I Tested 10 Pizza Cutters (and Sliced More Than a Dozen Pizzas) to Find the Best Ones

It’s never been easier to make great pizza from the comfort of your own home (or backyard). These days, the market is saturated with options for both indoor and outdoor pizza ovens, high-quality pizza stones and baking steels, and a plethora of pizza-making accessories, including pizza peels and dough dockers. But once you’ve made your perfect pie, you’ll also need something to slice it with, and there’s more than one style of pizza cutter to choose from. I tested two kinds: rocking-style and rolling-style cutters. 

No matter the style, a good pizza cutter should create clean, straight slices, preferably in a single swipe, and without excessive force. A bad pizza cutter, on the other hand, is almost worse than no pizza cutter at all, leaving behind smooshed, folded toppings and struggling to cut through even a thin crust. A sharp blade and comfy handle are non-negotiable. I tested 10 models and sliced over a dozen pizzas to find the best ones. 

The Winners, at a Glance

With its comfortable grip and super-sharp blade, this is the most comfortable and effective rolling-style pizza cutter I tested. It has a sturdy blade made from tough carbon steel. While the Millennia was one of the more expensive pizza wheels in the lineup, the brand sells replacement blades for when your cutter no longer makes the cut (pun intended), so this model can last for years to come. 

When we last reviewed pizza cutters in 2022, this OXO model took first place, and it’s still a strong contender. The large, grippy handle that is a hallmark of all OXO Good Grips products makes this pizza wheel comfortable and easy to use. The sharp blade easily cuts through all types of pizzas in a single stroke. 

With a sharp carbon steel blade and sleek wooden handle, the Gozney Pizza Cutter has a weighty, substantial feel and easily glides through even the crispiest of crusts. The blade is firmly attached with very little wobble, making for straight, precise cuts every time. This is also the only pizza cutter I tried that includes an easily removable blade for thorough cleaning. 

Out of the three rocking-style pizza cutters I tried, this was the only one I liked. Actually, I loved it. Other models I tried were heavy and awkward to hold, with the blade getting in the way of a comfortable grip. The Gozeny rocker, however, is lightweight and designed so that the user can grip all the way around its wooden handle for quicker and more confident slicing. The blade is also sharp enough to slice through all manner of toppings, whether pepperoni or mushrooms or peppers, without mashing. Plus, this model gets bonus points for the included blade guard. 

The Tests

• Thin-Crust Pepperoni Test: I tested how each cutter sliced through a thin-crust frozen pepperoni pizza, observing how each model navigated a crisp and crunchy crust and noting if any pepperoni were bent rather than cleanly sliced. 
• Loaded Pizza Test: I tested how each cutter sliced through a loaded frozen pizza, observing how well each model tackled a slightly thicker, breadier crust and noting if toppings were dragged over the pie rather than cut through cleanly. 
• Thick Crust Sicilian-Style Pizza Test: I tested how each cutter performed on a thick-crust Sicilian-style pizza, noting which models struggled against the taller, bready crust and which were able to glide through with ease.

What We Learned

The Different Kinds of Pizza Cutters

When you think of a pizza cutter, you likely picture something with a rolling blade; these are also known as pizza wheels or rolling-style cutters. Thanks to the rotating blade, these cutters are able to quickly and easily slice through crusts and toppings of any type. This may be the pizza cutter you know and love, but rocking-style cutters, also known as mezzalunas, are becoming more and more popular with amateur enthusiasts and pizza professionals alike. These large cutters feature a fixed blade that is gently curved and about as long as the diameter of a pizza. To use one, the cutter is grasped in both hands and forcefully rocked back and forth on top of a pizza for super quick, confident slicing. 

A Sharp Blade Was a Must

This probably sounds obvious, but no matter the style of cutter,  a sharp blade always performs best, easily slicing through thin and thick crusts alike. A sharp cutter will also cleanly slice through a variety of toppings, while a dull blade will leave behind folded slices of pepperoni or drag bits of sausage or veggies across the surface of the pie. The material of the blade is also important; those made from carbon steel, like the winning Mercer model and the Gozney rolling-style pizza cutter (another favorite), will stay sharp for longer thanks to the more durable nature of the metal. 

A Comfy Handle and Good Grip Were Key to a Clean Slice

It doesn’t matter how sharp your cutter is if you can’t get a good grip. This is true for rolling and rocking-style cutters alike. The best example of this is the Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel, which feels sharp to the touch but is awkward to hold, making it difficult to bear down with enough force to cut through crispier crusts. Likewise, both the Cuisinart and Ooni rocking-style cutters have handles that feel too small and are difficult to grip, with the blade getting in the way of your fingers. The winning rocking-style cutter from Gozney has a uniquely shaped blade with openings that allow your hands to grip all the way around the comfortable wooden handle, making quick work of cutting any style of pizza. 

