How to Cut Cheese by Shape for Rind and Center

In a wheel the rind is the edge and the center is the softest, mildest part; in a wedge the tip is the creamiest. Cut so that every slice runs from the middle to the outside.

The classic mistake is slicing the point off a wedge. The first guest gets the best bite, and everyone after them gets rind and drier paste. Each shape below has its own fix.

How to cut cheese at a glance

This table shows how to cut cheese for each shape and which part to protect.

How to cut a cheese wheel or round

To cut a cheese wheel or small round, treat it like a pie and slice wedges from the center to the rim. This gives each piece a share of the creamy center and the rind. A small round of brie or Camembert is cut this way on the board.

Do not scoop out the soft middle and leave a hollow shell, and do not cut off the top rind to get at the paste. For a large wheel, cut one wedge first, then cut that wedge into smaller triangles as described in the next section. Use a thin sharp blade and wipe it between cuts, and see cheese knives for which tool suits which texture.

How to cut a cheese wedge

To cut a cheese wedge fairly, slice it lengthwise from the narrow tip toward the wide rind end, so each slice is a long thin triangle with some tip and some back. The pointed end holds the creamy paste of the center; the wide back is mostly rind-side cheese. A slice from the tip to the back has both.

Slicing across the wedge instead, one cross-cut at a time from the tip, hands the whole center to the first person. On a self-serve board, cut the first few slices yourself to show the pattern, then guests follow it. A wedge with rind only on the top or bottom is simpler: trim a thin layer of rind off, if you do not want it, and cut slices evenly.

How to cut a cheese log

To cut a cheese log, slice it across into round coins. A log of chèvre or a rolled soft cheese has an even rind or coating around the outside, so every coin gets the same share. Use a wire or unflavored dental floss for fresh goat cheese, which sticks to a knife, and chill the log for 20 minutes first so it holds.

Slices 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick suit a board. For cheese that is crumbly, such as a coated or aged goat log, a thin knife wiped between cuts gives cleaner coins than a wire.

How to cut a cheese pyramid

To cut a cheese pyramid, stand it on its wide base and cut it down through the top like a cake. The point holds the freshest, creamiest paste, and the base is drier and more intense. Cutting straight down through the apex into wedges gives each piece both. Valençay is the best-known example.

Quarter it first, then turn each quarter on its side and cut slices. The vertical cuts are the opposite of cutting off the top, which wastes the point on one person.

How to cut a block of cheese

To cut a block of cheese such as cheddar or Gouda, cut slices or sticks across the short side, so the rind edge, if the block has one, appears in every piece. A rindless supermarket block has nothing to share, so cut it to the thickness you want, about 1/4 inch for a board.

A wheel-cut wedge of hard cheese with rind on the back follows the wedge rule above. Cheese bought in a wax coat or cloth wrap should be unwrapped first; see can you eat cheese rind for which rinds guests can eat.

How to cut blue cheese and very hard cheese

To cut blue cheese, cut wedges that run from the center to the rim, because veining is not even and each piece should hold some blue and some paste. Stilton and Gorgonzola crumble, so use a thin knife and a light touch, and wipe it between cuts.

Very hard cheeses are the exception. Parmigiano-Reggiano and similar granular cheeses are broken into chunks with a short almond-shaped knife rather than sliced, which follows the grain. If you have no almond knife, use the tip of a stout knife and pry rather than press.

Cheese cutting mistakes that cost guests flavor

Cheese cutting mistakes usually favor the first person to the board. Cutting the tip off a wedge, hollowing a round, cutting too far ahead and leaving cheese out all lead to uneven shares and waste. The USDA says perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, so cut a portion and keep the rest wrapped in the fridge, where USDA FoodKeeper data give opened hard cheese 3 to 4 weeks.

Another mistake is using one knife on every cheese. Blue mold and strong washed-rind flavor travel on a blade, so give each cheese its own, as the cheese board guide explains. The same care applies to trimming: the USDA says to cut at least 1 inch around and below a spot of unwanted mold on hard cheese, keeping the knife out of the mold.

Questions about how to cut cheese

These questions about how to cut cheese cover the shapes people ask about most.

How do you cut a wedge of cheese?

You cut a wedge of cheese lengthwise from the narrow tip toward the rind into thin triangles, so every slice has tip and back.

How do you cut a wheel of cheese?

You cut a wheel of cheese like a pie, into wedges from center to rim, then cut large wedges into smaller triangles.

How do you cut a cheese log?

You cut a cheese log across into coins, using a wire or floss for soft goat cheese and a thin knife for crumbly ones.

How do you cut a pyramid cheese?

You cut a pyramid cheese down through the top into quarters, then slice each quarter, so each piece has point and base.

Do you cut the rind off cheese?

You do not need to cut the rind off cheese in most cases, because it is part of the cheese and often edible; the rind guide explains the types.

Cutting cheese for a board

For cutting cheese, match the cut to the shape: pie wedges for rounds, lengthwise triangles for wedges, coins for logs, quarters for pyramids. Cut a few pieces to show guests the pattern, then store the rest as in how to store cheese.