About vegetable peelers (yes, really)
(This post isn't sponsored, just so ya know!)
I actually AM writing a post entirely about vegetable peelers.
(We should not be surprised, given that I devoted an entire post to a ladle before. And one to a funnel.)
I got a Good Grips veggie peeler as a wedding gift, and after years of service, it was starting to get pretty dull.
I discovered this when I tried to peel a butternut squash. This is a slightly difficult task with a good peeler, but with a dull one, it's positively Herculean.
So, I consulted with Cook's Illustrated (because of COURSE) and they recommended two peelers.
The winner was a Kuhn Rikon peeler, which sells for a mere $3 (assuming you buy a 3-pack) and the second in line was a Messermeister peeler, which costs $9.
Since I was curious about both options, and since I sometimes need more than one peeler, I bought both varieties, and I've been using them for the last few years.
What do I think of them?
Kuhn-Rikon Peeler
The Kuhn Rikon peeler works ridiculously well. It peels butternut squash and mangoes like nobody's business, two items my old peeler struggled with. And it works great for potatoes as well.
The design is a little odd, requiring you to pull the peeler rather than pushing it, but I quickly got used to the new mechanics. I actually think the pulling vs. pushing motion is part of what makes this peeler work so well.
(Although, interestingly enough, I saw lots of photos online of people pulling this peeler toward themselves. That feels completely awkward to me!)
The only downside is that the blade of this peeler came coated with a really thin black finish, which starts to flake off in short order. Without the coating, the carbon steel blade rusts easily, so I have to hand wash the peeler and dry it right away.
This isn't a huge deal, but if you don't want to baby your peeler, it might be a deal-breaker.
On the other hand, carbon steel is supposed to stay sharp longer, so if longevity is a big concern for you, you might be willing to give the bit of extra care this peeler requires.
I bought the 3-pack of peelers on Amazon because for some odd reason, you can get a 3-pack in red, green, and yellow, for the same price as a single purple one.
This does come in a stainless-steel version for $12.95, so if you're trying to swear off plastic, you can still get this peeler.
Messermeister Peeler
The Messermeister peeler is a more traditional design, so you push the peeler away from you as you work. It's got a good sharp blade, and solid construction, though, so it's been working very well for me.
And since the blade is stainless steel, you can throw it right into the dishwasher with nary a concern.
I bought a single peeler, but I see that they now offer a 3-peeler set for $14.95, which is a great deal when you consider that a single peeler costs $8.
(Though I should point out that the three-pack is three different varieties of peelers, which might not be exactly what you want.)
So. Both options are good choices.
If you want easy care, get the $8 Messermeister.
If long-term sharpness is more important to you and you don't mind hand-washing, though, the $8 3-pack of Kuhn-Rikon peelers is super hard to beat.
And thus endeth a 600-word post on vegetable peelers.
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Amazon links are affiliate links. This post is not sponsored, I bought my peelers with my own money, and Messermeister and Kuhn Rikon have no idea I exist.
I too have been looking at different kinds of peelers over the last couple of years because of sore thumbs. I've gotten some very nice ones of various designs (some additional ones to the ones you show), and have always gone back to my inexpensive metal one that I got 30 years ago. I find some of the other designs awkward to use, and even though the original one is starting to rust, it peels just fine. The solution to my problem is to get someone to help me if I have a lot to peel--such as for a big batch of mashed potatoes for company.
I like Pampered Chef's peeler. Although, right now I need to replace it because I totally ruined it by peeling butternut squash with it.
I bought my stainless-steel-only peeler at a 'buy-our-amazing-thing' stand at a flea market about 22 years ago. They said I 'would never have to buy a peeler again!', and I wanted to believe but was skeptical, still I bought because I needed a peeler. Well, I can tell you that that thing has withstood going with me to University, moving to 4 countries, 16+years of marriage and 3 kids and it still peels a butternut squash like it's butter. One little thing is that it lost something that holds the blade in, so now we just have to hold it a wee bit tighter so the blade doesn't fly off. My kids have all learned to peel with this thing too. And it's a pull peeler (just like the Kuhn one), which surprised me to read in your post that it is so unusual. Just a small testimonial about things that last, even if they surprise you.
I have had a Kuhn $3.00 peeler for over a decade, and gave it to both my daughters as well. It's a little Mighty Mouse of a peeler!
And yep, I peel butternut squash with it too. I cut off the ends first to make the job a bit easier/more efficient.
It's a little crazy how well it works! I was skeptical when mine arrived because they're so small and lightweight. But they work great and they last!
I really like my Pampered Chef one.
Peelers are important - one of the reasons I dislike cooking in other people's kitchens is that I don't like their peelers.
