A clean cut pizza is a pizza cut with a clean pizza cutter. The pizza cutter is cleaned before it is used to cut the pizza.
Some people prefer clean cut pizza for many reasons such as to prevent any allergens on the pizza cutter from transferring to the pizza.
For most restaurants like Papa John’s, Domino’s, or Pizza Hut that make a lot of orders in a short time, the pizza cutter cuts so many pizzas.
After cutting so many pizzas, the pizza cutter can accumulate pizza sauce, cheese, dough, and toppings.
The residues on the pizza cutter can get to the next pizzas they cut, and some of the food residues from the previous pizzas might have ingredients that other people are trying to avoid.
That is why some request a clean cut to make sure that the pizza cutter used for their pizzas does not have any contamination from previous pizzas.
Along with that, there are other reasons why pizza lovers want a clean-cut pizza. Here, we will be looking at those reasons and other interesting facts about clean-cut pizza.
What Is Clean-Cut Pizza?
If you hear someone requesting a clean-cut pizza, they are essentially asking the chef to cut their pizza with a clean pizza cutter or pizza wheel.
So does that mean that the cooks are using dirty and old cutters to cut your pizza? Well, yes, in a way but we have to understand the process as to why this happens.
Pizzerias or pizza delivery outlets are busy places. They get orders of hundreds of pizzas a day and the cutter they use is the same cutter for all of the pizzas that come out of the kitchen.
In some pizza chains, the pizzas go through a conveyor belt that passes through the oven. Once the cooked pizza comes out of the oven, one crew takes it out with a pizza peel and places it in a box.
The pizza is then cut with a pizza wheel or a rocker blade. The same cutter/rocker blade is then used for the other pizzas.
After a while, the cutter will get residues from the many pizzas that it has cut. The cutter will usually have residues of cheese, sauce, meat, and pizza crust.
So when you request a “clean-cut” pizza, the cook basically cleans the pizza cutter first or uses a fresh clean one so there are no residues in it before cutting your pizza.
Clean Cut Vs Normal Cut Pizza
Normal cut pizzas are pizzas that are cut without specifying clean cut. What it means is that the pizzas that are “normal cut” do not necessarily use a fresh new cutter every time.
It does not mean that the cutter is dirty but they may not clean it every time they cut a new pizza.
A clean cut pizza is cut using a pizza cutter cleaned before cutting it.
The slices’ size will depend on the size of the pizza but essentially, clean cut and normal cut pizzas are the same in the way they are cut, the only difference being the tool they are used to cut with.
There is also a “normal cut pizza” term that is more about the shape of the pizza. We will take a deeper look into that later in this post.
Is There A Need For Clean Cut Pizza?
Yes, while it might seem like overdoing it, clean cut pizza is necessary for a few reasons. Someone might be allergic to some ingredients that were in the previous pizzas.
Others can have dietary restrictions and religious reasons, so they need the pizza cutter to be cleaned before cutting their pizzas.
Here are some reasons why a clean cut pizza is needed:
1. Allergies
People who have allergies and lactose intolerance often request a clean-cut pizza. This is to avoid unpleasant and dangerous reactions from foods they should not eat.
If someone has a seafood allergy and the pizza cutter was used on shrimp toppings, then they would request a clean cut pizza to avoid any allergic reactions.
Cross-contamination is avoided by cleaning the pizza cutter first to get rid of any allergens and dairy for lactose-intolerant people.
2. Specified Diets
Specified diets are the likes of vegan, keto, dairy-free, or gluten-free diets. Again, it is cross-contamination that they are trying to avoid here.
The pizza cutter used on other pizzas might have meat, dairy, or gluten residues. That is why the pizza cutter is cleaned first before slicing into the pizza.
3. Religious Reasons
Living a spiritual life is really important for some cultures. Muslims and the Jewish do not eat pork, and Buddhists do not generally eat meat.
These are just a couple of examples out of many diets that follow religious law like some want Kosher pizza and nothing else but that.
Even a hint of pork or meat in a pizza can ruin it for them since they follow a specific religious diet.
That is why the pizza cutter needs to be cleaned to get a clean cut pizza.
Different Kinds Of Pizza Cut
1. Normal Cut
A normal cut pizza, also known as pie cut, is perhaps the most familiar pizza cut. It is where the pizza is cut to create triangular slices.
Every slice has a relatively uniform size and shape; each of the slices also contains the crust’s edge.
The triangular shape of the slices is easy to hold which is the slice we see on New York-style pizzas.
While most pizza chains would cut “normal cut pizzas” with one pizza cutter, you can still request a normal cut pizza that is also clean cut. They will use a fresh clean cutter for your pizza.
2. The Square Cut
Square cuts are smaller than normal cuts. These smaller square cuts make the pizza great as snacks like bite-sized pizzas.
Sicilian pizzas are usually cut in square cuts because of the oblong shape of the whole pizza. The thin and crispy crust of the pizza made the square cuts almost cracker-like.
For people who dislike eating the edge of the crust, square cuts might be your thing. There are square slices at the center of the pizza that might not have the edge of the crust.
Square cut pizzas can also be requested as clean cut where the square slices are cut with a clean pizza cutter.
3. Customized Cuts
Customized cuts such as strips can be great for dipping. The long 4 to 8-inch slices are easy to hold as well.
Other customized cuts such as the smaller triangle slices can be great as sides or appetizers for large meals.
