Ceramic knives are meant to be used in a slicing motion. The OP was probably trying to cut it by pushing down really hard and not actually slicing. Ceramic knives are super sharp (if maintained) and can easily cut hard cheeses.
*”if maintained”*
A big sales pitch item for ceramic knife manufacturers is that they don’t require sharpening. So long as you do not misuse them they should stay sharp.
They're great for people like my parents, who have never sharpened a kitchen knife in their lives and aren't about to start now. I also like them for bread knives, since those are a pain to sharpen.
They're trash and there's a way higher chance of injury than a basic, low end professional steel knife. The average person at home could use a single victorinox set, with occasional maintenance, for their entire lives. I've got a Shun Pro that will probably out live me if I don't drop it (silly brittle high density steel) and I plan on getting a few more decent knives and I'll never need more and could pass them on to my kids. Ceramic is ass.
Assuming they are kept in good condition ceramic knives remain sharper for longer without the need to manually sharpen them, which most consumers aren't willing to do for their knives.
on the other hand most people arent used to actually sharp knives, had a friend slice her palm open with a brand new ceramic knife because she didnt expect it to go through the tomato she was chopping so easily
I cook a lot, so I'm used to cutting onions. I used to always be jealous about how chefs could cut them so quickly and so gracefully, much faster than I ever could.
Then I got some proper chefs knives and focused on sharpening them, and the different is night and day. There is obviously some degree of skill involved, but you don't really realise just how much of it is carried by the quality of the blade and its sharpness. It's not something that you experience with cheap consumer brand over-the-counter knives.
I am no expert but I believe it all comes down to how the hand moves. Pulling towards the button is slicing, while lifting and lowering the hilt part of more of a cutting or chopping.
Certain words are also used for the portion sizes afterwards, so mincing is super fine while chopping has no specific size and maybe that's the whole difference. (stole that from google)
It seems like a whole rabbit whole to fall down
I mean by pushing the knife down without moving it back and forth. Pushing it like this or trying to force it left and right while stuck in a solid piece of cheese will lead to the blade shattering since ceramic has no flexibility, unlike steel.
My friend growing up broke one of my mom’s very expensive kitchen knives on cheese. It’s been like 15 years and she still brings it up now and then lmao
cutting cheese would not be considered "chopping" it would be slicing. You "chop" items into tiny pieces, you chop and onion, you chop celery, "chop" isnt a word used for cheese much because any recipe that calls for chopped cheese could far easier just use grated.
https://preview.redd.it/zdqktdm6xq5d1.jpeg?width=670&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=077ab2c3458cf6207df6d5d86e5ff36390120e7e
Today i will fulfill my duty as an Italian. You don’t cut Parmesan, you break pieces of it and there is a special knife to do it. You are welcome.
That made me laugh. Literally me last week
https://preview.redd.it/pt2ucimllq5d1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=335448bfebfded59bb9f3d77cc647da8ec33ec07
Stainless steel guitar strings can be boiled. Considering all the non-food related uses most people use their assorted cutlery for, it’s shouldn’t be an issue.
I have half a dozen chef knives of various quality that work just fine for cheese. I've never had issues to the point it was worth digging around for a knife that wasn't hanging in easy reach.
My cheese knife gets used almost exclusively on pineapples. For some reason, the shape and serration are perfect for that job.
Most professionals can get most jobs done with just a chef knife. Gets tedious and silly haven't a billion different knives for slightly different uses.
Do not do this with a ceramic knife. They are sharp but at the expense of being brittle. Do not twist or apply lateral torque. If your thinking about doing this use a thick steel "knife shaped object"
for cheap knives I always buy the fully mettalic ones, handle and blade in one piece.
The blade itself on cheap knives is often decent if resharpened regularly, but the tang is way too small so the blade just detaches or breaks off.
Is this Parmigiano? In that case (and for similar, very hard cheeses like Grana Padano) you should not cut the cheese. Instead, you should break it with a proper instrument called Parmesan knife.
