Bagel Biter Safe Bagel Slicer: The Guillotine Method of Slicing
Written: Aug 07 '02 (Updated Feb 11 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Works without difficulty, smoothly and efficiently
Cons: not good for heavily topped bagels, or oversized bagels.
The Bottom Line: Another gadget to take up space.
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| naphtalia's Full Review: Bagel Biter - the Original Bagel Guillotine |
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a bagel as "A glazed, ring-shaped roll with a tough, chewy texture, made from plain yeast dough that is dropped briefly into nearly boiling water and then baked." It also says that the word is Yiddush and derives from the Middle High German word "böugel" which is the diminutive form of "bouc" or from the Old High German "boug." As a linguist, I find this all fascinating. However, when it comes to bagels, a dictionary definition is not enough. A good bagel is a perfect food. It is soft and chewy. It is a palette that brings out the best in the things that top it or fill it. A good bagel is, in short, a miraculous thing.
For some people, however, a bagel is a threat to their very well being. The idea of slicing a bagel brings fear to mind. Is there a Jewish child in the United States whose over protective Jewish mother (O.P.J.M.) hasn't warned them to be careful cutting a bagel lest they slice their hand open. (Sort of a Jewish mother's dinner version of the W.A.S.P. "Don't run with scissors or you'll put your eye out.") After being convinced that slicing bagels is a dangerous thing, some genius child of a Jewish mother (all Jewish mothers will tell you their children are geniuses) invented the bagel guillotine - a.k.a. the Bagel biter and slicer.
The bagel biter consists of two sections. The bottom section is a plastic cradle to hold the bagel in an upright position. The upper portion consists of a v-shaped blade held in a long plastic sleeve. The sleeve is topped by a handle. The sleeve and cradle fit together neatly. Simply put the bagel in place, place the sleeve on top, and then push down on the handle which cleanly cuts through the bagel. Nothing could be simpler or easier.
All the parts of the bagel biter are dishwasher safe. It certainly is a fun tool. Kids seem to enjoy it, and it takes away the worry of them cutting themselves. In a household that eats lots of fresh bagels, this is a good tool to have around.
That said, however, the bagel biter is another gadget to take up room in my cupboards - room I don't really have. Also, I like onion bagels and garlic bagels with lots of topping on them. The bagels I buy come with loads of onions on top, much of which falls off into the bag. If all your topping is baked solidly into your bagel, the bagel biter works well. The bagels I prefer simply lose more topping in the machine. Also, many places are now making very large bagels. I'm not a fan of these oversized bagels. Neither is the bagel biter which works very well on standard sized bagels, but not on minis or on the oversized variety.
The bagel slicer was fun, but it has been sent this morning to the Goodwill. It's a gadget, but hardly worth the space it takes up. It certainly isn't worth the $22 or so that was spent on it by a friend.
How to Slice a Bagel Safely.
Use a serated knife. Place your bagel flat on table. Put your hand on top of it and hold it firmly without squishing. Slice horizontally to about halfway through the bagel. Now, stand the bagel on its end on the cutting board. Finish slicing downward while gripping the upper sliced half. Voila! One safely sliced bagel! Of course, if you're like many folks out there, you will cut the bagel while holding it in your hand. If you can't keep yourself from doing this, perhaps you do need a bagel biter.
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If you'd like to read more of my reviews dealing with food from a Jewish perspective, follow one of these links:
Gefilte Fish: The Movie
Keeping it Kosher – The Basics
Much Ado About Noshing – A Guide to Jewish Cuisine
What you should know about Sabra
Recommended:
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naphtalia
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