To Find the Best Pizza Cutters, We Sliced Up More Than a Dozen Pies—3 Made the Cut

With the rise of Oonis, Gozneys, and backyard pizza-making culture (it seems like everyone is slinging Neapolitan-style pies these days), more people are investing in quality equipment to bake up some fantastic ‘za (an aside: Za is a great Scrabble word). But while pizza ovens, pizza peels, and stones often take the spotlight, we are here to make a case for the humble—but still oh-so-important—pizza cutter. A good pizza cutter slices through cheese, toppings, and crust like butter. A bad pizza cutter tugs and squelches, smushing toppings and leaving dents in the cheese and crust instead of clean cuts—no one wants that. 

As pizza lovers (who isn’t?), we set out to find a pizza cutter that would let us slice pizzas like a pro (you know, the grizzled pizzaiolo in your town who wields a mezzaluna cutter and somehow cuts each pizza into perfectly even slices in, like, two strokes). We tested 12 popular pizza cutters, including rocking-style cutters (a.k.a mezzaluna style) and roller-style cutters by cutting up more than a dozen pies.

The Tests

• Sharpness Test: We used a professional edge tester to check the out-of-the-box sharpness of each pizza cutter.
• Store Bought Pepperoni Pizza Test: We had four users with different hand sizes cut pepperoni pizzas with each cutter.
• Detroit-Style Pizza Test (Winners-Only): We used our favorite pizza cutters to cut up thick-crust Detroit-style pizza.
• Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Test (Winners-Only): We used our favorite pizza cutters to cut slices of deep-dish cheese pizza. 

What We Learned

A Sharp Metal Blade Made All the Difference

Not all pizza cutters are as sharp as they could be. Dull blades mashed and mushed; they also made slicing a wrist and hand workout. In contrast, sharp blades made slicing clean-cut pieces quick and painless. 

While we tested each blade out-of-the-box on a professional edge tester, we found the results weren’t necessarily indicative of the cutters’ true sharpness; the blades are more curved than a knife and were harder to measure. Instead, the proof was in the pizza. 

Sharp metal blades made quick work of the task at hand, cutting through crusts in one fluid motion. The one non-metal cutter in our lineup (the Epicurean Pizza Chopper, which is made of paper composite) just wasn’t as sharp or honed as the metal ones, and required rocking back and forth to break through the crust. 

Good Handle Grip Was Important

A comfy, grippy handle made applying pressure while cutting easier; we disliked slick, slippery handles, like the smooth plastic one on the KitchenAid, or small handles with oddly angled thumb rests, like on the Rösle. Testers also had a tough time with the no-handle approach on the Kitchy Pizza Cutter, which features a rounded piece of plastic that covers the blade; it was tiring to hold and hard to push across the pizza. Instead, we preferred thicker, slightly textured handles like the ones on our winners. For rocking-style cutters, we disliked smooth and slippery handles, like the rolled stainless steel handle on the Checkered Chef, and also found the seamless, handle-less Epicurean hard on the palms. 

Rocking-Style Pizza Cutters Were More Versatile

While a good round cutter will do a solid job slicing thinner pizzas, if you want a cutter that can tackle all manner of pies, a sharp rocking one is the way to go. We were especially impressed by our winner’s quick dispatch of Detroit-style pies and Chicago deep-dish pizza; the amount of force needed to use it was minimal, and it quickly and cleanly cut slices. 

On Rocking Style Cutters, a Slightly Curved Blade Was Better

We found that a slightly curved blade, rather than one that had a more extreme curve, was better for slicing pizza quickly in one motion. The more-curved blade of the Epicurean pizza cutter caused the blade to a seesaw, and we had trouble cutting in one fluid motion. Cutters with a less extreme curve, like those on the Gozney and Checkered Chef, cut more of the pizza with less work.

A Little Wobble Was Fine—a Lot Wasn’t

The amount the blade wobbled on rolling cutters made a difference in how easy it was to cut in a straight line. The wobblier ones, like the Winco and KitchenAid, were difficult to keep on track and required us to grip and push more firmly. However, while the Mercer pizza cutter did have a slight wobble, it didn’t flex too much and was still able to cut straight and true. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Pizza Cutter

First and foremost, it’s gotta be sharp; a dull blade requires more runs and mashes toppings. We also liked pizza cutters with comfortable, grippy handles that made it easy to apply even pressure when cutting. Finally, we liked rocking-style cutters the best; our winner was sharp, easy to hold, and made cutting up slices easy and fast. If you spring for this style of pizza slicer, make sure the blade has a gentle curve; more extremely curved blades require a more extreme rocking motion and don't slice through pies as quickly.

