Clever Cutter Test-Drive and Review

Saw a video floating around social media recently promoting the Clever Cutter. Just a day or two before I was cutting Brussels sprouts and wished up in my mind something between scissors and a knife. Upon seeing the Clever Cutter, I hoped my wish was coming true! But was it too good to be true?

Since it was soon thereafter my mom's birthday, I made that an excuse to buy a Clever Cutter from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It was about $15, but I used a coupon mailer BB&B sent me, so I got 20% off. Sweeeet.

I cut to intermission since the packaging was a bit of a beast to open, as these sorts of clear, hard-plastic casings tend to be, but it was eased by the presence of some perforated lines. The materials inside include some instructions and tips and customary fine print. Helpful stuff.

Oddly, my gadget was dusted in some sort of white, sandy substance...no idea what that was about. It's generally wise to wash all new kitchen items anyway! Overall it's lightweight and yet sturdy, the grip is solid, and the resistance is firm for a smooth slice 'n snap. The blade is sharp and thicker than I imagined it would be, and it makes complete contact with the cutting-board strip. The safety latch holds tight when locked into place. To me it seems a well-designed device from quality materials.

Now watch below for the oh-so-entertaining test-drive.

I was actually pretty pleased with the device. I cut some more mushrooms right after making the video, and while I started out with a bit slower of a slice, if I snapped quickly at the end, the cut finished clean. That's the trick, is to snap. Be confident and be prepared for non-uniform chunks of food until you're practiced. :) You can see I quickly improvised several holding positions depending on the food about to go under the knife. Maybe using tongs or something would be safer. Sometimes unwisely I live on the edge.

A couple days later I sliced some more carrots and I noticed that no matter what angle I held the carrot at, the blade sliced at a bit of an angle itself, plus the sliced edge was kinda rough, as though microscopically torn from the rest rather than sliced away smooth as seen with a knife. So I swapped hands (put the cutter in my left hand), and I was surprised how differently the food sliced! The blade angle was much more pronounced on the food as it entered under the blade from the right, but the food slices came off smoother too. So that's something to consider if you're left-handed or want smoother slices of food. It still does the job, it was just recognizably a different experience. My right hand was starting to fatigue from the unfamiliar motion, so that was another reason I swapped hands. I need to get one of those grip strengthening-resistance majigs. :)

Another thing I started noticing was that if I placed the carrot closer to the hinge of the scissors, the slices dropped a bit more calmly into my pot. Closer to the open end and the carrots practiced their Olympic dives much more flamboyantly, often to missing the steaming pool entirely (a lonesome dusty grave between the fridge and oven to greet them). Of course the swiftness with which I snipped also made a difference in flight, but a steadier slice came out of the area with the tighter pinch.

But anyway, pretty cool kitchen gadget! Experiment and discover how it can help you. I'm definitely stoked to have it for my Brussels sprouts. So now I'll just wait for next month's BB&B coupon and go get my own. :)

Note: On Amazon where these are also being sold, there seem to be two models or blade options. I honestly don't know which blade this one from BB&B is, but it seems solid. I sure love Amazon for some things, but sometimes I am reluctant to have uncertain options like that and feel relieved when a store has it where I can see it, buy it, test it, and not have to deal with shipping!