Bagel
Bagels.
Yum. Those round, dense, chewy, tasty bites of history now grace the plates of people from all over the world. Toasted or not, slathered with cream cheese, lox and whitefish, or topped with pizza or sandwich fixin’s…bagels are mainstream! McDonald’s even has had Breakfast Bagel sandwiches filled with egg and cheese.
You can buy bagels fresh, frozen, whole-grain, egg, blueberry, and all the way up to the “Everything” bagel. Best of all, you can make them at home for your family. (See my recipe for homemade 100% whole-grain bagels.)
One thing that bagel-lovers share, no matter what their ethnic background, is the danger while cutting those sometimes-slippery rounds of deliciousness. Over the years, we have seen several different types of safety bagel cutters on the market. Remember the old plastic clamshell-type cutter (circa 1960-70’s)? Didn’t work so hot because they only worked (somewhat) on the small grocery-store type of bagels, but even then, it was a dangerous operation for fingers and bagels alike. It also did not accommodate the uneven, large shape of the handmade or homemade bagels. Similar problems exist with the bagel slicers available today, injuries can occur.
According to The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT), bagel-cutting injuries are a serious problem. Here’s an excerpt from their information regarding what they refer to as “Bagel-Hand.”
"Bagel hand"
Ask many doctors and hand therapists what they believe to be the most dangerous food for possible injury during preparation or serving - and many will say bagels! Thousands of people each year end up in the emergency room from slicing more than just their bagels. According to the Department of Emergency Services at George Washington Hospital in Washington, D.C., the most under-reported injury is hand cuts from slicing bagels. Some emergency rooms have even started calling the ligament and tendon damage "bagel hand." Many of these injuries are so severe they require surgery and months of hand therapy to regain normal movement and function.
"Use a bagel slicer instead of a knife," says ASHT President Christine Muhleman, OTR, CHT.
In Product Testing, the only bagel slicer that passed our tests for safety and performance is the Brooklyn Bagel Slicer. This is the only one we highly recommend for the whole family.
Photo: Brooklyn Bagel Slicer
Advantages of the Brooklyn Bagel Slicer are many. They include the fact it is well-made and sturdy, but lightweight and easy to use, even for a child. The design keeps the cutting blade away from the edge of the cutter so the fingers and hand do not come in contact with the blade. Additional advantages include NSF® certified, dishwasher-safe and easy to store. A BIG plus is that the Brooklyn Bagel Slicer is made in the U.S.A. and developed by a physician for safety. The stainless steel serrated knife blade makes short work of cutting through a bagel or bialy and uneven-shaped objects. The best thing is that you can use this on homemade, 100% whole-grain bagels (which other cutters, slicers and guillotines cannot handle well).
(See the full version of this review here.)
Come and watch the Brooklyn Bagel Slicer in action:
Brooklyn Bagel Slicer video 1
Brooklyn Bagel Slicer video 2
Brooklyn Bagel Slicer video 3
The Brooklyn Bagel Slicer is available from your local kitchen stores in the Charlotte area and online from:
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