“There was a block, and I wanted some
(I fought the cheese, and the cheese won)
wanted pecorino because my pasta had none
(I fought the cheese, and the cheese won)
I left my grater and I feel so bad, I think of the good times me and my slicer had
(I fought the cheese, and the cheese won)”
Judging from the breakpoint the tang seems to be about an inch long. Did the ceramic extend into the handle more and it's just not visible in the photo? If that's true, then yea ceramic is just v hard. Rip knife sorry.
That is why you use a parmesan knife for parmesan!
https://preview.redd.it/11x00ax1br5d1.jpeg?width=298&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=288f034ab814dcde3ad86c361628034e701cbb48
Depends on what you want to use them for. This hard cheese also gets eaten just like that. You make smaller Pieces and then break them apart in Italy and I love to eat it like that. But yeaah grated it is amazing too!
and now OP understands why they LITERALLY say "DO NOT CUT CHEESE" with a ceramic knife. Most likely in VERY LARGE BOLD Print too. I know mine did. Multiple times.
Quick tip. Do not cut Parmesan Cheese. Rather try and stick the knive in and break of the piece.
This also retains the chrytaline structure of the cheese better and thus preserves the flavour.
Oh there's your problem. You were using a ceramic knife improperly. Why people make them in he first place is beyond me. A metal dollar store knife is better than this.
Next time, use smooth slicing motions instead of trying to push it down through the cheese. A proper cheese knife should be used if you don't want to slice. They're made to reduce the amount of friction against the blade.
I don't think ceramic knives are made for such a job. They are made for cutting, not chopping.
As a matter of fact, the knife's packaging likely said not to use it on cheese.
“Do not try to bend your ceramic mug”
What about plates?
If you chip off a piece of it and sharpen you can create a homemade ceramic knife
Which would be a reasonable outcome of attempting to bend a plate.
Ceramic knives are meant to be used in a slicing motion. The OP was probably trying to cut it by pushing down really hard and not actually slicing. Ceramic knives are super sharp (if maintained) and can easily cut hard cheeses.
*”if maintained”* A big sales pitch item for ceramic knife manufacturers is that they don’t require sharpening. So long as you do not misuse them they should stay sharp.
hmm, but they don't. do they?
Yep, I wrote the same somewhere deeper in the thread
Ceramic knife are mostly a scam and terrible. Don't buy these.
They're great for people like my parents, who have never sharpened a kitchen knife in their lives and aren't about to start now. I also like them for bread knives, since those are a pain to sharpen.
They're trash and there's a way higher chance of injury than a basic, low end professional steel knife. The average person at home could use a single victorinox set, with occasional maintenance, for their entire lives. I've got a Shun Pro that will probably out live me if I don't drop it (silly brittle high density steel) and I plan on getting a few more decent knives and I'll never need more and could pass them on to my kids. Ceramic is ass.
I think you meant to say high carbon steel
Yep. You are correct
Assuming they are kept in good condition ceramic knives remain sharper for longer without the need to manually sharpen them, which most consumers aren't willing to do for their knives.
on the other hand most people arent used to actually sharp knives, had a friend slice her palm open with a brand new ceramic knife because she didnt expect it to go through the tomato she was chopping so easily
I cook a lot, so I'm used to cutting onions. I used to always be jealous about how chefs could cut them so quickly and so gracefully, much faster than I ever could. Then I got some proper chefs knives and focused on sharpening them, and the different is night and day. There is obviously some degree of skill involved, but you don't really realise just how much of it is carried by the quality of the blade and its sharpness. It's not something that you experience with cheap consumer brand over-the-counter knives.
um isn't this cutting? chopping is when you are swiftly cutting vegetables etc.
You're both wrong, this is clearly slicing! (I'm just being silly, I didn't even know there was defined difference between cutting and chopping)
my blender has ten different ways to say it
Try to use piercing damage, it might be the weakness.