A Little Wobble Was Helpful—Too Much Was a Hindrance 

Pick up nearly any rolling-style pizza and you’ll notice that the blade has some degree of wobble. The amount of movement will come down to how firmly the blade is attached to the handle, If the connection is too tight, the blade won’t spin freely and will require more force behind each cut; too loose, and it becomes difficult to apply pressure to the cutter and slice in a straight line. Both the winning Mercer and the runner-up OXO Good Grips models have blades with a moderate amount of wobble, but it didn’t affect their performance, whereas the super loosely attached blade of the Williams-Sonoma cutter was more likely to veer off during slicing.

Lightweight Rocking-Style Cutters Were Much Easier to Use

Due to their large blades, rocking-style pizza cutters can be heavy. I noted a direct correlation between product weight and ease of use. The Cuisinart model weighs nearly a pound and a half, making it particularly cumbersome to handle. The Ooni cutter is three ounces lighter and is noticeably easier to use, but still feels a bit awkward due to the design of the handle. On the other hand, weighing in at just over a pound, the Gozney model was the only rocking-style cutter I enjoyed using, thanks to its smart design: The cutouts in the blade not only provide ample space for your hands to grip the handle, but also eliminate overall weight from the product, making the cutter easy to hold and to maneuver.  

A Bigger Blade Worked for All Types of Crusts

The largest rolling-style models I tried had blades with about a four-inch diameter, which seems to be the perfect size for tackling nearly any type of pie. The larger blade requires fewer rotations to cut across an entire pizza, meaning it’s marginally faster and requires slightly less effort to use. While a smaller blade does seem to give the user more control, a blade that’s three inches or smaller will struggle to slice through a thicker crust pizza. This was the case with the Gozney Pizza Cutter. While this model is one of my top picks, the smaller blade couldn’t tackle a thick-crust Sicilian pizza with nearly as much ease as my other winners. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Pizza Cutter

The best pizza cutters are sharp, have a comfortable handle, and can cleanly slice through any pie without squishing or dragging toppings. Rolling-style cutters benefit from a larger blade that allows them to tackle all types of crusts, while the best rocking-style cutters are lightweight and easy to grip.

Our Favorite Pizza Cutters 

What we liked: This cutter features a super sharp, carbon steel blade and a comfortable, grippy handle. During my tests, it effortlessly cut through both thin and thick crusts, making for clean, straight pizza slices. Melty cheese and piles of toppings were also no match for this A+ pizza cutter (no bent pepperoni in sight). Mercer sells replacement blades for when your cutter begins to dull, meaning that this is probably the last pizza wheel you’ll ever need to buy. 

What we didn’t like: Nothing!

Key Specs

• Blade material: Carbon steel
• Blade diameter: 4 inches
• Handle material: Santoprene (a type of plastic with a rubbery feel), polypropylene
• Handle dimensions: 4.5 x 1.25 inches
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, but we recommend hand-washing

What we liked: Like the Mercer, the OXO pizza cutter features a comfortable handle and a sharp fourinch rotary blade. This model is a very close second to the winning Mercer pizza wheel. I found that it performed just as well, but I preferred the more ergonomic handle of the Mercer cutter. However, considering that this is one of the most affordable cutters I tried, I’d say this model takes first place when it comes to value. During testing, I was especially impressed with this cutter’s ability to cut through the thicker crust of the Sicilian-style pie. it left behind neat slices with hardly any added effort on my end. 

What we didn’t like: The blade of this cutter is attached to the handle with two prongs rather than one. Food can get caught in the space between the prongs, which makes this model slightly more difficult to clean than other cutters I tried. 

Key Specs

• Blade material: Stainless steel
• Blade diameter: 4 inches
• Handle material: Grippy plastic
• Handle dimensions: 4.5 x 1.5 inches
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, but we recommend hand-washing

What we liked: With a solid wooden handle, this cutter has a weighty, substantial feel that adds power behind each slice. The three-inch carbon steel blade is firmly attached with almost no detectable wobble and glides easily through crisp crusts and hefty toppings alike. What’s more, the blade unscrews by hand for easy and thorough cleaning. If you’re looking for a high-quality, sturdy pizza wheel, this is the model for you. 

What we didn’t like: The smaller diameter of the blade means that this cutter struggles to slice through thicker crusts. 

