I Tried All Those Silly Watermelon Tools — And Actually Really Liked 1 of Them
Any watermelon-lover knows that it can be a pain to cut up the fruit into chunks or slices for easy eating. That’s probably why there are so many tools out there to help you do it. There are cheeky serrated knives, giant gadgets that look like oversized apple slicers, wedged knives that look more like pie slicers, and even weird windmill-type slicers that seem oddly medieval. Curious to know if they were any good, I rounded up at least one tool in each category and got to work.
I have to admit, I was incredibly skeptical about every single one of these — but they all worked. Albeit, some better than others. Allow me to explain.
I’m not someone who people would describe as particularly strong (physically or emotionally, I suppose!), so I didn’t think I had a chance at pushing this giant cutter through an entire watermelon. Turns out, once you cut the end off, it’s not all that hard. I ran into trouble at the end, though, once the cutter hit my cutting board. It hadn’t sliced all the way through and I couldn’t really flip everything over. So my wedges were still attached at the bottom and I had to use a knife to cut them free. Otherwise, I’d say it worked fine enough but it’d be harder with a larger watermelon and the cutter is way too big for any drawer. Ultimately, I think it’s just far too bulky for anyone to realistically store in their kitchen.
Next up: This super-fun windmill-style cutter. I thought, for sure, there was a zero percent chance it would work. So imagine how surprised (and ridiculously giddy!) I was when I learned that it did. Look at it go! It’s like a lawn mower … for your watermelon. While it was super fun to use, I will say it’s not entirely practical. It was too hard to get into the sides or dip down into the bowl as the cuts got deeper.
I liked this wedge-style cutter enough because it cut into the flesh of the fruit and had a bar across the top, which could then be dragged through to release your slice. But I found that even the tools with tongs on the other end had a hard time gripping the slices to pull them out.
All of this brings me to my favorite option: the serrated watermelon knife. Specifically, this one from Kuhn Rikon. Really, it’s just a serrated knife with little holes (that look like watermelon seeds!) to keep the fruit from sticking as you cut. It’s also got an 11-inch blade (so it’s sure to span the length of the biggest fruits), an ergonomic handle, and a nonstick coating. Let me be blunt: This thing is sharp. Incredibly sharp. (Luckily, it comes with a sheath for drawer storage.) Which is why it works so well. I could easily slice through the rind and then the flesh. And because the blade is so long and bendy, I can easily follow the curve of the melon to get out every last bit of the good stuff — without wasting a single bite. I’ve also been using this to slice up loaves of sourdough, big sandwiches, and all my summer tomatoes.
Buy: Kuhn Rikon Melon Knife, $20
Is it totally necessary, though? No. If you already have a serrated knife that you love, then you can just use that. If you don’t, however, then it’s pretty hard to beat the price tag on this guy. Even though it’s made for (and looks like) watermelon, you can use it just like a typical serrated knife. I already have a serrated knife, but am going to keep this one in rotation in case I need one and the other is already dirty and in the sink. It’s not like it takes up that much room. It’s not the apple slicer-like one we’re talking about here!
What do you think? Do you have a watermelon tool that you use every summer? Discuss in the comments below!