When I first started making pizza from scratch, I did not have any pizza-cutting tools at home. If you do not have pizza cutters or do not want to invest in one, you can still cut your pizza into slices.
You can use different kitchen tools to cut pizza if you do not have a pizza cutter. You can use a variety of knives such as a chef’s knife, pairing knife, and even a butcher’s knife to cut pizza. The other tools you can use to cut pizza are a pair of scissors and cookie cutters.
In this article, we will talk about how to cut pizza without a pizza cutter in detail. Whether you make your own pizza from scratch or not, you can definitely use normal kitchen tools that you have to cut pizza!
Traditional Pizza Cutting Tools
When it comes to cutting pizza, anything sharp will actually do. But, there are traditional pizza-cutting tools that make cutting pizza easier.
The two most popular choices to cut pizza are pizza wheels and pizza rockers. A pizza wheel has a circular blade that rotates while a pizza rocker has a curved blade.
To use a pizza wheel, the circular blade is pressed down to the pizza while sliding the wheel forward to cut pizza slices. You may have to go back and forth if the blade is not sharp enough but a pizza wheel can cut pizza easily enough without damaging the crust.
A pizza rocker, on the other hand, uses a back-and-forth motion to cut the pizza. A sharp pizza rocker can also cut evenly sized-slices without damaging the crust.
How To Cut Pizza Without A Pizza Cutter
If you do not make pizza from scratch regularly, you may not have any traditional pizza tools lying in your kitchen. While pizza cutters are made to cut pizza, there are kitchen tools that you can use to cut pizza if you do not have any pizza cutters available on hand.
As we said earlier, anything sharp will do to cut your pizza. Here are some of the tools you can use to cut pizza if you do not have a pizza cutter:
Chef’s Knife
A chef’s knife is probably one of the most used kitchen tools in anybody’s house and you most likely have one at home. A chef’s knife is best used to cut pizzas that are still hot as it will make cutting the toppings easier. A crunchy thin-crust pizza will also be easier using a chef’s knife. A sharp knife can also cut through frozen pizza. It might just take a little effort, especially if it’s very frozen.
However, not all chef knives are the same. Some have curved blades and others are serrated. If you have a serrated knife, be careful in cutting the pizza as the crust can become perforated and it can be hard to remove a slice.
To cut pizza using a chef’s knife:
1. Place the pizza on a clean and dry cutting board. Make sure the surface is stable.
2. Hold the knife firmly with your dominant hand and place the sharp tip of the knife on the edge of the pizza that you want to start cutting.
3. Apply downward pressure to the knife and begin cutting the pizza using a rocking motion.
4. If the crust is dense, you can use a sawing motion to cut the pizza. Make sure to not put too much pressure as the crust and toppings can get crushed.
5. Cut the pizza into triangles or square slices until you get your desired number of slices.
6. Serve the pizza slices and enjoy!
Pairing Knife
If you do not have a chef’s knife, you can also use a pairing knife. However, a pairing knife is much smaller than a chef’s knife and it can be quite difficult to cut pizza with it, especially if you have a thick-crust pizza with many toppings.
If a pairing knife is your only option, cutting a pizza with it can still be done. You just need to be careful when cutting the pizza into slices.
Cutting pizza with a pairing knife has the same steps as cutting it with a chef’s knife. Apply downward pressure on the knife to cut the pizza until you get your desired number of slices.
With a pairing knife, it might take you a while to cut the pizza into slices since it is smaller than a chef’s knife. If you can get your hand on a chef’s knife, buy one. It is a much better option to cut pizza with it than using a pairing knife.
Butcher’s Knife
A butcher’s knife might not be a common tool in e residential kitchen but, if you have a butcher’s knife you can also use it to cut pizza. If you are using a butcher’s knife, make sure it is clean and sharp.
Toi cut pizza using a butcher’s knife, press the tip of the knife on the pizza and apply downward pressure to cut the pizza into slices. You can use a sawing motion if you have a denser crust with many toppings. Continue slicing the pizza until you have reached the number of slices you want.
As with all knives, make sure you are following proper knife handling when cutting pizza so you do not cut yourself.
Pair Of Scissors
Another tool you can use to cut pizza is by using a pair of sharp scissors. There is actually a scissor pizza cutter and some of them have a serrated spatula attached to it so a slice can be served right after cutting the pizza.
You can use regular scissors or a pair of kitchen sears if you have one. A pair of scissors can be used to cut the pizza into different slices such as triangles, squares, or even long strips. You can also be creative by cutting pizza into whatever shape you like.
To cute pizza using scissors:
1. Let the pizza cool down for a couple of minutes. The crust should be cool enough to handle.
2. Once the pizza is cool enough, you can begin cutting the pizza into your desired number of slices.
Cookie Cutter
If you want an unconventional way of cutting pizza, you can cut it by using a cookie cutter. Cookie cutters come in different shapes and sizes and this can be a fun activity for the family, especially if you have kids.
The downside of using cookie cutters is that they are blunt and may not be the best way to cut pizza. But, if you are in a pinch and do not have any other tools to cut pizza with, a cookie cutter can definitely do.
You can use a cookie cutter to cut raw pizza dough and put the toppings after cutting but the dough expands so it may not come out as intended. It might be best to use the cookie cutter to cut cooked pizza instead.
To cut pizza using a cookie cutter:
1. Let the pizza cool down.
2. Press the pizza cutter down on the pizza and twist the cookie cutter carefully a couple of times until it cuts through the crust.
3. Remove the pizza from the cookie cutter and serve.
Note: You may have to transfer the pizza to a cutting board to cut it easily. If you have a metal dough cutter at home, you can also use it to cut pizza.
Final Thoughts
Using pizza cutters may be the easiest way to get pizza slices, whether you have thick or thin crust pizzas. But, if you do not own any pizza cutters, knives, a pair of scissors, or even a cookie cutter can be used to cut pizzas.
We have talked about how to cut pizza without pizza cutters in detail in this article so you can have an easier time cutting pizza into slices. If you have any more questions, let us know via the contact form on our website.