Pizza cutter
[Image:Pizza-slicer.jpg|thumb|300px|A wheel-type cutter]
A pizza cutter is a handheld kitchen utensil that is used to cut various items into sections or slices. Due to its prevalence in the making of pizza, it has earned the name "pizza cutter". The typical pizza cutter has a rotating circular blade that is attached to a handle via an axle. The original design has been modified over the years to include different sizes, blades, handles, and uses. The typical pizza cutter is not limited to cutting pizza but also for a variety of other tasks such as cutting dough or chopping herbs.
History
The Italian Silvio Pacitti invented the mezzaluna shaped blade in 1708. This utensil was a rounded blade that impacted its target and finished with a rolling motion across the object to create a clean cut. It was intended to assist in cutting herbs and vegetables and could be found in either a single or double blade.Varieties
There are two main types of pizza cutters.- The most common uses a wheel that rotates in a circle while a person moves the cutter in a direction that they would like to cut the pizza. People can also use the wheel pizza cutter for things such as craft work.
- The other type is a large curved knife called a mezzaluna, which is rocked back and forth to cut the pizza. Some types of mezzalunas are often used to mince herbs or chop vegetables.