Sandwiches can be fantastic to eat whenever you’re feeling hungry. When you want to make something for lunch, making a sandwich might be one of the first ideas that you’ll have.
Many people like bringing them to work with them and they need to take them to work inside of lunch boxes or small bags. Often, the sandwiches will need to be cut to fit inside of a lunchbox or a bag properly.
People cut their sandwiches to make them more convenient to eat as well. Sometimes it’s easier to eat one that has been cut in half than it is to try to eat a whole sandwich.
The issue that people have with this is that cutting a sandwich in half isn’t always easy. You can cut it in half simply enough, but you might wind up squashing it a bit if you don’t approach things the right way.
How can you cut a sandwich just right so that it won’t be squished at all? Keep reading to learn about the best approach to take.
Is Cutting a Sandwich Truly Necessary?
Before moving forward, it’s important to address whether cutting sandwiches is that important in the grand scheme of things. Some people might not mind eating mean without cutting them in half, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a good reason to consider cutting them.
Cutting a sandwich is going to make it a lot easier for you to hold it. Many sandwiches will wind up being fairly large when you finish making them and some people might have a hard time holding them up without losing some of the ingredients.
Being able to eat them without having the contents spill out would be nice. Cutting the sandwich in half properly will make it a lot easier for you to pull this off.
It’s also going to be easier for you to take a bite since you won’t have as hard of a time holding onto the sandwich. For many people, cutting them will be an important part of enjoying them.
Cut sandwiches will be easier to add ingredients to after the fact as well. It’ll be simpler to put some extra pickles on one without having it come apart.
Do you need to cut the sandwich in half if you don’t want to? If you’re making one to eat it right now, then you don’t have to if you’re comfortable eating it whole.
You might want to consider the benefits of cutting it in half, though. For instance, cutting a sandwich in half allows you to save the other half for later if you get full, and you might need to cut it if you’re transporting it in a lunchbox or bag for the sake of convenience.
Sharing sandwiches will be simpler when you cut them in half as well. You could choose to give the other half to a friend or family member since you won’t have actually bitten into the other half.
For the most part, there isn’t going to be a reason to avoid cutting your sandwiches in half. It’s almost always beneficial to cut one in half unless you’re just really hungry and don’t want to take the time to do so.
How to Avoid Squishing a Sandwich While Cutting it in Half
The big problem with cutting a sandwich in half involves holding onto it.
People who aren’t very experienced with cutting sandwiches will sometimes squish it when they’re holding it and trying to cut it. You could wind up seeing condiments start oozing out if you’re squishing it while cutting it.
To avoid doing this, you’re going to want to learn how to hold the sandwich firmly without squishing it. Try to firmly grasp it just enough to hold it in place.
If the sandwich is on a surface that won’t move, then things will be a lot easier for you. Try to place it on a cutting board so that you can have the easiest experience possible.
You’re also going to need to ensure that the cutting process goes smoothly. One of the biggest problems that contribute to squishing a sandwich involves using a bad knife.
If you’re using a knife that is ill-suited to cutting sandwiches, then you’re going to have a tougher time holding it in place while you cut it. This makes it more likely that you’re going to squish it at some point.
Ideally, you should be using a sharp bread knife of some sort. It needs to have smooth serrations that will make cutting through the sandwich as easy as it can possibly be.
If you’re using a dull knife or a knife without serrations, then you might have a tougher time getting a clean cut. It isn’t necessarily hard to cut a sandwich in half with a non-standard knife, but it’s going to be tough to do so cleanly and without squishing it.
Once you have a sharp bread knife with serrations, it’s going to be best to cut it in half using gentle sawing motions. One good method is to hold the sandwich firmly and cut between your middle finger and ring finger.
Are Diagonal Slices Better?
The next big thing to consider is whether or not you should cut the sandwich diagonally or not. It’s fine to go with whichever option you prefer, but each one might have some benefits that you’ll want to think about.
Cutting a sandwich diagonally might make it look more appealing to some people. When you cut a sandwich like this, it’s going to give you two triangular pieces that will look nice when wrapped up.
It’s also something that makes it easier to eat the sandwich if you aren’t a big fan of crust. When you’re eating a diagonally cut sandwich, it’s going to make it appear that it has less crust.
Of course, there really isn’t going to be less crust on your sandwich, but it makes it look that way. People have an easier time eating sandwiches that have been cut diagonally when they don’t particularly like crust.
Not everyone prefers cutting their sandwiches diagonally, though. Some think that a vertical cut looks a lot nicer overall.
When you go with a standard vertical cut, the sandwich is going to have two symmetrical halves. You’ll be able to better see the ingredients and some think that it’s easier to eat one that has been cut vertically.
It’s fine for you to go with whatever type of cut makes the most sense to you. Which one you prefer is simply going to depend on your sensibilities.
If you like the way diagonally-cut sandwiches look, then you might want to go with that. There isn’t a right or wrong answer here.
You shouldn’t have a harder time cutting a sandwich one way or the other. It’s going to be fine if you choose to cut yours diagonally or vertically moving forward.
Final Thoughts
Now you should have a better idea of how to go about cutting sandwiches in half. If you’ve been struggling when cutting them until now, then you’ll be able to turn things around with the right approach.
It’s pretty easy to squish a sandwich while you’re trying to cut it if you’re not careful. This is because it’s necessary to hold them firmly to keep them in place while you’re cutting them.
One of the most important aspects of getting things right will be choosing a quality knife for the job. Go out and buy a sharp bread knife that has smooth serrations if you don’t already have one.
Remember to hold the sandwich firmly without gripping it too hard and squishing it. Cut through it using gentle sawing motions until you have cut it in half.
You might have an easier time cutting them if you try to remember to cut between your ring finger and your middle finger. Just move your hand down the sandwich as you cut it in half slowly and confidently.
Eventually, you’re going to get very good at this and you’ll have an understanding of how firmly to hold the sandwich without squishing it. You won’t have to deal with squashed sandwiches any longer and you’ll be able to focus on just enjoying your lunch.
This advice should work out nicely whether you’re planning to cut them vertically or diagonally. Enjoy your sandwiches and let your friends know the proper way to cut theirs without squishing them if they’re in need.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.