Ina Garten's Method of Cutting Bagels Is Dividing the Internet

Look, Ina Garten is perfect. National treasure status, OK? So when she says we should cut our bagels into thirds, I believe her. 

Over the last several days, social media has been abuzz over an old clip of Garten on her show, Barefoot Contessa, showing off her preferred method of cutting bagels. You may think, "Oh she slices them down the middle, like every other person in history, right?" No. Absolutely not. Garten chooses instead to cut her bagel … in thirds. But she does have some sound reasoning.  

“Instead of having a big, thick bagel, I like to cut it in thirds,” Garten explained in the clip, which People explained is more than a decade old. “So instead, you get a nice little sandwich.”

In case you can't view the clip, Garten takes a bagel and slices a bit off the tip and a bit off the bottom, leaving a thicker center. Many people commenting on the viral TikTok wished Garten would use the little topper to make a triple-decker sandwich, but instead, Garten cuts a second bagel the same way, turning two sliced bagels into three sandwiches, which is, honestly, a genius money-saving hack. 

While it might seem like Garten would use the three bagel slices to create a triple-decker sandwich, that isn’t the case. She only uses two slices, turning two bagels into three thinner sandwiches.

“I think it tastes better,” she added as she smothered some delicious herb cream cheese and smoked salmon. 

In the TikTok video's comment section, people are truly divided over how they feel. 

"Thirds AND it's not toasted?!?!?!" one user exclaimed. "So now cutting bagels in half is not good enough," another added, while one more user quipped, "This felt like a crime, but it’s Ina." 

However, for every comment calling out how wrong this looks, there was another saying it's the smartest thing they've seen all day. 

"This makes sense because they are too thick, and this way, you get to appreciate the fillings even more," one user noted. "Honestly, this is so smart because I love cream cheese, so three layers on a bagel would be amazing," one added. While one more commenter simply noted, "Damn, she’s brilliant." 

This is far from Garten's only controversial take to make waves on the internet. Just a few weeks ago, a clip of Garten suggesting you undercook your chicken also went viral. And guess what? We were here to support that suggestion too.