Careless serving can ruin any meal. It’s the same with pizza. Anyone who has ever cut a pizza knows that it’s not as easy as it looks. It is especially difficult to make a neat cut if a pizza cutter is not sharp.
A blunt blade doesn’t cut but rips and crumbles the dough. Melted cheese is even more difficult. A dull knife pulls the strands of cheese rather than cutting them. So, it’s time to figure out how to sharpen a pizza cutter.
How The Dull Pizza Cutter Problem Arises
Cutting your pizza with all your care, but still, something goes wrong? Perhaps your pizza cutter needs sharpening. Let’s examine why your pizza cutter is getting dull.
The material of your pizza cutter
Often kitchen utensils are quite inexpensive, and you can’t expect much from a cheap pizza cutter. After only a few uses, pizza wheel no longer cuts the pizza dough, but rather rips it. When sharpened, the low quality materials deform, and the handle and fasteners break out. This can be extremely dangerous!
If a cheap tool has used up its life, let it rest in peace and just buy the next one. Hope, your new pizza cutter lasts longer.
And no matter what the price is, it is not possible to sharpen plastic and porcelain tools. A professional pizza maker does not use such utensils, but for rare cooking they are quite suitable.
How you store your pizza cutter
An ordinary pizza cutter is not something we cherish, is it?
You know how it is customary to store knives. It might be a magnetic bar or a wooden holder for a whole set. And a pizza cutter is essentially a knife as any other. But it’s usually lying around in a drawer along with other kitchen utensils.
As a result, the blade touches other items and gets scratched and jagged. To avoid this, look for a quality pizza cutter with a blade cover. A blade cap will significantly prolong the sharpness of your pizza wheel.
What you use to cut
Before asking how to sharpen a pizza cutter, let’s think about how not to dull it.
It is not a good idea to cut pizza directly on the metal tray or pizza stone. Dense and hard materials make your pizza cutter dull. A metal, glass, marble, or stone cutting board literally kills the sharpening. Pizza stones are made of ceramics, cordierite, or chamotte. These are also very rigid materials. Read more about pizza stones.
The best materials to keep sharpness are high-quality food plastic, silicone, and wood. Professionals use wooden boards with cross-cut wood or high density polyethylene BPA-free cutting boards.
A little life hack for homemade pizza. To make a neat and clean cut, use a pizza cutter wheel right after you take the pizza out of the oven. If you are using a standard knife, let the pizza cool down a bit. Want to learn more about the clean cut, check out our review on the subject.
And to save the blade from blunting, slip a flexible silicone mat between the tray and the pizza.
Cutting Tools for Pizza
No matter how carefully they are used, knives and tools need to be sharpened regularly. Let’s explore the types of kitchen utensils we have to maintain.
Pizza cutter wheel
Usually when we say pizza cutter, we mean a wheel cutter. This simplest and most common gadget can look in different ways. Most pizza cutters have a long handle, some need to be pressed from above.
Most importantly, the spinning blade should be made of high quality stainless steel. Ideally, the blade should be removable for sharpening and everyday cleaning and have a cover for safe storage.
The wheel cutter has perhaps the only disadvantage. It will not cut the bottom crust in a deep dish or pan pizza. The circular blade rests against the sides of the dish and does not cut through the square bottom. A wheel pizza cutter is convenient for cutting on a flat surface such as a baking tray or baking sheet.
Rocker pizza cutter
The rocker pizza cutter is a powerful tool that doesn’t glide but cuts the pizza into pieces in one motion. It is suitable for any kind of pizza in any dish.
Unlike an ordinary knife, the rocker pizza cutter does not need to make a sawing motion. All you have to do is rock the cutter back and forth. This will keep the pizza toppings from sliding off.
In addition to pizza, the rocker cutter can chop vegetables, herbs and generally anything else you want. It’s a multifunctional device that will be useful for years to come.
Pizza cutter scissors
Pizza cutter scissors and cutting spatulas are also found in home use. You won’t go hungry, but you shouldn’t expect them to slice evenly. Even the best ones are too short to cross the entire diameter of the pizza.
Scissors can be difficult to wash. And spatulas, even with a sharp edge, are still more convenient to transfer than to cut. Therefore, we don’t focus on these utensils.