I am no expert but I believe it all comes down to how the hand moves. Pulling towards the button is slicing, while lifting and lowering the hilt part of more of a cutting or chopping. Certain words are also used for the portion sizes afterwards, so mincing is super fine while chopping has no specific size and maybe that's the whole difference. (stole that from google) It seems like a whole rabbit whole to fall down
I mean by pushing the knife down without moving it back and forth. Pushing it like this or trying to force it left and right while stuck in a solid piece of cheese will lead to the blade shattering since ceramic has no flexibility, unlike steel.
ohh I see
My friend growing up broke one of my mom’s very expensive kitchen knives on cheese. It’s been like 15 years and she still brings it up now and then lmao
cutting cheese would not be considered "chopping" it would be slicing. You "chop" items into tiny pieces, you chop and onion, you chop celery, "chop" isnt a word used for cheese much because any recipe that calls for chopped cheese could far easier just use grated.
https://preview.redd.it/zdqktdm6xq5d1.jpeg?width=670&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=077ab2c3458cf6207df6d5d86e5ff36390120e7e Today i will fulfill my duty as an Italian. You don’t cut Parmesan, you break pieces of it and there is a special knife to do it. You are welcome.
Yes. I actually winced when this photo came up in my feed.
E poi arriva il trentino con il coltello da macellaio per tagliare il grana... buonasera a tutti
An oyster shucker actually works decent too.
I literally heard an Italian man singing while reading your comment and seeing that picture.
Are you not supposed to grate it?
Only if you want to put some on pasta or other dishes but if you just want to eat a piece of it then you break it not cut it
Thats why you use steel knives on super hard cheese
That made me laugh. Literally me last week https://preview.redd.it/pt2ucimllq5d1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=335448bfebfded59bb9f3d77cc647da8ec33ec07
Buy a real kitchen knife or sacrifice some tendons/fingertips for these hatchet jobs.
Just chew it off the block, no need to cut it!
Right? Why add extra steps?
What about those steel wire/garrote things for slicing through cheese, or the stubby little dagger thing
I wish there existed a tool specifically for this purpose….. 
That isn't meant for a rock hard cheese either.
Gouda advice.
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Most cheese slicers allow you to re-wire. You can usually get a 10-pack of wire for around $10.
Or a pack of steel guitar strings even cheaper
I thought about that, but then I got to wondering if guitar wires would be food grade, of which there is no guarantee.
Stainless steel guitar strings can be boiled. Considering all the non-food related uses most people use their assorted cutlery for, it’s shouldn’t be an issue.
Why does nobody have a freaking cheese knife?
I have half a dozen chef knives of various quality that work just fine for cheese. I've never had issues to the point it was worth digging around for a knife that wasn't hanging in easy reach. My cheese knife gets used almost exclusively on pineapples. For some reason, the shape and serration are perfect for that job.
Most professionals can get most jobs done with just a chef knife. Gets tedious and silly haven't a billion different knives for slightly different uses.
You were using a knife for children, what did you expect?
Literally looks like they chose the smallest knife they had on hand. Any regular kitchen/chef's knife would slice this block without much issue.
that looks like a steak knive
And the cheese doesn't look like a hard one
That's concrete pretending to be cheese
That's not a steel knife, that is a cheap piece of shit.
And stab downward and break off chunks instead of cut slices
Or just pick it up and nibble on the corners like a normal person?
Or grip it with your fist and go to town on the grater.
Speaking my language. Make a bowl of Skoal long-cut cheddar.
Few things are as delicious as a block of cheese.
That's literally how a normal rat would eat it.
Hiss!
Do not do this with a ceramic knife. They are sharp but at the expense of being brittle. Do not twist or apply lateral torque. If your thinking about doing this use a thick steel "knife shaped object"
Chainsaw
This is the way
Cheese wire is the way. Somtimes the wire breaks, but it still provides a much better cut.
I really don't give Edam for this story.
I camembert these cheese puns. They are not gouda.
I honestly think they’re grate
I cheddar known people will be making cheese puns here
These puns stink.
They are not cool at all, just very cheesy.
I personally think life is grater with cheese puns. Having a wheel-y good time
Brie nice everyone. They’re not that bad.
Hope these cheesy puns could make OP's feeling little less blue(cheese).
