The Safest And Easiest Way To Cut Your Bagels

Bagels are one of the best and most delicious ways to start the day thanks to the wide variety of sweet and savory options. However, bagels can actually be pretty dangerous to handle if you don't know how to cut them properly. Good bagels are boiled, which means they have a crunchy exterior and soft interior. While this gives them that signature chew, it also makes them surprisingly tricky to cut. Just like avocados, there have been plenty of people who have been sent to the emergency room with a bagel-related injury (via Insider). 

Fortunately, there are a couple of different ways you can safely cut bagels to avoid chopping off fingers or cutting the palm of your hand. One option is to buy a bagel slicer or a bagel guillotine. Both are generally shaped the same way. You simply place the bagel inside the contraption, then press down on the handle so that the blade inside slices the bagel into two perfect halves. Some have safety guards on them to provide extra protection from the blade to keep your fingers intact. Whichever one you choose will keep you from wielding a knife improperly, though (via Chefs Resource).

If you prefer not to buy yet another kitchen gadget to stow away somewhere in your pantry or cabinets, then there is a safer way to cut bagels with nothing but your ordinary kitchen knives. It really all comes down to technique. While it's easy to think the best way to cut a bagel is to hold it in your hand as you see-saw a serrated knife through the center of one side of the bagel, this isn't the best way. You also don't want to place a whole bagel on the counter while you hold it on one side to cut through the side.

Instead, the best and safest way to cut through a bagel is to lay the bagel flat on the counter or on a cutting board. Next, use your dominant hand to place a serrated knife at the center of the bagel's side so that the knife is parallel to the flat bagel. This way, you'll make a horizontal cut until you reach roughly the center of the bagel or the whole in the center. Next, do not remove the knife and stand the bagel up on its side. Hold the top of the bagel to keep it from moving, and complete the slice by pressing the knife through the bagel to the cutting board. This way, the bagel will be more steady and the knife should move through the bagel more easily (via Epicurious).