Anyway, you’ve got a dull pizza wheel. Or a dull pizza cutter. Or dull pizza scissors. What to do?
What Are The Ways To Sharpen Tools
Here is a list of all possible ways to sharpen pizza cutters. And one more way not to do it as a bonus.
- Knife sharpener
There is a manual knife sharpener in every home. Usually, this gadget has two working stages. The first step is for preliminary straightening the blade of the knife, the second step is for sharpening. Some models have a third stage of final honing.
The construction of an ordinary knife sharpener does not allow you to regulate the desired angle of sharpening. The quality of the knife sharpening depends on how evenly you pressed.
Knife sharpeners can also be used for other cutting tools. It is one of the most affordable options to sharpen any blade.
- Pizza cutter sharpener
Sharpening pizza wheels is difficult because of the rotating blade. But you can still try to sharpen the pizza cutter without taking it apart. You can try a specially made pizza cutter sharpener.
The manual pizza cutter wheel sharpener has the same working principle as the knife sharpener. The semicircular body is convenient to roll the pizza wheel.
For even sharpening, mark where you started and work around the quarters of the pizza wheel.
- Whetstone
A traditional whetstone is a great investment because it will last for many years. You may have inherited this essential tool from your great-great-grandfather. If not, sharpening stone is worth buying. It can be used to sharpen any kitchen utensil imaginable.
If you are a beginner, try the whetstone with the angle guide. This will allow you to keep the desired angle. The guide will also help you fix the spinning edge of pizza wheel.
Diamond sharpening stone is one type of whetstone. Made of diamond-coated metal, it is a very hard and durable material that cannot come at a low cost. But spending the money you will save your time. Sharpen a pizza cutter on a diamond stone will be twice as fast as a regular whetstone.
- Puck sharpener
The puck sharpener is a kind of stone whetstone but it’s easier to use. Whetstone is placed on a smooth surface, and the blade slides over the top. In contrast, the puck sharpener is taken in the hand and moved over the blade. You can put down and press your dull pizza cutter and sharpen it in comfort. However, it can also be something heavier, such as an axe.
Wear protective gloves to work with stone puck!
- Belt grinder
The belt grinder is an electric sharpener that will make your pizza cutter and pizza wheel exceptionally sharp in minutes.
It is rational to buy such a machine if you sharpen your cutters and pizza wheels often and in large quantities. If you do purchase a belt grinder for your home, all of your knives, scissors and cutters will be sharp to perfection.
- Honing rod
Technically speaking, honing rod does not sharpen the blade, but straightens its shape. When the pizza cutter is in use, the edge of the cutting surface may bend to one side or the other. This gives the impression that the knife is dull. Honing the edge of the blade is about caring for pizza cutters and other utensils so they stay sharp longer.
- Pizza cutter wheels with replacement blades
There are many ways how to sharpen a pizza cutter, but there’s only one way to avoid it. Just buy a pizza wheel with replacement blades. All you do is take your pizza wheel apart, replace the blade, and put it back together. And voila, you have the perfect pizza cut again!
Now you’ve seen all the sharpening tools and chosen what works for you. Here are the guidelines on how to sharpen.
How To Sharpen A Pizza Cutter in Different Ways
Using manual knife or pizza cutter sharpener
Using a manual knife sharpener and a pizza cutter sharpener works the same way. If the pizza cutter body is made in a semi-circle, the pizza cutter wheel can be sharpened using the same method as the knife.
- Use a pencil to mark the point on the pizza wheel blade where you start. The marking will help you to make a full circle and finish the entire edge evenly. Hold the pizza cutter blade straight down, do not deflect to the left or right.
- Start at the first level of the sharpener. Move a knife from the tip to the handle or move a pizza cutter only in the forward direction. Do not make any sawing movements. Take your time and do not apply excessive pressure.
- Make a complete circle several times and move on to the next level of the pizza cutter or knife sharpener. There can be two or three levels, depending on the model.
Have a little patience and your pizza blade and all your kitchen knives are just fine.
A half-circle sharpener is not suitable for rocker pizza cutters. Rocker cutters are better sharpened with a straight sharpener or whetstones.
