Experience the Joy of Peeling
Using the right tools is a good way to reduce the time spent on preparing food. A good vegetable peeler is certainly one of the best helpers in the kitchen.
If you are old school and prefer to use a knife for peeling, you don’t know what you are missing. The following are three basic reasons why you should consider switching to a peeler:
- Time saver: Preparing vegetables takes less time than when using a knife. The tool quickly cuts away the peel of potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, turnips, pumpkins, and other sorts of veggies that need peeling.
- Less waste: This little tool allows you to remove just the outer skin and not much vegetable or fruit beyond it. This way a peeler preserves more of the nutrients and involves less waste than a paring knife.
- Fewer efforts: A good veggie peeler makes peeling tasks much easier than when you are using a paring knife. It reduces the amount of hard work required and makes skinning fruits and vegetables a breeze.
Tips for Buying the Best Veggie Peeler
When purchasing a peeler for the first time, look for a tool that fulfills most of the following criteria:
- Ergonomic design: The handle should be sturdy, slip-proof, and comfortable so your hand will not get tired when using it. Many peelers have a small handle that is difficult to grip, so make sure that the handle fits well in your hand. A rubberized handle is more comfortable and offers more control over the tool than a metal handle.
- If you have larger hands you might prefer a model with a longer handle. The large handle also makes it easy to maneuver, especially for people that find it difficult to grasp small tools. Larger handles also reduce the possibility of accidentally throwing the tool away with potato peelings.
- The blades made of stainless steel are more resistant to rusting. Carbon steel blades, although very sharp, require more care as they will rust with time if not thoroughly dried before storage.
- If you need a peeler for tomatoes and soft fruits like peaches and kiwis, look for one with a serrated blade. Serrated blades grip slippery skin and peel it with ease.
- If you want to create stringy pieces of vegetables for preparing garnishes, salads, or Asian dishes, a julienne peeler is a way to go.
- A protective blade cover would be a convenient accessory to protect your fingers when the tool is stored.
- When purchasing a set of peelers with the same shape, differently colored handles will help to remember the different purposes of each tool.
- A built-in potato eyer is a handy attachment for removing potato eyes and other imperfections without needing a knife.
- A dishwasher-friendly peeler would eliminate the risk of cutting your fingers during washing.
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Recommended Products
1. OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
This peeler works great on carrots, cucumbers, beets, potatoes, ginger, celery, turmeric root, and apples.
Its flexible stainless-steel blades are very sharp and remove large pieces of skin in one pass. It works in both directions. The swivel blades adjust to the shape of the vegetables, making the peeling process of awkwardly shaped veggies smooth.
The integrated eye remover is supposed to help to extract potato eyes and insect holes. However, this attachment should be improved to work perfectly.
The oversized silicone handle feels great in the hand. The handle has a large hole to offer more storage options.
The peeler is dishwasher safe but can also be cleaned safely by using a vegetable brush.
Caution: Use the hole in the handle for storage and avoid storing it in a drawer with other items. There is a risk of cutting yourself when you try to find something in a drawer.
2. OXO Good Grips Pro Y Peeler
This Oxo Pro peeler has sturdier construction and performs better than a standard OHO Y-shaped peeler.
Great for: This peeler easily peels carrots, potatoes, apples, cucumbers, mangos and butternut, and acorn squash. It also works well for softer fruits and veggies like tomatoes, peaches, and kiwis.
Extra-hardened stainless-steel blades are razor-sharp for quick peeling action. A longer blade design helps to better maneuver the tool. Replacement blades are available to buy when needed in the future.
Sharp potato eye remover on the side allows you to easily scoop out blemishes. The eye remover on the pro version is better positioned and more efficient than the same accessory on OXO regular Y peeler.
The large non-slip handle is easy to grasp, and you can feel the quality when holding it. Such an ergonomic handle design makes this peeler suitable for extended use.
If you are looking for reliability and durability, invest a few dollars more to get this I – Series Peeler.
3. OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Peeler Set
Not all peelers work the same for all types of fruits and vegetables. That is why a set of dedicated peelers can be very handy for different peeling tasks.
Each peeler in the set has sharp stainless-steel blades for effortless peeling and a large silicone handle for easy grasping. All handles have holes for hanging.
The swivel Peeler (green) has a smooth blade to easily peel hard vegetables. It works perfectly for potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and squash. It has a built-in potato eye remover.
The Julienne Peeler (orange) makes julienne strips for salads and garnishes. It is great for carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and squash. It includes a protective cover for safe storage.
The Serrated Peeler (red) has a serrated blade that easily grips the slippery skin of some fruits and vegetables. It works great for tomatoes, eggplants, persimmons, peaches, nectarines, kiwis, and plums.
Cleaning
Most peelers are advertised as dishwasher safe. Although putting them in the dishwasher rack could shorten the blade life, this cleaning method is safer for your fingers.
If you do hand wash it, use a vegetable brush to clean the blades and keep your fingers at a safe distance. Let the tool air dry. To prevent rust, make sure that the peeler is completely dry before storing it.
Precautions
Be careful you don’t get it too close to your fingers as the blades are dangerously sharp. It would be a good idea to wear cut-resistant gloves when peeling vegetables or fruit.
Don’t store it in a crowded drawer as other objects can damage the blades. You may also cut yourself when searching for the tool.
Don’t allow kids to use a vegetable peeler and make sure to store it out of children’s reach.