I have a Henckels peeler because I like a fixed head peeler. They cost about $5.
I have a Henckels fixed head peeler, it is the only one I can use- I am useless in other people's kitchens!
My OH on the other hand can't stand a fixed head peeler so we have to keep 2 in our house at all times!
I use the Messermeister type of peeler and I always peel towards me! I have never tried peeling away from me and I am 74 years old!! It seems kind of awkward to peel away. But I will try it next time, I am always up for trying new stuff. I assume I do it the way I do because that is the way my mother did it!
Well, apparently 600 words was not enough since here we all are with more of 'em 😉
And very timely, since a lot of squash will be peeled this month! Struggled through years of cheap, metal ones -- quickly dull, pulling off too much of the actual veggie, just annoying. Friends gave me an Ecco -- much better. Then, fortune smiled when Lovely Grown Up Daughter moved out and left her very own Zyliss and this works really well. Fortune will grumble and frown when I have to give it back to her. So thank you for the Kuhn Rikon or Meisser info.
Just a quick side note -- also suffered through stupid and cheap garlic presses until LGUD gave me a Rosle (with some kind of umlaut or something over the letters . . .) THE BEST. I'm alway reading we should just crush the cloves with the edge of a knife but I like to smash them and this gadget is so sturdy and well-engineered. You don't even have to peel the cloves pre-smushing. Thank you for this useful and interesting post!
I got a Good Grips peeler as a wedding present 17 years ago. It is stainless steels and has been peeling butternut squash like a champ. I saw a kitchen hack video about steaming the squash for 3 minutes in the microwave before peeling to make it easier and I was thinking, "Just peel it, it's not that hard." After reading your post, I realized it's all in what peeler you have. I always peel carrots away from me and everything else towards me. I'm not sure why...probably because my mom does it that way, lol. The horizontal peelers confuse me. It would take some getting used to for sure.
I was given a Rada peeler as a wedding shower gift and after 16 years of almost daily use it is still sharp. A few years ago I bought two more because I loved it so much and it was always dirty (and it's nice to have extras for multiple hands helping to peel). I think they run about $10 and it is a left right handed peeler.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that the most frugal method of having a sharp peeler is to sharpen the one(s) you already have. I have done this on multiple peelers and am able to obtain an edge that's as good or better than the original. Having the sharpening tools does cost more initially than buying an individual peeler, but the process can be done multiple times. In my case, I already had the tools I needed because I use them for other purposes: P/Ns 47465A124 (320-grit, $2.90) and 47465A82 (the holder, $6.46) from McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/). These are not necessarily what a professional sharpener would use, but they work well for me.
Oh, wow! I had no idea they made tools for this purpose. Good to know!
How do you use a stone to sharpen a veggie peeler? Specifically, how to do get the metal to the stone at an angle? The only thing I can visulaize is moving the edge of the stone along the long edge of the blade, rather than perpendicular to it.
William, I simply eyeball the angle, held slightly above the factory cut angle so I'm only removing perhaps 1/32" instead of 1/8" of material. I move the stone perpendicular to the blade edge; moving it parallel with the blade edge would groove the stone and would not cut the edge properly.
I bought a stainless steel (thick handle) peeler at the Dollar Tree several years ago, and it still works great. I just put it in the dishwasher and have had no problems with it at all. Not sure if I just lucked out or what, but it's been the best peeler I've ever had. There's no brand name on it anywhere, but it was definitely worth the dollar I paid for it.
Just like David above (although I'm not quite the same age), I've always used a Messermeister-style peeler, and I've ALWAYS peeled towards me. I'd never heard of peeling away from me until recently. Having visited family in Europe, they mostly just use knives to peel, and I therefore also pull the knife towards them instead of away. Interesting. I'll have to think about this...
That's so funny! I tried it and it feels super awkward...I keep running into my hand.
If I use a knife, I do pull it toward me.
I've used the Kuhn Rikon all my adult life. I fell in love with them when I was an exchange student in Norway, and my job was to peel potatoes for dinner every night. I've never seen anyone use one with a pushing motion though... I've always just pulled over the top. I find them infinitely easier to use than the standard American ones. It never occurred to me to try peeling something like butternut squash with it though. Might want to invest in a new one before trying it since mine is... um... 25 years old now! 🙂
Best peeler that I have ever used was one made by Kitchen Aid. Worst one--the cheapie one that I have now-a generic from WalMart.
Oh, this is good information! My favorite peeler is an old-school one that I am unable to locate for replacement. I haven't cared for other peelers I have purchased. A good peeler can cut food prep time almost in half!
