Have you ever been wondering how to sharpen a pizza cutter? Is it even possible? This article will teach you everything you need to know about sharpening pizza cutters so you can cut slice pizza like a professional chef!
Why Is My Pizza Cutter Dull?
Many pizza cutters, especially cheap ones, are made out of low-quality materials, which makes them unable to stay sharp when you use them.
Another reason pizza cutters get dull is incorrect use. You should cut pizza on a plastic or wooden cutting board to avoid damaging the blade during slicing. Never cut pizza on a pizza stone,
The last reason your pizza cutter is dull is incorrect storage. Many people just throw their cutters in a drawer filled with other kitchen utilities. If it hits other items when you’re rattling through the drawer, it will damage the edge. Worst case it can even chip off a bit of the blade. You should therefore store your pizza cutter properly, not just throw it into a crowded drawer. Treat it like a knife!
Can You Sharpen a Pizza Cutter?
Yes, if your pizza cutter is dull, it’s possible to make it sharp again. The best method will however depend on what kind of pizza cutter you have. The two main types of pizza cutters this article will focus on are pizza cutter wheels and pizza blades, also called mezzaluna pizza cutters.
There are two main challenges to sharpening a pizza wheel: the shape of the edge, and that the edge is rotating.
Sharpening a pizza blade is easier. Even though the edge is curved, it’s much closer to a knife, so if you’re familiar with knife sharpening you’ll have no problem sharpening your pizza blade.
Can You Sharpen All Kinds of Pizza Cutters?
No, it depends on the material the pizza cutter is made of. Plastic and porcelain pizza wheels, for example, are not suitable for sharpening.
How to Sharpen a Pizza Cutter Wheel
Knife Sharpener
The first option is to use a knife sharpener. Many types of knife sharpeners exist, what I’m thinking of is the ones that you just slide your knife through to sharpen.
It’s possible to use a knife sharpener to sharpen a pizza cutter, but the rotating blade makes it challenging. For that reason, I don’t recommend using a knife sharpener solely for sharpening a pizza cutter. But if it’s the only tool on this list you already own, give it a try!
Whetstone
Another option is using a whetstone. A whetstone is a tool used to sharpen metal tools and knives. It usually has a flat surface and comes in different grits, which is a measurement of how fine or coarse the stone is.
To use a whetstone, soak it in water for 15 minutes. Then, remove it from the water, place it on a flat surface, such as a table, and grind the pizza wheel at your desired angle. You need to make sure the wheel is not rotating, either by holding it in place or taking it off from the handle. Make sure you get an even edge all around the wheel.
I think everyone should have a whetstone for their knives. It’s an excellent tool for sharpening dull kitchen knives and you can pick one up a good stone at Amazon for around 15 dollars. But it’s not ideal for sharpening pizza cutters. The circular edge is pretty hard to sharpen evenly with a whetstone.
Puck Sharpener
An alternative to traditional whetstone is the puck sharpener. A puck sharpener is a type of hand-held whetstone that works the same way.
To use a puck sharpener, soak it in water for 5-10 minutes, like the whetstone, then grip it firmly with one hand, and sharpen the pizza cutter blade by moving the sharpener back and forth at the desired angle.
This works a bit better than a whetstone, even though it’s better for other tools than pizza wheels.
Belt Grinder
Another option is sharpening your pizza wheel using a belt grinder. A belt grinder is a power tool that is mainly used for finishing metal products.
To sharpen your pizza wheel using a belt grinder, turn on the grinder, and place the pizza wheel at an angle to the moving belt. By applying pressure to the wheel with your finger, you prevent it from spinning as fast as the belt. Doing this lets the pizza wheel spin at a slower speed, you will get an even grind around the spinning blade. But be careful not to hurt your finger on the moving belt or the spinning blade.
Using a belt grinder is a pretty good option, it’s fairly easy to use, but with the moving belt and spinning edge, you have to be careful! A belt grinder is also pretty large and expensive to acquire. I, therefore, don’t recommend getting one only to sharpen your pizza cutters.
Pizza Cutter Sharpener
Imagine if there was a magical tool that could keep your pizza wheel sharp, with minimal effort. You would never have to worry about the frustration of a pizza cutter who can’t get through the crust or drags all the topping off the pizza. That would be pretty amazing, wouldn’t it?
