Picked this up because my heart could no longer take the stress of watching our 11 year old daughter slice bagels (while multitasking with screens and whatnot) with a serrated bread knife.I was going to have a heart attack and she was going to slice into her hand so... I had high hopes and, regardless of the overwhelmingly positive reviews, some concerns about how well the Hoan Bagel Guillotine would work. My concerns were unwarranted. This not-so-little little device slices through every single bagel, ever single time -- and my kid goes through kicks where she'll eat 2 or three each day. I no longer worry about serious cuts even though the (covered) blade on this thing is SHARP! Only word of advice, like other reviewers, slice (press down) slowly so as not to squash softer bagels. Additionally, this thing slices so cleanly that there are no crumbs to speak of -- quite happy with this purchase. This thing now has a permanent place next to the toaster on our counter, at least till she tires of bagels. I highly recommend.

I was very excited to buy this product but unfortunately trying to actually slice medium sized bagels with this was a messy and frustrating process. I should have paid attention to a few of the reviews here that mentioned encountering the same issue. The bagels I used were medium sized but they were too big to fit into the slicer and even when they did fit, the slicer would slice parts of the topping off as the blade pushed the bagel down into the plastic container part of the slicer thus smashing the bagel in the process. Overall, it was messy and very frustrating. I am returning this and continuing my search for a slicer that actually works with all bagels. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is I imagine if you only use small bagels, it might work fine. I like the idea of the product and it looks sturdy. Too bad the product description doesn't mention the limits of this slicer when it comes to which size bagels it works best with.

It is not sharp enough to slice through a fresh bagel. See the picture. Instead of slicing the bagel it simply crushes it. If the blade was sharper, it would work. If the bagels are stale, it works.

I had previously considered a bagel slicer to be a frivolous food preparation tool, and an extra item to clutter up the kitchen counter. However, I changed my entire point of view after a particular painful incident.

Every other week, my husband goes to a well-known bakery, and they are famous for their old fashioned New York style homemade bagels. These bagels are large with a crusty exterior, and the inside is soft and delicious. I would slice them all ahead of time and store them in small portions to stay fresh. This only took about 15-20 minutes, but sometimes the crustier ones presented a challenge to the knife, which resulted in a lop-sided cut bagel. While slicing a crusty bagel and applying a little extra pressure on the knife, the knife slipped and instead took a hunk out of my thumb.

Since we do buy bagels on a regular basis, this scary and painful situation caused me to re-think about the usefulness of a bagel slicer. If I need to use a kitchen tool that offers safety from an accidental mishap of a sharp serrated knife, then it's not a frivolous purchase at all. It is instead an intelligent decision and a worthwhile tool. I use this bagel slicer on a consistent basis, and every two weeks for our fresh bought bagels.

General Description:
This bagel slicer has a nice compact size, about 9 ¼" in height, a 7" length, and although the base is less than 3 ¼" wide it is very stable. I like the short width which takes up very little room when stored sideways in a confined area.

The bagel slicer is a two piece unit.

The top piece is the frame that contains the blade, and the handle on the frame is smooth in my hand, with plenty of room that keeps my fingers far from the top of the blade. I like the design in which the entire cutting blade has a clear-view acrylic casing to prevent any accidental hand/finger contact with any part of the sharp blade. However, there is enough room within the casing for my long handled cleaning sponge to fit and thoroughly clean both sides of the blade. The stainless steel blade has serrated cutting edges, and I love that the blade has a non-stick finish for easy cleaning.

The second piece consists of the base which is very stable, it does NOT tilt and it does NOT fall over. It has a triangular ledge to hold the inserted bagel, and this measures 4 ¾" across and 2" wide, which easily accommodates our large size bagels. There is also a large rounded slot to retrieve the bagel after slicing. Underneath the base is a flat finger shield which prevents the blade from making contact with anything that's below the base, including my hand when I carry the bagel slicer from one area to another.

In reference to performance, this bagel slicer functions perfectly. The blade pushes down effortlessly and slices our bagels right down the middle. This eliminates my lop-sided slicing especially with those hard crusty bagels. There is no longer a risk of cutting myself, not even with shaky hands and my not-so-perfect eyesight. This entire task is a very smooth operation that only takes a couple minutes to slice through a dozen bagels, which is a lot faster than when I sliced them all by hand.

If by chance, there is a rock-hard bagel that needs slicing, toss it in the microwave for a few seconds just to soften it up a bit. Therefore, the bagel slicer will slice through those bagels that have hardened overnight, (if not put into a plastic bag which seems to keep them softer and fresher for a longer time).

I could not be happier with the purchase of this bagel slicer. Its sleek design is all about safety as well as superior performance, and with extra consideration for the ease of cleaning. I cannot find a single fault in the construction, with its carefully thought out details. It's a very effective tool and for me it's a practical addition to my kitchenware.

This slicer seemed to work fine for the first half-dozen bagels sliced with it. After that, it's been a complete disaster. The blade no longer slices the bagel until it has squashed it nearly a quarter of the height of the bagel. I've tried cleaning the blade, I've tried different slicing techniques, etc. Nothing seems to solve the problem. So, I'm back to slicing bagels with a knife. That works just fine.

The other thing that thoroughly UNDERwhelmed me was the vendor's apparent lack of interest in my satisfaction with their product. I've heard not a single word from them. I'm guessing I know why...!

My advice is to avoid this product like it was a serious illness. You'll save your money, not destroy any of your bagels, and you'll avoid lot of general aggravation.

Update: This morning I tried a new technique. I started the slice with a knife, for about one-half inch, and then completed it with the slicer. For whatever reason, that actually seems to work without squashing the bagel. Although it is a bit of a nuisance, I don't mind going to the extra trouble. The slicer actually does a good job when used in this manner.