Charcuterie Tools: Elevate Your Boards with These Essentials

Charcuterie, pronounced “shahr-kyu-tuh-ree” is a French term referring to the French cuisine that devotes itself to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, and pâtés.

Charcuterie boards can include cured meats, cheeses, and a variety of sweet and savory bites, like pickles and olives, fruit and nuts. You’ll also find delicious spreads, mustards, and preserves.

The grazing platter, which became popular in Australia around 2010 is also called a charcuterie board or a cheese board. Whether you prefer to call them grazing platters or charcuterie boards, the bottom line is they are 1) easy to create 2) offer versatility and customization and 3) continue to be a popular choice for gatherings of all kinds.

What’s more, creating the perfect charcuterie board isn’t just a one-time thing. You can create the perfect board over and over again. All you need are the right items. We curated a selection of artisan-crafted tools that will ensure your charcuterie and cheese boards are a hit for any occasion.

Start with a beautiful board or tray. Our selection includes charcuterie boards with handles, white marble boards, and unique marble tray designs.

The Cupid Marble Wood Round Platter features an acacia wood handle and arrow-like center flanked with beautiful white marble. This paddle board style wood and marble platter is ideal for serving small groups of family and friends or as part of a larger grazing table. 

The Mesa Marble Wood Cutting Board is another small board, perfect for charcuterie-for-two. A dark gray marble tops the natural acacia wood cutting surface. When it comes to charcuterie boards with handles, this rustic board has a leather strap for displaying on a wall. Or you can simply lean it on your backsplash when not in use. Either way, the Mesa is a must-have for prepping and serving cheese, fruit, and other finger foods.   

The Cortar Marble Charcuterie Board showcases gentle curves and beveled details. Hand-honed from white marble, sourced and crafted in a neighboring region of the Taj Mahal, this beautiful marble tray makes a beautiful decorative accent in your kitchen when not in use.

The Ovada Hexagonal Marble Cheese Board offers a distinctive 6-pointed shape with multi-colored Mother of Pearl tips.

 

Olive Spoons

The ultimate olive serving tool! While a fork will get olives out of the jar, it’s often a time-consuming one-olive-at-a-time task. What’s more, the olives often end up with visible puncture holes, ruining the aesthetic of any olive that is destined for use as a cocktail garnish. The well-rounded bowls of our artisan-made olive spoons allow you to scoop up multiple olives at a time, keeping them in pristine condition for cocktail drinks.  

Another feature of these unique spoons is the perforations that act as drainage holes. This allows for brine and juices to drain before serving. Whether plucking olives, cherries, or capers from the jar, our handcrafted stainless steel olive spoons are must-have tools for the grazing platter. 

Cocktail Picks

Most people would expect to find cocktail picks on the home bar, but these versatile pieces are great for appetizers, spearing cheese, or olives from the charcuterie board to the plate. Handcrafted from 18/8 stainless steel, each set of 6 cocktail picks comes in an etched cylinder, perfect for placing on a bar counter or beside a grazing platter.

Ratoncito Cheese Spreader Knives   

A charcuterie board favorite, these little mouse cheese spreader knives are truly as functional as they are fun. Designed for smoothing delicious spreads on crackers or bread, the curved back gives more surface space for use as a spreader. The “belly” of the mouse knife can slice soft cheeses and the pointy ears and snouts are ideal for spearing cheese cubes, pickles, and olives.

Our Ratoncito sets come in many styles to match our artisan flatware designs. Each set comes with 4 cheese spreaders, a lovely gift set for a housewarming or wedding gift.

A Cheese Knife Set

For the cheese lover, a cheese knife set is worth its weight in gold! Each of our hand-forged stainless steel cheese knives set includes handy tools for slicing and serving your favorite cheeses. From pronged cheese knives for breaking up crumbly cheeses to versatile cheese planers that can be used as a cleaver to cut through cheddar cheese blocks or to create thin slices, you’ll want at least one of these sets for your cheese board.  

This flat cheese knife or chisel knife is from our Jason Cheese Knives 4 Pc. Set. Hold it vertically over the cheese and use the sharp end to cut slices off. You can also use it like a chisel to shave down hard cheeses. It works best for semi-soft to semi-hard cheeses, such as Provolone, Swiss, Gruyere, and Asiago.

