Action of knife when cutting sandwich

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handle333
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Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by handle333 »

when cutting a sandwich in half what knife action do you use? Is it tip of knife down with sawing motion or saw back and forth or just chop straight down? learning knife skills on my own so been watching videos and reading things but know one tells you why or what action of knife to use when? All these actions of the knife is either done with both a chef knife and serrated knife . i was making a grill cheese sandwich the other day and cutting it in half and was using the saw back and forth and it just slide around. I went on the internet and stumbled after hours looking that on grilled cheese you should only chop or cut straight down.So could some one tell me how you are suppose to know which action to use be either tip down and saw or saw back and forth or chop straight down? These actions are what i have seen when people use a knife be a chef knife or serrated to cut sandwiches. What would tip of knife down saw vs saw back and forth offer as far as the cut goes? (cleaner cut). Any help i would very much appr.
jason
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by jason »

Rest the edge of the knife on the sandwich, hand over the spine to hold both sides of sandwich and then push through to the board. That's how I do it.
Kalaeb
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by Kalaeb »

Depends on the bread, for harder ciabatta I do what Jason does only with a slight forward motion. For softer wheats I use a serrated and lightly go back and forth to prevent crushing the bread.

If it has a bunch of avocado and bacon and such I just close my eyes and whack it with a cleaver....avo always slips out so it does not really matter (jk, ...Kind of..)
handle333
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by handle333 »

let me ask this, has any one ever cut a sandwich in half using tip of knife down and sawing ? If so why did you choose this action over say chop straight down? If any one doesnt understand the actions i am talking about just go to google and type sandwich cutting and under images shows the actions i am speaking of.
handle333
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by handle333 »

if this is wrong some one correct me. i was thinking reason you might cut with tip down and saw at a angle on sandwich is so you get through sandwich better than say straight across saw? any thoughts
Jaxson
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by Jaxson »

Problem solved. I don't cut my sandwiches.
SteveG
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by SteveG »

Jaxson wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:24 pm Problem solved. I don't cut my sandwiches.
:-)

+1 with Kalaeb. For me it really depends on the bread. If the bread is soft, a serrated knife used back and forth helps prevent crushing the bread. I generally hold the edge parallel to the cutting board, but try using just the tip and see how you like it. This is a task where it pays to experiment and see what works best for you.
Cutuu
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by Cutuu »

I usually do a push cut, but grilled cheese tend to be pretty easy. Just chop it. I can often cut it with a spatula, although perhaps it could depend on bread,cheese. The classic white bread american is usually pretty easy.
milkbaby
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by milkbaby »

Grilled cheese... don't a lot of people just chop straight down with a metal spatula?

For sandwiches, I like to use a sharp knife and push cut with some forward motion, kinda like my preferred veggie chopping motion. If using a cheapo serrated knife on a plate, then I just saw, whether to down or not, can't remember and doubt it matters...
Emieloss
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by Emieloss »

depends on the knife, when using a gyuto, rest the tip on the board and cut like you would let gravity do the work. If you're cutting a whole bread I think a push cut works better. For softer breads you need a sharp edge though to not rip the bread apart
jmcnelly85
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by jmcnelly85 »

+1 on depends on the bread. My strategy for short, soft bread is to guillotine and glide through with a gyuto, for hard breads or tall sandwiches is to pick both sides first, guillotine and glide very gently through the top piece of bread using the full 270 of a bread knife, and in one swoop slice through the second half. The action is one big forth and back with little to no pressure.
BillyKitchen
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by BillyKitchen »

I Like to use a curved blade and slice through like you would use a traditional pizza cutter to cut a pizza; hand on the spine and put pressure on the point, then roll back onto the plunge. I find this works best for big bread and baguettes though.
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ken123
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by ken123 »

Kind of depends on the sandwich - both the bread and what's in it :)

Image

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ken123
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by ken123 »

Or an open faced cheese sandwich ( with a bit of pastrami )

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TomCutlery
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by TomCutlery »

Carnegie deli pics, now I'm hungry!!
William
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by William »

I have a bread machine and I use Mercer Millennia Bread Knife to cut them. No problems at all
keithmarder
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by keithmarder »

TomCutlery wrote: Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:22 pm Carnegie deli pics, now I'm hungry!!
So sad that it's gone
Rufus Leaking
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by Rufus Leaking »

I use lawn shears.
timc247
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by timc247 »

Rufus Leaking wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:36 am I use lawn shears.
:lol:
salemj
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Re: Action of knife when cutting sandwich

Post by salemj »

handle333 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:19 pm if this is wrong some one correct me. i was thinking reason you might cut with tip down and saw at a angle on sandwich is so you get through sandwich better than say straight across saw? any thoughts
I think I know what you mean. I tend to use a serrated edge for toasted sandwiches, but if I really need a clean, exact cut, I will use a non-serrated and often approach the cut using a downward, angular cut that starts at the top crusty corner and works through through that with short strokes, and then use a set of longer strokes to get through the rest. I use this technique because I want to apply the least amount of pressure when dealing with the crusty corner, but once I'm through that, I want the cleanest cut with the fewest strokes possible to no disrupt the layers and sauces of the inside.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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