4. The No Cut
A no cut pizza simply means that the pizza is not cut before delivering it to your doorstep. It also means that the pizza delivery chain did not use any unclean cutter on your pizza.
Ordering your pizza “uncut” can also help retain the crust’s crispiness.
Pizza delivery can take a while and by the time it arrives at your home, the oil, sauce, and cheese might have seeped into the crust, making it soggy.
Clean Cut Or No Cut Pizza – The Better Option
I prefer a no cut pizza because there is no contact with a cutter that has been used on any other pizza.
Clean-cut pizzas are safe, but we can never be too sure. While the pizza cutter is cleaned, there can be residues in the ridges and small spaces of a pizza cutter, especially pizza wheels.
A no-cut pizza also gives you the satisfaction of cutting your own pizza at home and making slices any way you want.
If you go with no-cut pizzas, you are 100% sure that there are no contaminants from the pizza cutter used in the pizzeria, so, in my opinion, a no-cut pizza is the better option.
What Does Papa John’s Clean-cut Mean?
Papa John’s Clean-cut is no different from a clean-cut that you would get from other pizza delivery services like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Little Caesar’s.
If you go to Papa John’s and request a clean cut pizza, the cooks will make sure to use a clean pizza cutter to cut your pizza.
The same goes for the other pizza chains and pizza parlors that you go to. So Papa John’s clean-cut pizza simply means that they use a clean pizza cutter for your pizza.
What Is A Chicago Cut Pizza?
A Chicago cut or “Chicago-style” pizza is a type of thin and crispy-crust pizza that is cut into square shapes like in the tavern-style Chicago pizza.
The square cuts, as we have mentioned above, are great for parties or gatherings as snacks. That is why they are sometimes called “Party Cuts”
It is not to be confused with the deep-dish pizza, which is also popular in Chicago. The Chicago cut is for thin and crispy pizzas cut in square cuts.
So Should You Always Get Clean-cut?
Clean cut is not only a matter of preference as it is also about your safety. Whenever you get the chance to, you should also get a clean-cut to make sure your pizza is safe and clean.
People with allergies, lactose intolerance, specific diets, and religious laws to follow should definitely get clean-cut pizzas so the pizza you get is not contaminated with any food that is not allowed on your diet.
I love getting clean cut pizzas because it makes me more comfortable and confident that my pizza is safe from cross-contamination.
So although it is not necessary for guys like me that can eat anything, yes, you should always get a clean cut pizza if you have the chance.
The Best Pizza Cutters for homemade pizzas
Here we have a short list of the best pizza cutters that you can get for cutting your pizza. That way, you will not have to worry about cross-contamination or any hygiene problems with pizzas.
1. Kitchy Pizza Cutter Wheel
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Ergonomic
- Can Be Cleaned Easily
Cons
- A Bit Pricey
As something that looks like the Oxo cutter, this is one of the easiest pizza cutters to use as it fits right in your palms. The ergonomic design can easily cut through the crispy crust on your pizza without using two hands.
You neither need to apply force with this pizza cutter as it glides easily through the pie. With the wheel design, you can also make sure that you use one side of the blade.
All of the parts disassemble easily so cleaning it is very easy. You get to look into the deep grooves and hard-to-reach areas and clean them easily after cutting a pizza.
2. Checkered Chef Pizza Cutter
Pros
- Very Sharp
- Long Blade
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons
- Also A Bit Expensive
When it comes to something that you can easily clean, the rocker pizza cutters are the best. You have no compartments or parts that are hard to reach as this one is a single-structure blade.
This rocker pizza cutter blade is pretty sharp so you can also use it in chipping up some vegetables for your salad. So do not let children wash this as it might cut them.
It is easy to use, and your pizza cuts cleanly with one smooth motion. You need some space to store it as it is pretty long but there are no other issues with this amazing pizza cutter.
3. Yinghezu Stainless Steel Pizza Cutter Wheel
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Cheap
- Sharp
Cons
- Pretty Common
There might be other companies that sell this kind of pizza cutter but nothing cuts your pizza better than this one. It is a wheel cutter that has an ergonomic design and handles to it.
This pizza cutter is also only $5 so you do not have to break the bank for it. There is no need for complicated washing techniques as you can easily wash them.
The silicone handle that looks like the Oxo cutter, and the sharp blade are perfect for cutting your pizza in just seconds. You can safely cut your pizza and not make any mess with this pizza cutter wheel.
4. Cook Works Stainless Steel Pizza Cutter
Pros:
- Can make long cuts with its 11-inch length
- Dishwasher safe
- Versatile
Cons:
- No blade guard
This is a pizza rocker that can cut your large pizzas. It has an ergonomic hande that makes cutting pizzas a blast.
It is really easy to use and it can easily cut brownies or cookies as well. I do, however, would prefer it if it had a rubber handle so my hands do not slip when it is oily or wet.
5. Dreamfarm Scizza Pizza Scissors
Pros:
- Dishwasher safe
- Really easy to use
- Good for delicate surfaces
Cons:
- It can be too short for some pizzas
These pair of scissors are my favorite when I just want a slice from my no cut pizza. I can get just the right size of slice that I want and not have to cut the whole pizza.
It runs smoothly over the pizza and the non-stick protector under the pair of scissors makes sure to protect my wooden board from scratches.
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