Today our society tends to recognize the individuality of each person. Everyone has the right to be unique. Everyone wants to be assured that their beliefs, ethical principles, and religious views will be respected.
Oh, come on, this is just a pizza theme article! Yes, it is, but the pizzeria business is also trending.
Many pizzerias are friendly to their customers and provide a special service. Some have open kitchens or online broadcasts where you can see the cooking process. Some let the clients to exclude certain foods from recipes.
Now the pizza business is moving forward and giving another customer-oriented service. It’s clean cut pizza.
The name “clean cut pizza” can be misleading, so let’s break it down.
So, What Is Clean Cut Pizza
In short, it’s when a pizza is sliced with a clean cutting tool that hasn’t touched other pizzas.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that if you didn’t order a clean cut pizza, the knife was dirty. All sanitary regulations are fine as it is. But this way you can be sure that your order is cut with a individual pizza cutter.
The chef will cut your order with a clean pizza cutter or pizza wheel that hasn’t touched other food before.
Some will ask, “Isn’t that always the case?”
How pizza slicing is done in a restaurant
Both large chains and small home pizzerias work so as not to waste time. The time from order to delivery should be minimal. That way the customer is satisfied, and the pizza stays hot.
To do this, pizza restaurants take a conveyor belt approach, organizing all processes into an assembly line. They have to do everything in advance, from pre-measuring dough to stacking the boxes for delivery. They also prepare several cutting tools in advance.
When the large flow of orders starts, for example on a weekend, every minute matters. Large pizza oven bakes multiple pizzas at once, and the worker uses the same cutter for all of them. The pizza slicer is changed when it gets sticky and cuts worse.
The Meaning of a Clean Pizza Cutter
If a pizza restaurant worker uses the same tool, food particles from the previous pizza can get into the next one. This is not a problem if the ingredients match in the different orders, but if not?
Pizza lovers won’t be happy to discover tomato sauce over alfredo, will they? You wouldn’t serve several kinds of soup with the same ladle, would you? But there’s something more serious than gastronomic flavors.
And here we just come back to the question of personal preference and individual difference.
Single use cutter pizza and hygiene
The recent pandemic has shown that there are some people more vulnerable to viruses than others. Just baked pizza is certainly germ-free, but a tool that has already been used many times is not. While the pizzas are baking, the knife is kept cold and not sterile. It can promote the emergence of most harmful bacteria. Clean cut pizza helps to avoid these risks.
Clean cut pizza and food allergies
There are people for whom even the tiniest bit of allergen can turn into huge health problems. A knife blade can transfer cheese, oil, spices, and other products from a past order to an allergic person’s pizza. None of the pizza restaurants want a customer to urgently need medical aid right in their place.
Each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food.
National FARE Headquarters
Clean cut pizza is a great way to protect allergic customers and get a five-star rating.
Clean pizza cutter and gluten intolerance
Some restaurants bake use special gluten-free flour to make pizza dough. Using a clean cut is a logical extension of customer care.
Deals On Health Magazine cites the following facts:
- Globally, around 1% of people have celiac disease.
- 18 million people in the US are sensitive to gluten.
- About 30% of Americans deliberately avoid gluten.
- Gluten intolerance has around 200 potential symptoms.
- Between 1% and 13% of people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
A user-friendly restaurant makes that a gluten-free pizza customer doesn’t even have to ask for a clean cut. It should be available by standard. A person with a gluten intolerance will feel safe in such a pizzeria.
Pizza cutting and ethical principles
Some people refuse foods for ethical reasons. For example, vegetarians do not eat meat and vegans abstain from products of animal origin. Using the same blade after meat topped pie, as example, would be unacceptable for them. So, pizza places should be very attentive to visitors with special food preferences.
If out of two pizzerias only one makes a clean cut pizza, these customers will choose that one.
Clean cutter and religious beliefs
Sometimes dietary restrictions are prescribed by religious beliefs and traditions. Some people do not eat pork, bacon, or pepperoni. Some avoid dairy products, including melted cheese. After that, using the same pizza cutter can lead to cross-contamination of the next pizza with unwanted food.
That’s why every pizza place should have kosher and halal pizza on the menu. And following the rules means eating clean cut pizza only.
