Unbreaded

Avoid Bagel Related Injuries

The bagel can be eaten many ways, with a nice schmear of cream cheese, or a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. It’s almost as if the bagel is a spiritual food, always a mainstay along with lox and whitefish at parties celebrating a new birth, and those that bring grieving families together after a death. This is because bagels are comfort food of the Judeo-European sort, that has broken through stereotypes to become favored by many.

But, there is a terrible, and dangerous side to all of this. In 2008, the U.S. government’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System recorded 1,979 cases of Bagel Related Injuries. As inviting as the bagel is, it’s round shape makes slicing an arduous safety hazard. With the popularity of the bagel comes a long line of devices to make slicing easier, and safer.

The Wall Street Journal’s Barry Newman headed over to Zabar’s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to test out a few bagel slicing contraptions. Take a look at his findings below.

These devices all seem a bit cumbersome, and might not be practical if you aren’t eating bagels very often. Either way, we encourage you to practice safe bagel slicing, next time you’re in the kitchen.