Emily Rahravan and Miye Bromberg, editors at America’s Test Kitchen and COOK’s ILLLUSTRATED, shared some terrific information last week that I have to pass on. I call their tips “Watermelon Cutting BASICS.”

The idea of cutting an entire melon has always intimidated me. The goal is attractive, evenly cut pieces, right? Without breaking your wrist or cutting off a finger, that is. While I haven’t seriously injured myself, I’ve never managed to come up with those pretty, evenly cut pieces.

But now with Emily and Miye’s techniques, cutting melon into evenly sized wedges, sticks, cubes—whatever the occasion calls for—is no big deal.

Emily and Miye say that along with the right techniques, though, you do need the right tools. They mentioned a watermelon slicer (didn’t know there was such a thing), and that they absolutely don’t recommend it (a waste of money, they say). Instead, they turn to a serrated knife. It works best because its long blade can cut through a watermelon in one go and its pointy teeth grip the thick, slippery rind, helping to hold the watermelon steady.

A chef's knife will also work, but it requires a little more muscle to power through the rind, and its blade can be shorter than that of a serrated knife. However, for peeling away the entire rind, the chef’s knife is their preference.

(BEFORE CUTTING TIP: Be sure to gently wash the outside with soap and water to remove any bacteria that could be dragged into the interior while cutting.)

Let’s start with triangles. This is the most classic way to cut a watermelon for easy out-of-hand eating. Both the serrated knife or chef’s knife work well.

1. Split the watermelon in half crosswise. Hold the watermelon steady with one hand and use a gentle sawing motion and some downward pressure. This gives you two smaller halves to work with.


2. Slice each watermelon half lengthwise. It’s easiest to saw from the cut side, not the rind. You now have two much more manageable pieces.
3. Slice each quarter into serving-size wedges. Starting at one end, slice each quarter into wedges and enjoy!

Batons (aka sticks) are nice, too. Once again, you can use a serrated or chef’s knife.

1. Split the watermelon in half lengthwise.
2. Cut each half into 1½-inch-wide slices along the length of the watermelon. Be sure to first place each half cut-side down on the cutting board.


3. Rotate each half and cut 1½-inch-wide slices along the width of the watermelon. Hold the lengthwise slices together with your non-cutting hand as you slice.

Then there are those handy cubes. Emily and Miye say paring away the entire rind (when you want to use the fruit in a salad, for instance) is the easiest, fastest, and most thorough way to remove the thick skin before going cutting it into chunks. You'll definitely want a chef's knife for this task.

1. Using a chef's knife, cut a small slice off the end of the watermelon.
2. Stand the watermelon on one end. Holding the top of the watermelon with one of your hands, carefully slice off the rind in sections from top to bottom, rotating the melon as you go. Go back and trim away any remaining white.


3. Cut peeled melon in half and slice each half into slabs of desired thickness. For seeded melons, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds before cutting the slabs.


4. Lay each slab on its side and cut into chunks.