Here is a Cheddar cheese knife from our Sonar Cheese Knives 3 Pc. Set. Also known as a mini cleaver or cheddar cleaver, this knife is ideal for cutting hard cheeses. Notice that the long handle runs along the top of the knife so that your fingers don’t hit the cheese board when slicing.

Another tool you’ll find in most of our cheese knife sets is the cheese fork. It has two pointed prongs that make it handy for picking up cheese pieces for plating. And like the pronged knife, the prongs are handy for breaking up blocks of aged cheese into smaller chunks. On your charcuterie boards, these forks help pick up meat slices and pickles, as well. 

The Cheese Spreader Set

When it comes to serving delicious cheese platters, you can’t go wrong with a few favorite spreads to serve with crackers and crusty bread. One popular choice is fig jam, a perfect counterpart to Brie, gorgonzola, or any goat's cheese. Our 4-piece cheese spreader sets are ideal for spreading delicious fruit jams, mustards, gourmet spreaders, or even a cheese ball.  

Stilton Scoops

Lovers of Blue Cheeses won’t want to be without a set of Stilton Scoops. Designed for scooping from the center without disturbing the rind, these scoops bring traditional style to your Blue cheese platter.

Perfect for crumbly Stilton and other Blue cheeses, you’ll want to designate one Stilton scoop for each variety.

Sugar spoons

For anyone wondering why you would need sugar spoons near your charcuterie board, the reason is simple. Since grazing platters and cheese boards are self-serve, it's a good idea to include individual plates for each guest. You should also place spoons near dips and sauces so that guests can easily serve themselves. This way, they can add a bit of the dip they like to their plate and dip to their heart's content.

With their deep, round bowls, our handcrafted sugar spoons go beyond the coffee bar to act like little “ladles” for sauces and dips on your charcuterie boards.

Why you should buy charcuterie board essentials from INOX Artisans

Unlike mass-produced items, our skilled artisans create these unique, authentic pieces. Each of the products shown in this post is truly a one-of-a-kind, made using traditional means to bring a true sense of artisan distinction to your charcuterie and cheese boards.    

Charcuterie boards have become a staple for gatherings, parties, and intimate evenings. But, to create a visually stunning and appetizing board, you need the right charcuterie tools. Whether you're a seasoned charcuterie artist or just starting, having these essential tools will elevate your presentation and make the process more enjoyable.

The first essential tool on our list is a high-quality cheese knife. Cheese knives are designed to handle different types of cheese, from soft brie to hard parmesan. A good cheese knife will help you make clean cuts, ensuring that each piece looks as good as it tastes. Additionally, having a variety of cheese knives can add a touch of sophistication to your charcuterie board.

Next, a reliable cutting board is a must-have. Cutting boards come in various materials such as wood, bamboo, and plastic. For charcuterie, wooden or bamboo cutting boards are preferable because they are gentle on your knives and provide a rustic aesthetic. Look for a cutting board with a juice groove to catch any run-off from juicy fruits or meats.

An assortment of small bowls and ramekins is another essential tool for your charcuterie boards. These are perfect for holding nuts, olives, dips, and spreads, keeping everything organized and visually appealing. Ramekins also help manage portion sizes, preventing your board from becoming overcrowded.

Don't forget about the importance of proper serving utensils. Small tongs, cheese spreaders, and forks are crucial for a charcuterie board. These utensils allow guests to serve themselves without touching the food, maintaining hygiene and neatness. Stainless steel or wooden utensils are both good choices, depending on your board's aesthetic.

A high-quality charcuterie board is incomplete without a stylish and functional serving platter. Choose a platter that complements the theme of your gathering, whether it's a rustic wooden board, a sleek marble slab, or a modern slate piece. The platter sets the stage for your charcuterie display and can make a big difference in presentation.

To really impress your guests, consider incorporating a set of labeling picks or flags. These tiny identifiers can be used to label different cheeses, meats, or accompaniments on your board, helping guests make informed choices and adding an extra layer of sophistication. You can find reusable labeling picks or create your own custom labels.

Lastly, an often-overlooked but vital charcuterie tool is a good-quality wine opener. Many charcuterie boards are paired with wines, so having an easy-to-use and reliable wine opener is essential. Choose a wine opener that you are comfortable with, whether it's an electric opener, a classic corkscrew, or a stylish waiter’s friend.