Zulay Kitchen Stainless Steel Wire Cheese Slicer: Razor Thin to 1/4
My first cheese slicer, and it cut razor-thin Gouda on the first pass. Here's what the Zulay wire slicer does well and where it stops.
The Zulay Kitchen Stainless Steel Wire Cheese Slicer is worth buying if you slice block cheese for sandwiches or charcuterie boards. It goes from paper-thin to a quarter inch, handles blocks up to 3.8 inches wide, and the weight in the hand is the giveaway that it isn’t cheap. Buy.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
| Slice thickness | Paper-thin to ΒΌ” |
|---|---|
| Max block width | 3.8″ |
| Material | Zinc-aluminum alloy body, 304 stainless wire |
| Includes | 2 replacement stainless wires |
| Care | Hand wash |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
My First Cheese Slicer, and a Block of Gouda
I’d never owned a cheese slicer before this one. First thing I did was grab a big block of Gouda, press down, and pull the Zulay Kitchen Stainless Steel Wire Cheese Slicer through it. Razor thin slice of Gouda on the first pass. No sawing, no crumbling edge.
Very thick, very sturdy, ergonomically in your hand. You can feel the weight on this. That’s what I’m looking for in something that’s not cheap, that’s more sturdy, more well-made. And that weight is doing real work here, because the pressure you apply plus the roller height is what sets the slice.
One-piece zinc-aluminum body, 304 stainless wire, two spares, lifetime warranty
A one-piece zinc-aluminum alloy body with a 304 stainless wire, two spare wires, and a lifetime warranty. The spare wires matter more than people think. The wire is the one part on a slicer like this that’s going to go, and Zulay ships two in the box instead of leaving you hunting for a replacement part later.
Compared to buying pre-sliced deli cheese week after week, this pays itself off fast. I also track pricing on things I review: this one bounces around a lot. It’s sitting a little under its three-month average right now, but it’s been considerably cheaper at points, so check the live price rather than assuming. It’s ranked #1,790 in Kitchen & Dining with more than 50 bought in the last month, so it isn’t a fringe gadget.
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The Gold Receivers Aren’t Decoration
The thickness is adjustable by twisting the gold receivers on the sides. Those two gold receivers on the sides twist, and twisting them moves the roller up or down. That’s your thickness control. Lay the slicer flat, use your fingers, set it where you want it, and tighten them back up before you slice.
Eighth of an inch? Set it low. Want a thicker slice for a sandwich? Move the roller down and dig in a little more as you pull through. I ran both on the same Gouda block and got both. The other thing is the direction. I kind of came at it from the side on one slice, which really helps out a lot, but you can go top down or bottom up. It’ll slice anything from Gouda to cheddar.
Where It Stops
Big block of Gouda, and it did come off in chunks sometimes. That’s the one friction I hit. On a round or irregular block, the first couple of passes aren’t uniform until you’ve got a flat face to ride against. Once that face is there, it’s clean every time.
Hard cheeses are out. Parmigiano reggiano, grana padano, pecorino romano, don’t try it. A wire isn’t going to win that fight. Blocks over 3.8 inches wide are out too.
Cleaning It Takes a Rinse
Hand wash only. Easy to clean, easy to slice. There’s no hinge, no gap, no handle assembly to trap cheese in, which is the whole advantage of a one-piece body. Cheese film wipes off the roller and the wire with warm water. Don’t put it in the dishwasher and expect the wire tension to survive.
Long-term, the wire is the consumable. Two spares ship in the box, and if you burn through those, Zulay’s lifetime warranty means you contact them rather than buying a new slicer.
It Turned Into a Charcuterie Board
I started with one slice of Gouda and ended up laying out a whole platter. See how uniform this is. That’s coming off a round piece of cheese and it still came out even edge to edge, which is the part I didn’t expect from a wire.
From there I added a second cheese, quartered the slices into bite-sized squares, layered in some salami, and had a full board in under five minutes. That’s the thing, uniform slices stack cleanly and look intentional, which pre-sliced deli cheese never does. The slicer is what makes the board worth putting out.
Buy It for the Semi-Soft Cheeses
Match the slicer to what you actually eat. Cheddar, swiss, brie, pepper jack, mozzarella, provolone, Gouda: this handles all of them. If your fridge is mostly grated parm, skip it. There’s one version, silver, so there’s no size or model decision to make. Measure your usual block against 3.8 inches first and you’re set.
Pros
- Razor thin slices on the first pass, no sawing
- Thick, sturdy, ergonomic in the hand, you can feel the weight
- Thickness adjusts by twisting the gold receivers, paper-thin to ΒΌ”
- Uniform slices even coming off a round block
- Easy to clean, two spare wires, lifetime warranty
Cons
- Cheese comes off in chunks on the first passes until there’s a flat face
- Not for extra hard cheeses like parmigiano, grana padano or pecorino
- Blocks wider than 3.8″ won’t fit
- Hand wash only, no dishwasher
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use it on cold cheese straight from the fridge?
Yes, but semi-soft cheese cuts easier with a few minutes on the counter. Cold Gouda is firmer, so you lean harder and that’s when you get chunking instead of a clean sheet. Let it sit and the wire glides.
What happens when the wire breaks?
Swap in one of the two replacement stainless wires that ship in the box. After those, Zulay’s lifetime warranty covers issues, so you contact them rather than buying a whole new slicer. The wire is the only wear part.
Does it work on things other than cheese?
It’s built for block cheese and that’s what I’d keep it to. The roller height and wire tension are set up for cheese density, not produce or butter blocks. Zulay rates it for cheddar, swiss, brie, pepper jack, mozzarella and provolone.
Is it a decent gift for someone who already has kitchen gear?
It’s a good one, because most well-equipped kitchens still don’t own a slicer. I didn’t own one until this and I’ve cooked for years. The lifetime warranty makes it an easy thing to hand over.
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Zulay Kitchen Stainless Steel Wire Cheese Slicer
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If you’re buying block cheese anyway, this pays for itself the first time you lay out a platter that doesn’t look hand-hacked. Lifetime warranty, two spare wires in the box, and it works on everything from brie to pepper jack, just skip it if your fridge runs on parmigiano.
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