I have always been under the impression that it is more efficient and faster to always peel towards you rather than away. It certainly is in my case.
I think it must be in what you're used to, because I feel all kinds of uncoordinated when I try it that way! It's like signing my name with the wrong hand. 😉
This is timely! My 20 year old peeler recently broke and I am shopping for a new one today. Since I prefer to shop locally, I am hoping our kitchen store can help.
My favourite peeler is a WMF, but it looks exactly like your Kühn Rikon. I just rinse it and let it air-dry in the dish drainer, blade up. Recently I bought a Zyliss peeler that looks more like your Messermeister, but also has a paring knife on the other end (with a cover). It hasn't blown me away.
I always pull towards me with the peeler! And I watch my fingers, too! Love me some good tools! Said WMF peeler has probably been in use at my house for over 20 years. Friends of mine gave me a couple of Swissmar peelers--one juliennes and the other has sharp, serrated edges, which I often use to peel carrots, as it seems to cut thinner than my WMF.
A lot of it is what you get used to...
I once had a boyfriend who couldn't believe I used a peeler instead of a knife on carrots, potatoes, etc. He insisted we have a contest -- he peeled with a knife the way his mother did, with a quick back and forth scraping motion up and down the length of the carrot, almost like scraping ice off of a windshield, while I used a peeler on my carrot. He was a second or two faster than me and was triumphant, until I pointed out that MY carrot didn't look chewed. His sure did.
That relationship didn't last.... hmmmmm.
Thank you for post, I always use a knife to peel butternut squash however find them super awkward to cut & peel so will definitely invest in a new peeler after you reviews..by the way on a totally different gadget..what are your views on steam cleaners? Have you got one? Would be really grateful to hear what people have to say..:-)
Perfect timing - after peeling a few butternut squashes for my baby's food, my peeler is ridiculously dull. Peeling potatoes is a chore now, and it keeps sliding over carrot peels. Thank you for the two suggestions!
OK, this will really blow your mind and I'm pretty sure I saw or heard this tip on America's Test Kitchen. I always assumed peelers like the Good Grips had double blades so they would work for lefties or righties. But no . . .
What they suggested is that you peel BOTH toward and away! Mind blowing, right??? I lay the carrot actually parallel to my body so I'm peeling right to left and left to right, back and forth without ever lifting the peeler from the carrot. It goes REALLY fast that way! It was not sharp enough to attempt that with the butternut squash, though.
My 10+year old GG is OK, I peeled a butternut squash with it just this week and it wasn't difficult, just not exactly easy, either. I would like a better blade, but would not be happy with something that flakes into my food or rusts easily.
Oh, interesting! I'll have to try that.
My grandmother died in 1984 when I was a graduate student living in an apartment in NYC. I ended up with her peeler - a basic red plastic handled peeler (brand name: Westmans) I am still using it!!!! At some point - maybe around 10 years ago I thought I would try a new one and bought an Oxo black handled one. Did not like it and went back to my grandmother's and am happily using it daily!
oops - make that WestMARKs, not Westmans
I can understand why you would devote an entire post to vegetable peelers. We seem to wear those out, and can openers are the same way. 🙂 A good one makes cooking so much easier.
Hey! I wanted to stop by and say thank you for the reviews on these! Our Vegetable peeler bit the dust right before christmas and when this happens I will usually do one of two things: 1) give up and make due with a knife or something ridiculous for much too long, and/or 2) go stand in front of the utensil isle at the store for much too long and then just pick one at random (that will then break soon). NOT THIS TIME!!! I hopped onto your site, ordered the one that could go through the dishwasher (no one has time to wash anything in this house) and I have been loving it! Thank you for reviewing something so minimal as veggie peelers!
Yay! So happy that the peeler is working out well for you.
SAVE THE PEELERS! Jeezy Peezy to save your peeler and avoid hurting yourself in the process of peeling a butternut squash:
Prick the skin all over. The best thing I have found to do this is an ice pick. It needs to be something sharp to easily get through the skin. Those turkey trussing skewers would work too but an ice pick with a sharp point is easier to hold onto and makes fast work of it. You don't need to go deep into the squash, just enough to pierce the skin.
Put the squash in the microwave for three minutes on high. Maybe two minutes if it's a small squash (Who has ever seen a small butternut squash?) The short amount of microwave time isn't going to cook it to any significant degree.
Let it cool for a couple few minutes until it's cool enough to handle. (This isn't time sensitive. Come back to it an hour later if you want.) Slice off the ends and have at it with your peeler. The softened skin from the microwave treatment will peel MUCH easier. It will no longer be akin to trying to peel a bowling ball with a butter knife.