If you're making a fancy watermelon salad or appetizer tray, this slicer/tongs tool can help. It has a round frame that fits over an entire watermelon and a set of blades to cut it into even slices.
It also works like tongs to lift and serve each slice. This tool helps you avoid messy cutting, which is important because it protects your fingers and prevents food waste.
Optimizing Workflow and Tasks
Many supermarkets and grocery store chains use a variety of tools to cut different types of fruit, vegetables and meat. In the case of watermelon, the most common tool is a large kitchen knife that can slice wedges or cubes. These knives are usually sharp and made from a sturdy metal or plastic. They can be easy to work with, but they are not the best option for eliminating food waste and ensuring uniform cuts for customers.
Other slicing options include hand-held tongs that make scoops of different sizes or a special melon corer with a flexible blade capable of scraping out the inner flesh of the rind and separating it from the rest of the fruit. There are also a number of “windmill” style cutters that feature a spinning set of blades at the end that produce watermelon cubes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
These handy tools save time and effort by allowing workers to complete the entire slicing process in a single motion, but they are not the most efficient way to deal with large quantities of watermelon. Those who are looking to improve efficiency should consider using a large circular saw that has a rotating blade and can cut through multiple sides of a watermelon at once.
Maximizing Inventory Efficiency
With summer approaching, you may have more people in your store who want to enjoy fresh, refreshing watermelon. Cutting a whole watermelon manually isn’t the fastest way to get those slices, but a number of commercial watermelon cutters are available on the market that make quick work out of a tricky task. For example, there are windmill-style tools that let you cut precise slices without ever getting your hands wet. These can produce 12 uniform slices in one motion. They’re also made from high-quality materials that are safe for use with food. They meet all the necessary regulations for utensils that come into contact with food.
Efficiently Reduce Size of Produce
The type of vegetable or fruit that you want to cut will influence the type of cutter that is the best fit. For example, a round vegetable like a carrot will work best with a knife that is capable of cutting in a circle around the vegetable to produce an even slice. On the other hand, a cylindrical vegetable like a cucumber may be better served with a slicer that has blades that will firmly grip the fruit or vegetable and slice it into slices that are even and consistent.
Watermelons, on the other hand, typically don't play well with a standard kitchen knife. Instead, a watermelon cutter will provide you with more control and precision over the cutting of the melon. Many watermelon slicers will also come with a built-in melon baller for added versatility.
For example, the Misty by NAVA watermelon cutter features a stainless steel blade that can slice up to twelve uniform pieces of watermelon with a single movement. It will also remove the core from each piece of melon. This means that you'll be able to create a variety of different types of sliced watermelon for any recipe or snack time.
If you're looking for something a little more traditional, this BPA free plastic Norpro melon cutter will get the job done with a minimum of fuss. It has two santoprene handles that are designed to provide you with a comfortable, secure grip. It can slice through watermelon, honeydew and pineapple with ease.
It can be used by laying one side of the melon flat on the cutting board and lining up the melon cutter with the opposite side of the melon. The handle can then be pushed down on the melon to slice through it. Once the melon is sliced, it can be stacked in an evenly arranged stack on the counter top.
Alternatively, if you're not looking for a fancy watermelon cutter, you can simply use your kitchen knives to get the job done. However, this will be more time-consuming, and you'll likely end up with a few less uniform pieces of melon.
Satisfied Customers Enjoy Pre-Cut Watermelons
Watermelons are among the best-selling summer fruit, and many shoppers appreciate the convenience of pre-cut options. Retailers that stock a variety of cuts and sizes help meet consumer demand.
Depending on the size of your store and the number of customers, you might need to create eye-catching displays to draw attention to your selection. B&T’s Food Fresh Market in Millen, Georgia, places watermelons in circular bins with clear plastic overlays that give shoppers a visual clue to how much fruit is inside. It also offers customers a chance to sample the fruits, which helps them make a better purchasing decision.
Some retailers stock specialty tools designed specifically for cutting and serving watermelons, such as a tool that resembles a double-bladed sickle with a thin blade connecting the two in the middle. The design allows you to scoop the melon into the tool, which then works like tongs to lift and serve the slice without releasing juice or contaminating your hands. The tool has a high customer rating on Amazon, with most shoppers noting that it makes slicing watermelons much easier and faster than using a knife.
A kitchen knife can be used to cut watermelon, but it’s important to have a large, sturdy chef’s knife that’s well-sharpened. If possible, cut the melon into quarters before you begin slicing it. A small knife, such as a paring one, can then be used to cut each section into wedges or cubes.
To pick a ripe watermelon, look for a symmetrical shape and a ring that’s free of bruises or dents. The fruit should be heavy for its size, which indicates that it’s full of water and therefore ripe. You can test a watermelon for juiciness by knocking on it – the best melons produce a deep, hallow sound that resonates when you hit it. Look for a watermelon that has a yellow, pale patch on one side, which means it was left on the vine longer and is therefore sweeter than others. A dull, gray patch, on the other hand, may indicate that it was picked early and is less ripe.