Actually, I’ve recently found that tool: a Pizza Wheel Cutting Sharpener.
All you need to do is place the sharpener on a flat surface, such as a table or kitchen countertop, and roll your pizza cutter through the sharpener. Just repeat this process until the blade reaches your desired sharpness. Super easy! The sharpener also comes with a non-stick base that makes it stay in place when you use it. This method will not create a razor-sharp edge, but it will make the cutter as good as new!
The main benefit is the ease of use. Simply rolling the pizza wheel through the sharpener, it’s almost impossible to screw up, unlike most of the other methods I’ve tried. Sharpening a pizza wheel literally takes only a few seconds.
The fastest and easiest way to sharpen a pizza wheel using a pizza cutter sharpener. A pizza cutter sharpener works like a knife sharpener but is specifically designed to work for the rotating blade of a pizza cutter.
The KitchenIQ Pizza Wheel Cutting Sharpener (affiliate link) is my new favorite kitchen gadget and something I use every time I bake pizza. And for less than $15, I definitely think it’s worth the investment. With no additional work, you’ll always have a sharp cutter!
How to Sharpen a Pizza Cutter Blade
Knife Sharpener
A knife sharpener works better for a pizza blade than a pizza wheel. They are easy to use, but I don’t love these sharpeners. I simply haven’t found one that gives a satisfying result. For that reason, I don’t recommend using a knife sharpener to sharpen your pizza blade. But if you own a knife sharpener, give it a try!
Whetstone
To sharpen your pizza blade, soak the whetstone in water for 15 minutes, remove it from the water, and grind the edge at your desired angle. If you have experience sharpening knives on a whetstone, sharpening a pizza blade is fairly similar.
It’s a little easier to see how to use a whetstone visually. This great video from Munchies shows how to sharpen a knife, the same method can be applied to sharpening your pizza blade:
Using a whetstone for sharpening a dull pizza blade works really well! I recommend going for one with 400/1000 grit, that you can pick up at Amazon or a local kitchen supply store for less than $20.
Get it Sharpened by Professionals
Another option is to get your pizza blade sharpened in a local knife shop. Most of them sharpen knives and other tools for $5-$20, depending on the item.
Honing Rod
A honing rod (affiliate link) is strictly not for sharpening, but I still think it’s worth mentioning. We distinguish between honing and sharpening. While sharpening means making the edge sharper by grinding away some of the material. Honing, on the other hand, is the process of realigning the edge. A sharp edge is very thin, so when you use a blade with a sharp edge, the steel will bend. This is what honing is fixing.
Even though it’s a little bit more awkward to use a honing rod on your pizza blade than on a knife, I recommend using it regularly to keep your edge sharp.
Other Options
Replace the Pizza Cutter
If you want to omit the whole sharpening process, you can simply replace the whole pizza cutter. If you use a $4 wheel cutter from Walmart, you can replace it with a new pizza cutter. I wouldn’t go through the trouble of sharpening a product that’s so cheap to replace. It’s simply not worth the time and effort, especially if you need to acquire any tools. The metal is probably not very high quality, and you might not be able to make a sharp edge on the pizza wheel at all. If you’re okay with a cheap pizza cutter it’s probably easier to just replace it every once in a while.
Invest in a Quality Pizza Cutter with Replacement Blades
A better option is to invest in a pizza cutter with replacement blades. A great option is the Dexter-Russell 4″ Pizza Cutter. This is a quality pizza cutter that also comes with replacement blades.
Conclusion
The best way of sharpening a pizza wheel is by using a pizza cutter sharpener. It’s not perfect, but it’s doing a great job sharpening the edge, and will make your pizza cutter as good as new! Easy to use and at a low price, make it the best sharpening option for pizza wheels by far.
Another option is to get a quality pizza wheel with replacement blades.
For pizza blades or mezzaluna pizza cutters, the best option is to use a whetstone. It’s fairly easy to use and the method that yields the best result. Sharpening with a whetstone is a skill you should learn to take care of your knives too if you’re a serious home chef. I also recommend using a honing rod for your pizza blade regularly to maintain a sharp edge.
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