I first learned about the Messermeister serrated peeler from Cooks Illustrated. They cost about $6, probably over 20 years ago. Still using the same one as it remains sharp. You can peel a peach, apple, kiwi, carrot, potato, etc, with hardly any loss of their flesh. It cuts so thinly that the peel is translucent. I do have an OXO peeler as well, for butternut squash because to remove that thick skin using the Messermeister means peeling at least twice. I dislike harp style peelers because I learned produce prep holding a peeler as one would a paring knife.
For parers, and other small knives, I use Victorinox, also recommended by CI, and not pricey. I have them in both serrated and flat blades. Better control and safety with a serrated blade even though they don’t last as long because I can’t sharpen them.
I’d say, if you replace peelers that often - every 6 months - then quality does matter. I have had my peelers for a decade now I guess. That’s 6 euros divided by 10 years, divided by 2 (6 months times 2 in a single year).
It would mean a peeler would have to cost less than 30 eurocents for me to become economically interesting versus my current one. Last time I checked I did not see any peelers below 30 cents.
This is a great combination that I endorse. The Star and Rex are the best of the breed.
However, lately I’m feeling a need to find the best of the “stick” peelers, i.e., the version with the cutting blade(s) parallel to the handle. Of course the U-shaped Star style peels slender vegetables just fine, but if you hold the veg with your non-dominant hand, well, your fingers can get in the way of those perpendicular blades.
Does star make a “stick”?
CCE
(Keyrock the unfrozen caveman lawyer; your world frightens & confuses me)
25
Good question, but nope, rightie here. Not sure what it is. I looked at them again and think it’s the handle shape, more like a knife handle, so I want to rotate it 90° in my hand.
I never would have considered this. My old Ekco has been in use for something like 50 years, maybe more (I’m not positive how long it was in use before I got it, about 40 years ago, but it was my grandmom’s). It sees use about 3 times a week, mostly carrots, potatoes, apples. Last night I used it to peel a butternut squash for a curried coconut shrimp soup and it worked well for that. The other two peelers are probably 10+ years old and don’t see as much use as the Ekco, but they still work fine when someone uses them.
I bought an Ecko peeler for maybe $5
when I got my first apartment - I still have it, and it still peels well.
Then I “splurged” on an Oxo a couple of years later (splurge because the first Ecko was still good, I just wanted the Oxo, rather than price) and I still use it every few days.
I bought an Oxo set when my mom needed another peeler, because it came with a Y and a julienne version too. All in regular use.
I’m with you, unless you’re peeing potatoes for fries at a restaurant, I’m not sure what home use would necessitate replacing peelers every few months.
My peeler says Pillsbury on it. I have no idea who actually manufactured it. I got my peeler, paring knife and sharpening stone at my local Dollar Tree when prices were actually a dollar. I do notice my peeler works better when I’m pulling it towards me vs. pushing it away. It does a great job on basically everything and its quite comfortable to use.
I recently had to sharpen my pairing knife, it holds an edge for a little while then needs a few minutes on the stone. It actually does pretty good for $1
My girlfriend is left handed and she can’t peel potatoes to save her life. I can’t figure out if its the peeler, the way she has to hold it or what, but she murders my potatoes anytime I ask her to peel them.
Peelers, no matter the brand or price point, are not engineered (I hesitate to even use that word because it sort of diminishes everything else that is truly engineered) to precise standards nor intended to be durable. The blades on peelers will rust and tend to dully easily – and, really, when was the last time you actually sharpened your peeler? Or even gave it a passing thought?
But then the riposte is always, as CCE says, “they still work fine when someone uses them” and I think that’s the crux of the issue. Is that the standard upon which we judge other cutlery? The hell no, if one even glances at some of the threads of knives and what-not.
So why do we suffer, or really accept, this lower quality for peelers? I.e. “still work fine”
The answer is we shouldn’t.
Just find and buy cheaper peelers, like these from Amazon – 3 for $15 (there are actually cheaper ones out there). If you replaced them annually, that’s about $5/year, or about as much you probably lose in the seat cushions of your sofa every year (assuming you still used cash and coins)
I find that Rex/Star peelers work extremely well for far more than six months. Pat my carbon steel ones dry or pop them in an oven (while something is cooking) for a few minutes to prevent rusting.
I have several peelers and paring knives. My most favorite peeler is the Konosuke HD2 petty knife (yes, I count it as a paring knife in this case), and a carbon steel CCK (Cha chi kee) peeler. The CCK peeler is pretty aggressive in term of both its cutting power and also the peeling thickness (it can cut and shave pretty deep). I have to use it lightly.
