Best Fruit Peeler
February 10, 2006 9:25 AM Subscribe
I'm eating a lot of fresh fruit lately. Which peelers/tools do you particularly find a cut above?
My parents have a hand crank apple peeler/corer/slicer. It is really fun to use.
posted by Alison at 9:49 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by Alison at 9:49 AM on February 10, 2006
For apples/pears, I cut them in half (downwards) and take out the core with a melon baller.
posted by essexjan at 9:50 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by essexjan at 9:50 AM on February 10, 2006
I like my OXO GoodGrips peeler.
I know paring knives are supposed to be better to use for peeling, but I am afraid of slicing my fingers.
posted by elisabeth r at 9:51 AM on February 10, 2006
I know paring knives are supposed to be better to use for peeling, but I am afraid of slicing my fingers.
posted by elisabeth r at 9:51 AM on February 10, 2006
For big, round fruit (and potatoes and cucumbers), I love the sideways peelers. Fast and easy, with little waste.
posted by Gamblor at 9:58 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by Gamblor at 9:58 AM on February 10, 2006
From America's Test Kitchen:
ince our 1998 rating of vegetable peelers, the Oxo Good Grips peeler has been a standard in our test kitchen. But two new peelers on the market led us back into the kitchen for another look.
Oxo's new I-Series line includes a redesigned vegetable peeler that we found to be exceptionally sharp. The blades are replaceable (much like razor blades that click on and pop off). I-Series vegetable peelers have a more slender handle, which solves the only problem we had with the original Good Grips peeler: it was a bit bulky. Nonetheless, the I-Series peeler is heavier, tipping the scale at nearly a quarter pound (or 3.75 ounces) while the Good Grips weighs in at a mere 2.25 ounces. The balance of extra weight falls to the blade end, which seems to allow the peeler to do some of the work for you. After extensive use we did notice that this extra weight creates a higher likelihood for strain. Of course, you would have to peel a lot of potatoes to notice. KitchenEtc (www.kitchenetc.com) carries the I-Series Swivel Peeler (Item #995994) and the replacement blades (Item #995985) for $9.99 and $4.99, respectively.
Similar in appearance to Oxo's Good Grips peeler is the Messermeister serrated blade peeler. We were surprised that what we thought would be a novelty peeler could rival and even replace a Good Grips at the usual peeling tasks. What makes this peeler exceptional is its ability to peel ripe peaches and tomatoes, which even the noticeably sharper I-Series peeler was reluctant to do effectively. The Messermeister's narrow 2-3/4-inch diameter black rubber handle, however, makes it difficult to get a good grip. Sur La Table (www.surlatable.com) carries the Messermeister serrated edge swivel peeler, item #154005, for $5.50.
So what peeler should you reach for? We?ll be reaching for the Oxo I-Series. With replaceable blades and solid construction, this peeler will have a home in our kitchen for many years to come. That is, until Oxo introduces a new peeler.
posted by jerryg99 at 9:59 AM on February 10, 2006
ince our 1998 rating of vegetable peelers, the Oxo Good Grips peeler has been a standard in our test kitchen. But two new peelers on the market led us back into the kitchen for another look.
Oxo's new I-Series line includes a redesigned vegetable peeler that we found to be exceptionally sharp. The blades are replaceable (much like razor blades that click on and pop off). I-Series vegetable peelers have a more slender handle, which solves the only problem we had with the original Good Grips peeler: it was a bit bulky. Nonetheless, the I-Series peeler is heavier, tipping the scale at nearly a quarter pound (or 3.75 ounces) while the Good Grips weighs in at a mere 2.25 ounces. The balance of extra weight falls to the blade end, which seems to allow the peeler to do some of the work for you. After extensive use we did notice that this extra weight creates a higher likelihood for strain. Of course, you would have to peel a lot of potatoes to notice. KitchenEtc (www.kitchenetc.com) carries the I-Series Swivel Peeler (Item #995994) and the replacement blades (Item #995985) for $9.99 and $4.99, respectively.
Similar in appearance to Oxo's Good Grips peeler is the Messermeister serrated blade peeler. We were surprised that what we thought would be a novelty peeler could rival and even replace a Good Grips at the usual peeling tasks. What makes this peeler exceptional is its ability to peel ripe peaches and tomatoes, which even the noticeably sharper I-Series peeler was reluctant to do effectively. The Messermeister's narrow 2-3/4-inch diameter black rubber handle, however, makes it difficult to get a good grip. Sur La Table (www.surlatable.com) carries the Messermeister serrated edge swivel peeler, item #154005, for $5.50.
So what peeler should you reach for? We?ll be reaching for the Oxo I-Series. With replaceable blades and solid construction, this peeler will have a home in our kitchen for many years to come. That is, until Oxo introduces a new peeler.
posted by jerryg99 at 9:59 AM on February 10, 2006
The Oxo peeler is pretty good, but even better is the Rubbermaid peeler. Having owned and operated both, I can say that the Rubbermaid is far sharper.
