Watermelon Slicer and Server
How we tested
The Angurello Watermelon Slicer and Server by IPAC ($15.96) promises to make quick, easy, and clean work of slicing and serving watermelon. It’s essentially a set of tongs with two connected, parallel, crescent-shaped blades at one end. To use the tool, you insert it into a halved watermelon and guide it down and across the flesh in rows, creating mostly rind-less slices of consistent width. Once you’ve cut slices in one direction, you can also make a new set of cuts at a right angle to the original ones, producing rectangular fingers of melon. To serve, you pinch the tongs around each slice or finger and lift it out. We wanted to know whether this tool does a neater, faster, more consistent job of cutting and serving watermelon than a knife, so we put it to the test.
The results were clear—and disappointing. The watermelon released just as much juice when we used this tool as when we cut it with a knife, and while the tool’s blades were sharp, it wasn’t faster or easier to use than a knife. In fact, it took slightly more time to make each new cut line up with the last, and we had to yank upward awkwardly to dislodge the tool after each slice. Those big, scythe-like blades lacked precise control when serving the fruit, sometimes mashing it in the process. And of course, if you buy a whole watermelon, you’ll still need a knife to cut it open.
Worse, because it was impossible to gauge how deeply the tool was slicing into the melon, we either took too much off the bottom (leaving on undesirable rind) or, more often, too little (wasting lots of fruit). Either way, the finished slices and cubes—though of consistent thickness, as promised—had odd, swooping, erratically cut bottom edges. Additionally, some tasters bemoaned the lack of a rind “handle.”
For perfect, presentation-worthy watermelon slices and cubes, save your money and stick with your knife. A serrated knife will get the job done in less time—and much more attractively and efficiently, too.
Methodology
We tested the Angurello Watermelon Slicer and Server by IPAC ($15.96) by using it to slice and cube watermelon halves and quarters. We timed each session and compared the results to the times logged by a serrated knife; we also compared the messes generated and the quality of the slices and cubes produced. We purchased the product online.
EASE OF USE: We assessed the product on how easily it cut watermelon slices and cubes, how smoothly it maneuvered around the watermelon, and how neatly it served the slices and cubes.
PERFORMANCE: We assessed the product on how consistently it produced uniform, attractive-looking, rind-free slices and cubes of watermelon without wasting fruit.
The Results
Design Trifecta 360 Knife Block
Admittedly expensive, this handsome block certainly seemed to live up to its billing as “the last knife block you ever have to buy.” The heaviest model in our testing, this block was ultrastable, and its durable bamboo exterior was a breeze to clean. Well-placed medium-strength magnets made it easy to attach all our knives, and a rotating base gave us quick access to them. One tiny quibble: The blade of our 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a little.
Schmidt Brothers Downtown Block
This roomy block completely sheathed our entire winning knife set using just one of its two sides—and quite securely, thanks to long, medium-strength magnet bars. Heavy, with a grippy base, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard made this model extra-safe but also made it a little trickier to insert knives and to clean; the wood block itself showed some minor cosmetic scratching during use.
Schmidt Brothers Midtown Block
This smaller version of the Downtown Block secured all our knives nicely, though the blade of the slicing knife stuck out a bit. With a base lined with grippy material, this block was very stable. An acrylic guard afforded extra protection against contact with blades but made it a little harder to insert knives and to clean; the wood itself got a little scratched during use.
Swissmar Bamboo Magnetic Knife Block
This small, scratch-resistant model had a stable, rubber-lined base and could hold all our knives, though the blade of the 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a bit. But inch-long gaps between its small magnets made coverage uneven and forced us to find the magnetic hot spots in order to secure the knives. Its acrylic guard made it safer to use but harder to insert knives and to clean.
Messermeister Walnut Magnet Block
This handsome block was done in by its shape—a tippy, top-heavy quarter-circle that wasn’t tall or broad enough to keep the blades of three knives from poking out. It lacked a nonslip base, and its extra-strong magnets made it unnerving to attach or remove our heavy cleaver. Finally, it got a bit scratched after extensive use.
Epicurean Standing Knife Rack 12"
This magnetic block sheathed all our knives completely, though with a bit of crowding. But it was hard to insert each knife without hitting the block’s decorative slats on way down, and because the block was light and narrow, it wobbled when bumped. Worse, we couldn’t take it apart, so splatters that hit the interior were there to stay. Additionally, the outside stained easily, and when we wiped it down, the unit smelled like wet dog.
Kapoosh Rondelle Knife Block
This model stabilized knives with a mass of stiff, spaghetti-like bristles that shed and nicked easily after extensive use, covering our knives with plastic debris. While all our knives fit securely, several of the blades stuck out, making this unit feel less safe overall. Finally, though the bristles could be removed and cleaned in the dishwasher, their nooks and crannies made this block hard to wash by hand.
Kuhn Rikon Vision Knife Block, Clear
This plastic block required us to aim each knife into the folds of an accordion-pleated insert that was removable for easy cleaning but got nicked easily with repeated use. Because we could only insert the knives vertically, longer knife blades stuck out; a cleaver was too wide to fit. The lightest model in our lineup, this block was dangerously top-heavy when loaded with knives.