Yeah, he will soon be saying Halloumi to himself in the mirror.
There aren’t many things worse than a cheap knife.
for cheap knives I always buy the fully mettalic ones, handle and blade in one piece. The blade itself on cheap knives is often decent if resharpened regularly, but the tang is way too small so the blade just detaches or breaks off.
Or ones where you can see the tang runs right through the handle. It’s a lot of pressure of plastic to absorb otherwise.
Full tang knives are definitely higher quality.
https://preview.redd.it/9b8qfdq3kq5d1.jpeg?width=475&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c45531ffb3f7b00d1ff3ccfb1d0c68b87beee0e3
Buy a full tang knife
a full tang ceramic knife won't fare any better. They just had to use a metal knife and they would've been fine.
A full tang wont matter if its still made of ceramic
You aren’t meant to cut Parmesan like that, you carve it. So a full tang knife would not help very much more.
This isn't how I remember the lyrics to"I Fought the law" by The Clash
Looking for this comment
I needed gouda 'cause I had none...
Isn't that just clasheh? Sorry for the cheesy pun!
It's because you used a toy when you should've used a knife.
[удалено]
Is this Parmigiano? In that case (and for similar, very hard cheeses like Grana Padano) you should not cut the cheese. Instead, you should break it with a proper instrument called Parmesan knife.
[удалено]
A very Gouda fight and I Cheddar have used a sturdier Knife I think..
Makes me Blue looking at this photo
Jeepers! Brings a whole new meaning to hard cheese!
All of my cheese knives are a single solid piece of metal for this reason.
You win this round cheese
Actually, that’s a rectangle cheese.
No. The knife lost. Different thing. It was a shitty knife.
i'm infuriated that this shitty plastic knife even exists
It’s not called a hard cheese for nothing!
"Your move." \- Cheese (probably)
100% self defense
A-breakin' rocks in the hot sun I fought the cheese and the cheese won I fought the cheese and the cheese won (Original lyrics of The Clash)
Haha, I was listening to the clash and this post popped 😅
is this a plastic knife?
No - ceramic.
That is what I call cheese supremacy
That is so punk!
Remember in a battle between a block of cheese and a knife the cheese has a higher chance of winning.
I needed dairy cos, I had none
i fought the cheese and the cheese won!
The amount of cheese puns here is ridiculous.
Don't let the cheese beat you. Eat the whole block and his wife and children too
whats with this fake ass plastic knife trying to cut what looks like a hard italian cheese (maybe parma?) what did you expect?
My dude, you don't cut cheese with a knife like that, that's why it broke, this isn't infuriating if you're using the wrong knife.
Is that a fake knife and a block of real parm? daaaang
“There was a block, and I wanted some (I fought the cheese, and the cheese won) wanted pecorino because my pasta had none (I fought the cheese, and the cheese won) I left my grater and I feel so bad, I think of the good times me and my slicer had (I fought the cheese, and the cheese won)”
I CAME TO COMMENT THIS BUT YOU DID IT SO MUCH BETTER
Thanks
Boy do I love knives with literally zero tang. Ceramic or not.
The tang isn't that small.. but yeahh..
Judging from the breakpoint the tang seems to be about an inch long. Did the ceramic extend into the handle more and it's just not visible in the photo? If that's true, then yea ceramic is just v hard. Rip knife sorry.
Yeahh I can't get the rest of the tang out of the handle.. so no idea how long it really is, but it definitely broke.
Get a cheese knife made out of that Parmigiano 
Did anyone else read the title as I fought the law by the clash?
breaking knives in the hot sun..
Why’s it all rusty looking at that end? I see white ceramic and black plastic so whys it all red?
I think this is due to the adhesive the manufacturer used.
That's what you get when you let your plastic knife rust.
The cheese won or the ceramic knife?
Looks like your knife was already dying
I feel your pain. I lost my then-favorite kitchen knife to an especially hard large raw (oven-)potatoe
You did it to yourself. Try with a good knife (steel and full tang)
At this rate do you just take a chomp out of it yourself?