Pizza Cuts
Thus, a clean pizza cut tells us about the clean blade used once only. Are there other terms associated with pizza slicing? Yes, there are, and these will be about the shape of the slice but not about cutting utensil.
Normal cut pizza
Everyone is used to a regular round pizza sliced into triangles. This kind of slicing is convenient for thin and medium dough with the usual number of toppings. It makes absolutely no difference whether this pizza was sliced with the same cutter as the previous one or not. It is only about the shape of the slice.
So, normal cut means round pizzas sliced into triangular sectors.
Square cut pizza
A square slicing is used when the pizza has a rectangular shape, such as a Detroit-style pizza. Although sometimes square slicing is convenient for round pizzas as well. Square cut allows the pizza to be divided into many small slices and eaten with one hand. Such an example is the tavern style for Chicago pizza.
All three of these styles are discussed in detail in our review ‘Detroit vs Chicago Pizza: 3 Delicious Differences‘ – read on if you haven’t already.
Double cut pizza
Double cut means narrow triangular-shaped slices. This is handy for a big party when a large round pizza needs to be sliced into 12 slices instead of 6.
Strips cut pizza
Those, who like dipping sauces prefer slicing in strips. Each strip can be rolled up and dipped properly. However, it may require a fork, but such little things don’t stop true pizza fans.
No Cut Pizza
There’s another sliced pizza option – it’s a pizza with no slicing at all!
This is useful for delivery and carry-out pizza order. Whole, uncut pizzas are easier to transport. Because the oil and melting cheese won’t seep through the cuts.
No cut pizza is also about home cooked pizza. Your own pizza will certainly be hotter than the one delivered from pizza parlors. And you will be absolutely sure that it is a clean cut pizza.
How to cut a pizza at home
Slicing a no cut pizza from delivery or baked at home is not easy. To make sure the slices are even, and the crust doesn’t break, use these tips.
If it’s a home-baked pizza and you have a wheel cutter, slice it as soon as you take it out of the oven.
If you don’t have a special cutter, use a knife. It’s better to take the longest knife you have. But even the sharpest knife doesn’t handle melting cheese well. So, give the cheese a few minutes to harden a little on top.
If it is a no cut pizza from pizza places, warm it up a bit in the oven. The pizza crust will soften a bit and it will be easier to cut it. Use parchment paper or a pizza peel to warm it up.
So, you’re well prepared and it’s time to cut. Position the knife across the entire diameter and press straight down. Repeat, if necessary, but do not make a sawing motion. Wipe the knife clean for the second cut.
The best thing is to use a wheel pizza cutter. A pizza wheel or rocker blade can work well with strands of cheese. This tactic is worth using not only with pizzas, but also with other pies. Even if something goes a little off track, don’t worry, at least you know for sure that you have a clean cut pizza.
Take an interest in how to keep pizza warm longer or how to reheat leftover pizza.
What Is Clean Cut Pizza: FAQ
What is the difference between clean and regular cut pizza?
Regular cut means a triangular shaped slice, and clean cut refers to a clean cutter that has not touched other pizzas.
What is clean cut pizza at Papa Johns?
A clean cut pizza at Papa John’s is no different than a clean cut at any other pizzeria. The principle of clean pizza cutters is the same everywhere.
What is the best pizza cut?
Each style has its own best cut. But all forms of slicing are better done with clean pizza cutters.
What are the different ways to cut a pizza?
There are four ways to cut a pizza:
normal cut into triangles,
double cut increases the number of slices of normal cutting,
square slices for a party,
sliced in strips for dipping in sauce.
Conclusion about What Is Clean Cut Pizza
What is clean cut pizza? Now you know everything and even more about it.
A clean cut pizza is sliced with a knife that has not been touched with other foods before. From a hygiene point of view, it is not a good idea to cut different pizzas with the same cutter pizza.
By using a clean cut pizza, we protect the health of people with severe food allergies. Everyone can get favorite food, knowing that their ethical and religious beliefs will be respected. Perhaps very soon the pizza business will come to the conclusion that one cutter is only for one pizza and a clean cut pizza will become the standard for everyone.
Always ask for a clean cut pizza just to be sure of what you are eating.
