Quickly Sharpen Your Pizza Cutter In Just A Few Easy Steps

Watching your pizza pulled fresh out of the oven get demolished by a dull cutter is a pizza-lover's worst nightmare. To solve this problem, take a few moments to sharpen your pizza cutter. How to go about sharpening your cutter, however, will depend on the style you have. A mezzaluna pizza cutter, for example, has one large blade, which allows you to cut the pizza with a rocking motion. Since this blade doesn't spin, the process is similar to sharpening your dull kitchen knives. A pizza wheel, on the other hand, is more challenging to file. Consider purchasing a small field knife sharpener, like this one from Sharpens Best for $14.95, and then follow these few simple steps to improve your pizza wheel cutter.

Before sharpening, make sure that the cutter is clean and dry. Then, begin to hone the blade by holding the small sharpener against the beveled edge of the blade. Work in quick, short strokes around the edge of the wheel until the entire blade is even. Then, repeat on the other side of the wheel. Once you are happy, clean and thoroughly dry the pizza cutter. Moisture can dull your blade, which is why drying is the most important part of cleaning your kitchen knives.

It is important when sharpening any tool to take safety precautions to ensure you don't cut yourself. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Also, hold the blade away from you if possible. In this case, hold the cutting wheel still by gripping the blade toward the center of the wheel with your thumb and pointer finger. Leave a little distance between your palm and the blade, and make sure not to grip too tightly while honing. 

Another way to help improve your pizza cutter is to tighten the blade. Many pizza wheel cutters with a handle have a screw in the center of the blade. Take a moment to tighten this screw if it is too loose to make cutting easier. You still want the blade to be loose enough that it easily spins without the blade wobbling. You can even use this screw to remove the blade prior to filing. This will allow you to better control the blade without it spinning. You will also be able to better use other tools to sharpen the wheel, like a whetstone.