Key Specs

• Blade material: Carbon steel
• Blade diameter: 3 inches
• Handle material: Wood
• Handle dimensions: 7.5 x 1 inch
• Dishwasher-safe: No, but we recommend hand-washing sharp items anyway

What we liked: Unlike other rocking-style cutters I tried, the Gozney Pizza Rocker is lightweight, sharp, and comfortable to hold. The cutout design of the blade allows the user to grip all the way around the solid wood handle; it also helps to keep this large cutter lightweight and easier to maneuver than the competition. Plus, while other rocking-style models required a significant amount of force (and lots of rocking) to cut through even a thin crust, the Gozney was able to cut through each style of pizza in a single go.

What we didn’t like: Due to their large size (and large, sharp blades), rocking-style cutters can be a challenge to store. Luckily, this model comes with a blade guard, which makes it safer to store in a drawer or cabinet. 

The Competition

• GORILLA GRIP Large Pizza Cutter: This pizza wheel features a sharp 3.5-inch blade and a grippy rubber handle. While it is comfy to use and makes consistently clean cuts, it feels too lightweight and a bit flimsy. However, this cutter’s decent performance combined with its low price (less than $10 at the time of writing this article) makes it a great value. 
• Williams Sonoma Prep Tools Pizza Wheel: The small 2.75-inch blade of this pizza cutter is very loosely attached to the handle, making for lots of wobble and hindering my ability to cut clean, straight lines, especially on crispier crusts. Plus, I found the smooth plastic handle to be a bit slippery and difficult to grip. 
• Microplane® Pizza Wheel and Dough Docker: This pizza cutter from Microplane is one of the more expensive models I tried, and its high quality is evident in the thoughtful design. It’s got a nicely weighty feel and a sharp blade that’s firmly attached. It even comes with a blade guard that doubles as a dough docker. This pizza wheel nearly made the winner’s list, but it was edged out by the slightly sleeker Gozney model that features a wooden handle and detachable blade for just a few dollars more. 
• Ooni Professional Pizza Cutter Wheel: I found it difficult to get a good grip on the plastic handle of this Ooni pizza wheel. While the blade is sharp to the touch, it seems to require extra force to cut through crispier crusts, and it’s generally more awkward to use than other models I tried.
• Ooni Pizza Cutter Rocker Blade: This rocking-style cutter is heavier than the winning Gozney cutter but a bit lighter than the more cumbersome Cuisinart model. I found the small handle uncomfortable to hold, and while the blade is decently sharp, it often requires more than one try to slice through a pizza. 
• Cuisinart CPS-050 Alfrescamore Quick Cut Pizza Cutter: Weighing in at nearly a pound and a half, this pizza cutter is extremely heavy. While the added weight could theoretically provide extra power when cutting, the blade is too dull to make a decent cut. I did like the hole on one side of the blade, which lets you hang up the blade for easy storage.

FAQs

Can you sharpen a pizza cutter?

Yes, you can sharpen both rocking and rolling-style pizza cutters at home, though a round blade will be trickier to sharpen than your average knife. Whether you use a whetstone, puck sharpener, or belt grinder, make sure to rotate the blade during sharpening to ensure even sharpness. If you’re not up to sharpening your cutter at home, many knife-sharpening services can sharpen round blades. Just be sure to confirm with the company in advance, as not all services will accept pizza wheels. 

What pizza cutter is best for Neapolitan pizza?

This comes down to personal preference. Neapolitan-style pizzas have thin crusts that are soft and chewy, any one of our winning pizza cutters will be up to the task. 

Can you use kitchen shears to portion pizza?

Kitchen shears can absolutely be used to cut a pizza—just make sure they’re squeaky-clean before you begin slicing. Dedicated pizza shears are common in Italy and can be found in many pizza restaurants across the United States. They feature an offset handle and flat bottom blade that allow for quick and easy slicing.

Can I cut a pizza on a stone or pan?

It is not recommended to use your pizza cutter on stone or metal, as cutting on a hard surface is the quickest way to dull your blade. Instead, simply transfer your pizza to a cutting board before slicing. This will keep your pizza cutter sharp for longer and prevent scratching on your pizza stone and/or metal pans. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Zola Gregory is a writer and recipe developer for Serious Eats and other publications. 
• Zola has been cooking professionally since 2016. Before beginning her career in food media, she worked as a pastry chef, baker, and cooking instructor. 
• For this review, she tested how well both rocking and rolling-style pizza cutters sliced up three different styles of pizza, evaluating each product’s sharpness, comfort, and ease of use.
• We first reviewed pizza cutters in 2022.