Using a whetstone to sharpen a pizza cutter blade
Usually two whetstone of different grains are used. Stones with 400/1000 grit are the most popular for home kitchen tool. If you want to slice fillets like a professional chef, get a set with stone surfaces up to 6000 grit.
For starters, try using angle guides. This is a simple pyramid-shaped fixture where each facet gives a specific angle for sharpening. Keep in mind that kitchen knives can have a different blade angle on each side. Sharpening pizza cutters may be easier in that.
- If you have a wheeled pizza cutter, take it apart. The rotating blade will interfere with sharpening. Wear protective gloves as a matter of course!
- Soak the first stone block in water for 10-15 minutes.
- And in the meantime, figure out what angle you are going to sharpen. Put the pizza blade against the pyramidal guide, one of its edges will fit you.
- Attach the guide to the stone block so that the blunt side of the blade is raised, and the sharp side is flush with the stone. Thanks to the anti-slip rubber on the bottom of the pyramid, this will not be difficult.
- Press the sharp point to the top of the stone and pull the blade straight down. Work the entire surface of the stone, keeping the blade flat. While returning back to the top of the stone, reduce the pressure, but do not take the blade away from the stone surface.
- Sharpen each section of the rocker pizza blade or each sector of the wheel pizza blade. It will take some time, but the first stone does the bulk of the work. Then move on to the second stone. It gives the final sharpness and works as a polishing compound.
No doubt, your pizza slices will be neat to the millimeter after this job.
The same instructions how to sharpen a pizza cutter are used for a diamond sharpening stone. Some manufacturers recommend soaking in water and some do not. The sharpening technique is otherwise the same.
To avoid common mistakes when sharpening manually, watch video ‘5 Biggest Lies Of Knife Sharpening’.
Using puck sharpener to sharpen a pizza cutter
The puck sharpener is a type of whetstone. It also needs to be soaked beforehand. Just like whetstone pucks vary in their grit. The difference is in the details.
The puck sharpener does not need a flat surface to work on. The stone is taken in the hand and rubbed over the cutting edge with it. It can be a straight or circular motion. This convenience makes possible to use the puck not only to sharpen knives but for sharpening massive tools or objects of unusual shape. With this device you will always have a pizza blade sharp.
Using belt grinders
The good thing about power tools is that they can do all the work for you. With such an equipment, you can’t resist the pleasure of sharpening.
All belt grinders are constructed according to the same principle. Each machine has a compact electric motor and a moving belt. Your belt grinder can be equipped with additional accessories for easy operation, such as guides, a leveler, and so on.
To sharpen a steel blade, put it against the moving belt and move it slowly and gradually from side to side. Carefully follow the manual for your equipment!
Now you know how to sharpen a pizza cutter in minutes so that you get a razor-sharp blade. By the way, this is not only a familiar phrase, but also quite a measurable value. Here is the Bess scale. It gives a razor-sharp blade from 0 to 100 scores.
How To Sharpen A Pizza Cutter: FAQ
How do you sharpen a pizza cutter at home?
I tried several ways but settled on the whetstone puck. I press the pizza cutter blade to a cutting board with one hand and move the puck with the other.
Does a pizza cutter need to be sharpened?
Уes, even if you use the blade cover for storage, the pizza cutters dull during use.
How do you sharpen a rotary blade?
Of course, you can take the pizza cutter apart and take off the rotating blade. Then it can be sharpened in any way you like. Or as an option, use protective gloves and hold the blade against a suitable cutting board. I do this with a stone puck.
How do you sharpen cutter blades?
For a large half-moon-shaped cutter, a diamond stone sharpener would be helpful. Other home equipment will take too long. Sadly, the electric tool has a high cost.
The Final Words
After looking at all the possible shapes of pizza cutters and all the existing methods of sharpening, you know exactly how to sharpen a pizza cutter. You can choose those pizza cutters and sharpeners that are comfortable for you.
Technically, sharpening a pizza cutter is no more difficult than sharpening a knife, it works the same way. You can decide what would be more convenient for you. Try a semi-circular pizza cutter sharpener or clamp the blade to sharpen it with a whetstone or take your pizza cutter apart to sharpen without difficulty. And very soon you will have sharp knives and sharp blades for your pizza cutter.
Hope, you have found this material useful!
