of their Serrated Cheese Knife, the smooth surface helps prevent the cheese from clogging the blade.
Key Features:
- 3.75″ inch ULTEM® resin blade is lightweight and shaved for extra cutting power
- Stain-resistant and heat resistant (up to 430 degrees)
- Also works with cake, butter, eggs, and any other food that’s prone to sticking or staining
Related Article: Best Egg Slicer Review for Egg Salad
What Factors Should You Consider to Choose a Cheese Slicer?
Before buying a cheese slicer, make sure to learn about its main features and how they could help you be more proficient in the kitchen. Consider elements like the materials, thickness adjustment, size, and versatility.
1. Material
Cheese slicers usually feature aluminum, plastic, or stainless steel. Here’s how each material affects the slicer’s performance.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a popular material that you often see in rolling cheese slicers and cheese planes.
This material slides smoothly against the cheese, allowing you to be as careful as possible while making paper-thin slices. With an aluminum slicer, you pay less than stainless steel, but the item is more durable than plastic. I wouldn’t recommend this material for hard cheese because it’s likely to bend.
Plastic
Plastic is inexpensive, and you can clean it much easier than the other materials. It is ideal for casual cook who doesn’t go too deep into cheese recipes and doesn’t want to spend much on this type of tool.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is the ultimate cheese slicer material because it can stand heavy-duty use. You can use it to cut soft or hard cheese alike, and the steel won’t bend awkwardly. Therefore, if you’re slicing large cheese blocks, the cut will be uniform from top to bottom. This material is non-corrosive, and it doesn’t discolor the cheese, and it’s more common in wire cheese slicers.
2. Adjustable Thickness Slicer
A good wire cheese slicer offers multiple thickness adjustment options to adapt to your cooking style and recipes. I love this feature because it allows me to create thin cheese layers for a sandwich or thicker slices for juicy grilled cheese roll-ups. Don’t expect a rolling slicer to offer different thickness adjustments. Instead, go with a wire-style slicer to have more options while cooking.
3. Size
The size of your ideal cheese slicers depends on the type of cheese you regularly cut, but I always recommend a wire slicer as the safest choice. Although it does consume more space than the other types of slicers, but you can accommodate cheeses of different sizes. It’s the go-to choice if you work with Roquefort, Emmental, Taleggio, or similar cheeses. Using this slicer to cut small and soft cheese is trickier, but it’s definitely possible.
If you mostly work with soft and small cheeses, then a handheld rolling slicer or cheese plane is enough.
4. Ease of Use
Rolling cheese slicers and cheese planes are the easiest to use, and you should start with these if you’re an entry-level home cook. All you have to do is place the slicer over the cheese and slide it towards you to get clean slices.
Wire slicers have a bit of a learning curve, but you won’t regret investing money and time in it. Learning how to work with the thickness adjustments will help you make more consistent cuts. As a result, the sliced cheese will look much better.
5. Ease of Cleaning
Plastic is dishwasher-safe, and you can even leave it on the counter to wash them later because it doesn’t corrode. The downside is that the cheese is likely to stick over this material. It looks bad if you leave it unattended and could feel nasty during washing.
I prefer stainless steel because it has a non-sticky surface. This material is also more resistant against the cheese’s stickiness. Therefore, your sliced cheese will look more attractive, and the slicer will be easier to wash. Aluminum is also easy to wash, as it only requires a combination of mild detergent and water. Choose one of these materials to make your life easier in the kitchen.
Remember that wire slicers should be easy to clean. Don’t pick an overly complicated slicer because it may break while you’re cleaning it.
6. Versatile
I particularly like the wire cheese slicer because you can do pretty much anything you want with it. Use it for slicing soft cheese like ricotta or cutting harder goods like Gruyere and Pecorino.
But a wire cheese slicer serves more purposes than just cutting cheese. You can also use it for cutting dough, cold butter, and other items like shortening and lard. Consider buying one of these slicers if you are an active cook that enjoys making new recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which Types of Slicers Are Safest for Handling Large Blocks of Cheese?
You will need a wire cheese slicer with a cutting board if you want to cut large cheese blocks. Handheld slicers like roller or cheese planes are not good because they may slide off under enough pressure, putting your fingers and hand in danger. With a wire slicer, you’re in a safe position, and you don’t have to apply too much force either.
Can You Use a Mandoline to Slice Cheese?
You can use a mandoline to slice and grate hard cheese, but it requires more effort. This kitchen utensil is an excellent tool for slicing aged cheese to make burgers and grilled cheese. However, mandolines are more dangerous than a regular cheese slicer, so you may want to use a cut-resistant glove.
Will a Meat Slicer Cut Cheese?
A meat slicer can slice most food, including cheese. In this case, you have to be more careful and be wary of the thickness. If you want thin cheese layers, you must adjust the slicer blade before cutting.
Why Do Cheese Knives Have a Hook?
Cheese knives have a hook because it allows you to serve the cheese slices without using your hands. Not every cheese knife comes with this feature, and it’s mostly found in knives designed for semi-hard to hard cheeses.
Final Verdict
So what’s the best cheese slicer that you can use? Our analysis and user reviews consistently rate the Mueller Austria Mandoline as the top choice, though more discerning cheese connoisseurs might gravitate to other cheese slicers. No matter which one you pick, a high-quality product can bring your cheese experience to new and delicious places.