Our Favorite Pizza Cutters 

The Best Rocking-Style Pizza Cutter

Gozney Pizza Rocker

$40 $32 at Amazon View on Gozney.com

What we liked: Throughout testing, we found that rocking pizza cutters with very curved blades struggled to slice a pie from end to end. Instead, we preferred blades with less of an extreme curve—and that’s exactly what made the Gozney so great. The gently curved blade made slicing a pizza quick and easy, cutting through the crust in one fluid motion. It was also sharp, a must-have quality in a good pizza cutter. 

What we didn’t like: The handle, while a good size for gripping, is a little slippery. It’s also expensive for a pizza cutter. 

Key Specs 

• Style: Rocking blade
• Blade length: 13.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, wood
• Care: NA, but we’d recommend hand-washing any sharp item
  

The Best Roller Pizza Cutter

Oxo Good Grips Large 4-Inch Pizza Wheel and Cutter

$17 at Amazon $18 at Walmart $18 at Ace Hardware

What we liked: This was a solid pick for a roller-style cutter. The blade was firmly attached and made cutting in straight lines easy. The plastic handle was also easy to grip since it was textured and rubbery-feeling. 

What we didn't like: While sharp for a rolling cutter, it still took slightly more effort to quickly cut clean slices than with the rocking blade Original Pizza Cutter.

Key Specs 

• Style: Roller
• Blade dimensions: 4-inch diameter
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic 
• Care: Dishwasher-safe (though we'd recommend hand-washing)

Another Good Roller Pizza Cutter

Mercer Culinary Millennia Pizza Cutter

$25 at Amazon $25 at Walmart View on Webstaurant Store

What we liked: This no-frills pizza cutter punched above its weight. Although the blade wobbled slightly, it was still quite sharp and we had no issue cutting neat slices. The grippy, textured handle also had a nice heft and feel. 

What we didn’t like: The slight wobble is undesirable, and hand washing is recommended; you might not want to toss it into the dishwasher.

Key Specs

• Style: Roller
• Blade Dimensions: 4-inch diameter
• Materials: Carbon steel, Santoprene, polypropylene 
• Care: Hand-washing recommended

The Competition

• Love This Kitchen Original Pizza Cutter: We really liked this pizza cutter: the two plastic handles were comfortable to grip, and because of the sharp, slightly curved blade, very little effort was required to crisply cut slices. We also liked that it came with a blade cover (since this thing is sharp!). However, it's frequently out of stock and unavailable, so we've had to demote it as a winner.
• KitchenAid Classic Pizza Wheel: The slippery, plastic handle was unpleasant to hold and the blade just wasn’t as sharp as our winners’. 
• Checkered Chef Pizza Cutter: We found the all-metal construction (the “handle” was really just a curved piece of metal) slippery and not quite as comfortable to hold as cutters with plastic grips. It also was just a smidge less sharp than our winning rocking cutter. 
• Rösle Stainless Steel Round-Handle Pizza Cutter: This all-metal pizza cutter didn’t do a bad job cutting pizza, but it wasn’t as sharp as our winners. We also found the metal handle and thumb rest uncomfortable. 
• Kitchy Pizza Cutter Wheel: While the rounded handle covering the round blade was a nice idea in theory, this pizza cutter was awkward to push across the pizza, and wasn’t super sharp. 
• Epicurean Pizza Chopper: This paper composite pizza cutter just wasn’t as sharp as its metal counterparts. The lack of a handle also made it uncomfortable to hold. 
• Winco Winware Pizza Cutter: This basic cutter had a wobbly blade that made it difficult to cut clean, straight lines. 
• Steelmade Pizza Cutter: While easy on the eyes, this pizza cutter was heavy and didn’t cleanly cut through crust and toppings. 
• Lamson 12" Pizza Rocker with Walnut Handles: White a handsome mezzaluna cutter, the two wooden handle grips were small and after washing and drying they felt rough. The blade is also quite curved, which makes it harder to quickly slice a pizza from end to end. 

FAQs

What are the different styles of pizza cutters?

Two popular styles of pizza cutters are the rolling cutter and the rocking-style cutter; both have their pros and cons, though we generally prefer the rocking style for fast, clean slicing. Some people use special pizza scissors (we haven’t tested these) to cut slices as well. 

What is the best pizza cutter?

We found that rocking-style pizza cutters, like the Love This Kitchen The Original Pizza Cutter Rocker Blade, were generally faster and better at cutting clean slices. 

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats. Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen.
• She's worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender. She has written dozens of reviews for Serious Eats, including petty knives, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among others. 
• For this review, she sliced up 16 pizzas with 12 pizza cutters over five days of testing. She also enlisted four other testers to check for comfort and versatility.
• Since our rocking-style winner is frequently out of stock, Grace tested two additional pizza cutters (one from Gozney and one from Lamson) and named the Gozney a winner.