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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Everything Except Caves => Topic started by: silverjam on November 04, 2011, 11:42:13 AM

Title: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: silverjam on November 04, 2011, 11:42:13 AM
Has anyone bought one of these 'famous' cheese cutters and if so what do they think? I am thinking of buying one and wanted any feedback positive or negative.

See:

http://www.handee.co.uk/default.htm (http://www.handee.co.uk/default.htm)

Thanks,

Silverjam
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: fied on November 04, 2011, 12:16:37 PM
This traditional design works best on big wheels that are difficult to cut with a knife. It's also possible to make one yourself.

The old wooden ones were probably difficult to sterilise properly, though that would be easier for the modern  varieties with  plastic bases.
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: Montie Derby on November 05, 2011, 03:10:34 AM
Alton brown of food network has a how to make one:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/cheese-cutter-video/1647.html (http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/cheese-cutter-video/1647.html)
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: smilingcalico on November 05, 2011, 04:04:08 AM
I use mine all the time. What I like most is the nice smooth cuts.  You save the body of the cheese from damage that a knife might inflict.  I highly recommend it.  The replacement writes are affordable if you spend a little time researching where to buy online.  I can provide you a link should you choose to get one.  Each write lasts about a month, but if the break is close enough to the end you can use a needle nose plier to refashion the eye at the end, thus extending the life of the wire.  If you cut as many wheels as I do, which is about 80 pounds worth of cheese each week, this is an invaluable tool!
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: PeabodyCreamery on January 21, 2012, 04:16:03 AM
In addition to attempting my hand in making cheese I am a cheesemonger by trade and used a Handee for years.  Loved it.  Even in the brutal all day use of our faced paced cheese counter these puppies will last a while.  The wires are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive (although the quality of the wires seems to have been slowly going down hill over the years, they break much easier than they used to).
We've switched over to another model by a company here in the United States in the New England area (Maine or New York) that uses all steel to construct their cutters and they are amazing plus their customer service is flat out the best ever.  I can't for the life of me remember what they are called right now but will look up their info and re-post so you can check them out if you like. 
If you are used to dealing with some larger format cheese such as Parm, Pecorino Romano or larger Bandaged Wrapped Cheddar these cutters are great because they are big.  We use the BB (which stands for Big Boy I believe) and they fit huge wheels very easily.
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: Tomer1 on January 21, 2012, 07:01:00 AM
All you need is a SS wire and some strong wood as holders (to avoid cutting your hands). sort of like an assasin's tool.
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: smilingcalico on January 22, 2012, 03:40:12 AM
A cheese garrote! For decapitating tete de moine!
Title: Re: Handee Cheese Cutter
Post by: Chris K on April 06, 2012, 04:40:00 PM
Resurrecting this old thread FWIW. I got plenty of practice on a Handee cutter this week at Cheese School. They're pretty indispensable if you're in a shop with high volume and want fine, clean, straight cuts. Several of the teachers said to get the plastic model as, in their experience, after a while the stainless model began to shed very fine metal shavings.

I now understand where cheesemonger elbow comes from ;)