Microplane 48105 Pizza Cutter
by Microplane
List Price:
Our Price: $8.69
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Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: MicroplaneBrand: Microplane
Model: 48105
Color: Red black
Product features:
- Stainless steel sharp blade
- Patent pending design for removal of blade for cleaning
- Ergonomic soft grip handle
- Dishwasher safe
- Contemporary design
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Microplane 48105 Pizza Cutter
Customer Review: nicely made and well thought out
Summary: 4 Stars
I received the Microplane Pizza Cutter compliments of the company with regard to feedback on another of their products. It was a welcome surprise because while I already have a handle-style cutter it brought into question the functioning of this basic kitchen tool, and what the benefits are of the different design approaches.
The black and red and stainless steel Microplane Pizza Cutter arrived and its interesting appearance and bold color make an immediate impression. It looks very well designed.
I was excited to test it out, so the next step was to remove its minimal packaging, basically a piece of thick adhesive tape holding a pivoting red plastic arm in place during shipment and a plastic sleeve protector over the stainless steel cutting wheel. This is where the only difficulties with the device were encountered - trying to remove the packaging to clean and use the device.
The temporary adhesive tape is extremely sticky and while it can be easily removed from the red plastic, it also leaves a gummy, sticky residue behind on the surface. Perhaps a better approach would be something akin to electrical tape, with no residue left over.
The second instance of packaging frustration was the flexible plastic sheath around the stainless cutter wheel. It was simply impossible to remove. My guess was that it was meant to be used again, as a protective covering when placed in a drawer with other utensils to protect the blade as well as other utensils and hands. Yet the only way to remove the covering was to cut it open, little by little, while still trying to save it for use later.
That is because there is something equivalent to van der Waals force involved between the plastic and stainless steel in that an extreme vacuum pressure is created between these materials - as if bonding them electrostatically - which makes it impossible to separate them without cutting the plastic protective casing apart -- even when nearly completely removed the wheel and covering remain tightly together, as if one material. Really quite remarkable. I even tried pulling the covering off with a needlenose pliers so as to keep the protective cover intact and it did not work.
In any case it thus requires cutting away the plastic protective cover to gain access to the tool, so as to investigate how it functions. The red plastic arm pivots open, as mentioned, to allow access to the stainless steel cutting wheel. It is in turn very easy to clean and put back together.
Tonight I used it for the first time to cut a frozen pizza on a plastic cutting board, though I normally make broiler pizzas and cut on a wooden pizza peel.
Whereas my other hand-tool pizza cutter is adequate for its task, it does require rolling back and forth over sections to get a good cut at times - which can be a little haphazard. The Microplane Pizza Cutter is different. It is a much steadier due to a sturdy hand-grip which allows you to cut down from above the pizza, enabling a single strong slicing motion in one direction versus a back-and-forth cutting action.
In other words, it provides additional leverage that makes cutting much easier, especially (hypothetically at least) for thicker crust pizzas or those with lots of toppings. Instead of relying mostly on the wrist for leverage, the Microplane approach relies on the hand and entire arm. At least that is the qualitative difference because the cutting action was much more secure and easy to control this way, and key to this is the significant handle which is the basis of the Microplane design.
The stainless steel blade is sharp and left markings on my cutting board though this is somewhat par for course on my pizza peel as well due to the other pizza cutter. It begs the question of whether a matching pizza peel could be designed to optimize use of such a tool, which could be sold as a set, and function both as pizza peel and for presentation. I have always seen the Epicurean-style composite pizza wheels as ideal, excepting that there is much feedback about a chemical smell associated with them. It would be nice to see a product which neutralizes these issues, because it could be extremely useful both for cutting boards as well as pizza peels, and for providing working surfaces for cutters.
In any case, clean-up was as simple as can be. It basically involves unlocking the red pivot arm and removing the stainless wheel to clean with soap and water, while also rinsing the handle off. This is a benefit that the older-style hand tool does not have.
As well there is a particular beauty in the Microplane tool. It is a nicely made and well thought-out tool. Yet packaging gets in the way of using the product and should be reevaluated so as to make the customer experience seamless, from the immediate first impression (great) to removing packaging (difficult to near impossible without destroying the plastic cover) to using the device, which matches the first impression (great). As it is, the packaging deters use and should be changed to retain the immediate satisfaction via allowing immediate interaction with the quality tool.
It is a solid choice choice for a pizza cutter based on a different style of slicing which is very effective. If you make pizza regularly or cut pizzas with lots of toppings, it is highly recommended. It is a different style, which may be preference to some degree, yet it is also more effective at what it does. So it depends on how important the tool is. It is not just looks - its design accurately reflects its functionality, which is impressive.
The only recommended changes would be an electrical style tape as well as, perhaps, a hard plastic case that gives the stainless wheel some room to breathe, which will avoid the vacuum pressure or whatever occurs between the materials. Otherwise it is excellent. If packaging were adjusted it would be given 5 stars. The tool itself deserves them.
Description of Microplane 48105 Pizza Cutter
Pizza lovers will appreciate the effortless ease and precision cutting slices of their favorite pizza with monoplane's ergonomically designed new pizza wheel.Pizza Cutters & Pans
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