If you want to make zest or grated cheese, I'll second the Microplane suggestion.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:05 AM on February 10, 2006
If you want to make zest or grated cheese, I'll second the Microplane suggestion.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:05 AM on February 10, 2006
I have all 3 Kyocera ceramic peelers on this page. The big one is not as useful as the other two, but I love the adjustable red one at the bottom. The blade swivels to be used either vertically, horizontally, or at an angle by right or left handers
posted by TedW at 10:41 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by TedW at 10:41 AM on February 10, 2006
My favorite kitchen thing is the Vacuvin Pineapple Slicer. You cut off the leafy end of a pineapple, then screw this thing down inside, and it pulls out a perfect spiral of the juicy meat, leaving the core and the rind.
posted by nicwolff at 11:04 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by nicwolff at 11:04 AM on February 10, 2006
I have Alison's parents hand-crank peeler. It is awesome. I got it for $20.00 at Bed Bath and Beyond and it makes apple pies and crisps an absolute breeze. I also have something like these that squeeze practically every last drop of juice out of citrus fruits without much effort at all.
posted by Roger Dodger at 11:11 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by Roger Dodger at 11:11 AM on February 10, 2006
For the most fun, practice peeling stuff with your hands until you get really good at it. Dead seriously, it's a great skill to have.
posted by reklaw at 11:31 AM on February 10, 2006
posted by reklaw at 11:31 AM on February 10, 2006
The Microplanes are awesome. I love mine, and take every opportunity to grate the hell out of cheese and citrus.
As for pineapple, well, I generally use an 8" santoku blade to slice it up. The corer looks pretty cool, but I don't think I eat enough pineapple to justify the amount of space it takes up vs. a knife which is useful for so many other tasks. A good all-purpose kitchen knife is a great investment, as long as you take care of it (wooden cutting blocks only, hand wash it immediately after use, sharpen regularly. Sounds like a lot of work but really isn't so bad once you get in the habit of doing so.)
The Y-shaped peeler? Definitely good. I've wanted a yoke-style peeler for a while now. Horrible memories of the old school steel knuckle-shredding potato peelers of my youth. But I have to ask: Aside from a pineapple or avocado (inedible rind) and banana or citrus (easy-peel skin) why remove the skin at all? My wife likes her apples sliced. I don't get it. I just like my fruits whole. Less prep time, and if I'm taking it wth me for lunch I don't have to remove it from its own natural package (the peel) and put it in an unnatural one (plastic bag or conainer).
posted by caution live frogs at 11:41 AM on February 10, 2006
As for pineapple, well, I generally use an 8" santoku blade to slice it up. The corer looks pretty cool, but I don't think I eat enough pineapple to justify the amount of space it takes up vs. a knife which is useful for so many other tasks. A good all-purpose kitchen knife is a great investment, as long as you take care of it (wooden cutting blocks only, hand wash it immediately after use, sharpen regularly. Sounds like a lot of work but really isn't so bad once you get in the habit of doing so.)
The Y-shaped peeler? Definitely good. I've wanted a yoke-style peeler for a while now. Horrible memories of the old school steel knuckle-shredding potato peelers of my youth. But I have to ask: Aside from a pineapple or avocado (inedible rind) and banana or citrus (easy-peel skin) why remove the skin at all? My wife likes her apples sliced. I don't get it. I just like my fruits whole. Less prep time, and if I'm taking it wth me for lunch I don't have to remove it from its own natural package (the peel) and put it in an unnatural one (plastic bag or conainer).
posted by caution live frogs at 11:41 AM on February 10, 2006
If I may piggyback on this question, I'd be curious to know if anyone has tried the Oxo Mango Splitter. We love mangoes, but I always make a huge mess when I'm slicing them.
posted by amarynth at 12:05 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by amarynth at 12:05 PM on February 10, 2006
I use a cheese slicer to peel mangoes. Its very handy.
posted by hooray at 3:16 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by hooray at 3:16 PM on February 10, 2006
Enjoy grapefruit? You need a twin bladed grapefruit knife.
posted by shinybeast at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by shinybeast at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2006
Anybody have info on how peelers perform on a butternut squash? I find that type of winter squash is the easiest to peel but it is still quite a chore with a standard metal peeler. You need multiple passes before you get to bright orange flesh.
(I prefer to peel, cut up, oil, and roast a squash rather than bake it whole and scoop out the pulp. It has much better texture my way.)
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 7:40 PM on February 10, 2006
(I prefer to peel, cut up, oil, and roast a squash rather than bake it whole and scoop out the pulp. It has much better texture my way.)
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 7:40 PM on February 10, 2006
Standard peelers can be sharpened (they they'll work great on butternut squash). It makes a huge difference. I use my ceramic stick stuck into plastic at different angle thingy from Spyderco (tri-angle sharpener).
posted by QIbHom at 9:29 PM on February 10, 2006
posted by QIbHom at 9:29 PM on February 10, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
Every orange and lemon and lime in our house is ugly because I've zested it to death. I keep whatever I'm not going to use right away in small labeled bags in the freezer.
posted by padraigin at 9:47 AM on February 10, 2006