How To Fix Your Bagel Slicer So It Works Like New!

Описание: Cutting bagels can be risky. In this video, you’ll learn safe slicing techniques using knives, holders, and bagel slicers/guillotine to avoid “bagel thumb.” See how to sharpen and refurbish your slicer with basic tools—while saving fingers and money!

#BagelSlicer #HowToSliceBagels #KitchenSafety #BagelGuillotine #BagelCuttingTips #KnifeSafety #BagelThumb #KitchenDIY #ToolSharpening #SlicerRefurbish #ChainsawFileHack #SharpenKitchenTools #FixItDontTossIt #KitchenGadgets #BreakfastTips #BagelLife #FoodPrepSafety #DIYKitchenTools #HomeCookHacks #KitchenMaintenance

Bagels are very popular and are available in a wide range of flavors. They range from sweet to savory with a wide range of toppings, including cheese, sliced peppers, onions, cinnamon and sugar, seeds, and so forth.

While available pre-sliced, many have to be cut in half, across the bagel, leaving an approximately equal top and bottom. One way to do that is to use a serrated knife while holding the bagel flat with the palm of one hand while using the knife in the other hand to slice sideways, halfway through from each side. If you’re going to use only a knife to cut your bagels, this is the safest method.

Another less safe method is to turn the bagel on edge and cut down through the bagel while holding the bagel upright. This is unstable and can lead to sudden slips. To overcome this,
there are bagel holders (available in wood, plastic and metal) that orient the bagel on edge and allow you to use a bread-slicing knife to cut the bage.

While these methods both work, there is still some danger involved, simply because there is the exposed edge of the knife. - especially if the bagel is stale or frozen. Injuries from the knife slipping or cutting through suddenly to flesh is so common that emergency room personnel have terms for the injury: “bagel hand” or “bagel thumb.”

To avoid this, many use a dedicated tool to cut their bagels: a bagel slicer, sometimes called a bagel guillotine. It’s a great invention, doesn’t take a lot of counter space, comes in a variety of colors, and has a safety cover that shrouds the blade to assure the edge cuts bagel, not flesh.

Depending on the model, you can expect to pay between $15 to $50. Like anything else, you get better quality by paying more - all the models are not the same durability.

But what happens when the blade dulls? This really shows up when cutting very fresh or soft bagels - the blade will tend to squash the bagel instead of slicing through it. You can overcome this a bit by taking short stabbing motions to work the blade through the bagel.

Ultimately, the blade will need to be sharpened or the unit thrown away. I don’t like to trash things that can be refurbished. If you got a cutter that is assembled with screws, it is easy to disassemble the unit, extract the blade, sharpen it, and reassemble.

If your unit is put together using rivets, it is more complex, but still doable. You’ll need to drill out the rivets and replace them with screws. I’ve refurbished a few units, and I use 10-24 stainless steel 1” truss head machine screws (phillips head) along with matching 304 stainless steel acorn nuts to reassemble the unit and make it easy to service.

You can get a nice assortment kit of stainless steel acorn nuts for about $16 here;

https://a.co/d/ap8ajSU

I bought a 50 piece bag of 1” stainless steel machine screws for under $10 at:

https://a.co/d/h4U85la

To sharpen the blade once it is removed from the safety shroud, use a 5/32” (4 mm) chainsaw sharpening file to touch up the blade. Sharpen the side that has the indents on it. Half of the indents will be on one side of the blade, the other half on the other side. I’ve found trying to use a vise to hold the blade is awkward and doesn’t allow you to hold the file in the correct orientation to sharpen.

Simply hold the blade flat on a surface with the edge to be sharpened extending over the edge. Hold the file at the angle that fits the indents best (about 30°) in each indent and stroke forward 4 or 5 times for each indent. Flip the blade over and repeat the process. DO NOT SHARPEN THE FLAT SIDE. It is not necessary and will prematurely wear down the blade.

Now, wipe down or wash and dry the blade (carefully - it’s sharper than you think!) and reassemble the unit. You’ve just renewed the slicer without buying a new one!

If you do need a new one, I’d suggest getting one with screws instead of rivets.

You can get the files from a farm supply store, and equipment repair or rental facility, or online.

The ones I use (about $5 for two) are these:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...


JUST DO IT YOURSELF!