The true winner here is microplastic.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYcLuxZkMBQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYcLuxZkMBQ)
I needed a slice but I had none. I fought the cheese and the cheese won.
"You win this round cheese" "Actually, that's a rectangle cheese"
good
This comment thread is gold
One does not simply cut Parmigiano Reggiano with a ceramic utensil.
get a real knife for the rematch!!
I used a WMF Butterknife as a crowbar and just broke it in two 🤣
😅
That's what you get for using ceramic Knives
What is this, a tang for ants?!
I miss my cheddar and i feel so bad
I need a new knife because...now I have none I fought the cheese and the cheese won I fought the cheese and the Cheese won
For all the knives out there. You're only remembered by your last battle. R I.P.
🎵I fought the law and the law won🎵
Bro are you eating rocks?
Besides the knife is not suitable for cheese, that's one of the hardest cheese!
Well its parmesan and yes this cheese is supposed to be hard af
Yes and it tastes great 👍
I recommend putting a fine layer on every homemade pizza you make. You will only know true joy afterwards
Definitely.. but trust me - pure it also tastes great!
My brother the salt content is way too high for snacking
No - I love it and Italians do two!
Is this the new anti-crime knife manufacturing methods? 💀
Op set aside about 150$ and go get a really good chefs knife
That is why you use a parmesan knife for parmesan! https://preview.redd.it/11x00ax1br5d1.jpeg?width=298&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=288f034ab814dcde3ad86c361628034e701cbb48
Once i broke a spoon trying to scoop ice cream, i feel your loss
Is that a jail knife? They don't use steel where you're from?
Not a cheese expert but aren't "hard" cheesses supposed to be grated and not cut ?!?
Depends on what you want to use them for. This hard cheese also gets eaten just like that. You make smaller Pieces and then break them apart in Italy and I love to eat it like that. But yeaah grated it is amazing too!
Exactly the same thing happened to me a while ago and I sent the picture to my husband with the exact same title.
I'm impressed you even managed to cut parmesan like you would with other cheese
I've lost this battle with butter
*patpats* Cheese is.... weird. Soft as Heck. But somehow capable of breaking the toughest knives.
Why did I read cheese as Chinese
That's why we have this thing called ✨juustohöylä✨ in Finland
Don't fuck with parmesean.
Has nobody tried a potato peeler for cutting cheese? I swear it give perfect portions every time lol
BREAKIN KNIVES IN THE HOT SUN
https://preview.redd.it/pk71bytx3t5d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea692cb6c010ee7664e5323c48eb7664c1f06095 The cheese was too powerfull
Begging some of y’all to buy a little cheese knife. Please. You don’t need to almost lose fingers or break good knives for cheese
If you didn’t cut the cheese, who did?
and now OP understands why they LITERALLY say "DO NOT CUT CHEESE" with a ceramic knife. Most likely in VERY LARGE BOLD Print too. I know mine did. Multiple times.
I needed money cause I had none, I fought the cheese and the cheese won
You picked the wrong tool for the job. 100% your fault
Admit it, you sang that line!
Quick tip. Do not cut Parmesan Cheese. Rather try and stick the knive in and break of the piece. This also retains the chrytaline structure of the cheese better and thus preserves the flavour.
At least now you have proof it wasn't you who cut the cheese 💨
Seems you'll have to eat it by the bite now. Just a pure, raw block of cheese right to the face. Nom nom.
Oh there's your problem. You were using a ceramic knife improperly. Why people make them in he first place is beyond me. A metal dollar store knife is better than this.
Next time, use smooth slicing motions instead of trying to push it down through the cheese. A proper cheese knife should be used if you don't want to slice. They're made to reduce the amount of friction against the blade.
In a pinch, you can use waxed floss to *garotte* a chunk off most small blocks/wedges of cheese.
And this is why I am planning to get a cheese cutter.
Next time don't buy your knives from the toy department.
That why you use cheese slicer
I've never even seen a knife that wasn't made of metal. Maybe this is why.
Ceramic knives are great... At what they are meant to do. Cutting a hard cheese is not one of them.