There are a lot of factors that go into the perfect cheese plate, but one of the most important and often overlooked details is how to properly cut each wedge or wheel. Of course, you don’t need to cut up every cheese completely, but making the first incision will help guide your guests. Plus, it helps with the intimidation of being the first to cut into that perfectly pristine wedge.
The shape of the cheese will determine the best way to cut it, while the texture and type will inform which knife to use. When serving, we recommend having a separate knife for each cheese to avoid cross-contaminating the flavors. Here's a helpful little guide on how to cut each cheese the right way, depending on its shape.
Round, like Camembert
Use our Professional Soft Cheese Knife to slice it into wedges, like you would a pie or cake. This ensures an even rind-to-paste ratio.
Square, like Cottonbell from Boxcarr Handmade Cheese
Use our Professional Soft Cheese Knife to slice into triangles, like you would a grilled cheese. Cut it in half diagonally, corner to corner. Then bisect that so it’s in quarters. Bisect each triangle again.
Log, like Aged Chelsea from Zingerman's
Use our wires cutters to slice into coins, about 1/2 “ thick. If it has a large diameter, like bucheron, you can then cut into pie-like wedges for a perfect portion.
Rectangle (think Comte)
Use our Professional Cheese Knife to slice off the rind then cut into thin strips, vertically. When it comes to flavorful, aged cheeses, the thinner slice, the better.
Firm Wedge, like Mimolette
Use our Professional Cheese Knife to cut off the rind so there are no inedible bits on your cheese platter, then slice into thin triangles.
Crumbly Wedge, like blue cheese
These ones are the hardest to slice cleanly, so we recommend crumbling off a few large pieces and leaving the rest whole. Or, you can use our Professional Blue Cheese Knife to get a clean slice every time!
