Yahoo LifestyleThese Potato Peelers Will Make Your Thanksgiving SO Much Easier
- 1/9
These Potato Peelers Will Make Your Thanksgiving SO Much Easier
Before you reach for the best potato mashers for herbed mashed potatoes and even before you grab the best graters for easy potato latkes, you need a potato peeler. The right peeler will make it a breeze to tackle a ton of taters, as well as as assortment of other ingredients, from apples and carrots to butternut squash and more unusual suspects like cheese and chocolate.
How we test potato peelers
In the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances Lab, we tested more than a dozen potato peelers by peeling carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and apples. We evaluated the thinness of the peeled skins, the smoothness of the peeling process, and the nuance of the eyer. We also noted whether the peeler was comfortable to hold and use as well as able to swivel around all shapes quickly and easily. The most efficient peelers made our list of the best potato peelers to buy in 2020:
- Best Overall Potato Peeler: Swissmar Peeler Scalpel Blade
- Best Value Potato Peeler: Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler
- Best Traditional Potato Peeler: OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
- Best Y-Shaped Potato Peeler: OXO Good Grips Prep Y-Peeler
- Best-Selling Potato Peeler on Amazon: Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler
- Best Electric Potato Peeler: Starfrit Electric Rotato Express
- Best Sleek Potato Peeler: Linden Sweden Fruit and Vegetable Peeler
- 2/9
Scalpel Blade Peeler
Swissmar
amazon.com
$7.65
Round white potatoes, bumpy sweet potatoes, long Russet potatoes — this peeler took them on without breaking a sweat. In our test, the super sharp stainless steel blade glided through skin, allowing us to work quickly. It swiveled to handle irregularly shaped produce, and has a built-in eyer to remove imperfections. In addition to being a potato pro, this peeler also took on squash, carrots, apples and even tomatoes with ease. It’s lightweight with a long handle, which helps reduce strain, and is dishwasher safe.
- 3/9
Original Swiss Peeler
Kuhn Rikon
amazon.com
$8.32
Don’t let the low price and simple design fool you: This peeler is a mainstay in professional kitchens. It's even a favorite in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen. In our test, the super-sharp swiveling carbon steel blade and the lightweight design allowed for speedy peeling. It also removed a thin layer of skin, which minimizes food waste. The eyer scoops out blemishes without gouging the produce, and the compact shape is easy to store. It was a close runner-up for our favorite, but you must hand-wash and thoroughly dry the blade to avoid rust. Fun little bonus: This peeler comes in a ton of colors.
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- 4/9
Good Grips Swivel Peeler
OXO
amazon.com
$9.99
The simple but practical design makes this Oxo peeler a top-seller. It's handle is wide and slightly flattened, so it won’t spin in your hand while you work. It’s also non-slip and designed to absorb pressure. The sharp stainless steel blade swivels well, which is helpful for getting around curves and navigating odd shapes. The eyer on this model removes imperfections without damaging the produce. It’s dishwasher safe.
- 5/9
Good Grips Prep Y-Peeler
OXO
amazon.com
$7.99
This flat, non-slip peeler is very comfortable to hold, and we noted that its sharp swiveling blade navigated bends and bumps to keep prep speedy. This peeler is also sold as part of a three-piece set that we recommend, which includes a stainless steel serrated blade for tender and soft-skinned produce as well as a julienne peeler. It has a built-in eyer that didn’t gouge produce — though it was sometimes a little small for larger blemishes. It’s small and dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
- 6/9
Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler
Spring Chef
amazon.com
$8.97
This peeler has a 5-star rating on Amazon. The sharp, swiveling stainless steel blade has drawn the rave reviews, with users saying that it glides over bumpy produce. We agreed: It navigated multiple types of produce with ease and was nicely sharp, producing thin peels for less waste. The non-slip handle is designed to be ergonomic, with a molded shape that helps your fingers stay secure.
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- 7/9
Electric Rotato Express
Starfrit
amazon.com
$17.99
This electric peeler is great for large or small batches and helpful for people with varying dexterity. Simply insert the potato onto the bottom prongs and then align the upper food holder so the top prong holds the spud in place. The arm peels from the top in one continuous motion, stopping automatically when the peeling is complete. (It’s so satisfying to watch it spin and peel.) The Electric Rotato Express comes with a thumb knife for removing the eyes and blemishes, so it’s perfect for potatoes. But because it can adjust to accommodate any produce up to 5½ inches (you can trim or halve larger items to fit), it can also peel apples, citrus, mangoes, zucchinis, cucumbers and even tomatoes. You can use the cord to power the peeler or operate it with batteries. The non-skid base keeps the unit secure, and it includes two replacement blades.
- 8/9
Fruit and Vegetable Peeler
Linden Sweden
amazon.com
$10.29
This slim, simple peeler performed well on potatoes, carrots and apples. It was particularly noteworthy for being successful when you peel toward you: If you prefer the motion of paring — rather than sliding the peeler away from you — you might find this peeler most comfortable. It does not have a bridge over the blade, which makes it easy to clean. Linden Sweden makes an all-stainless steel version as well.
- 9/9
What to look for when shopping for a potato peeler
- Style: There are two main types of potato peelers to consider: First, there are traditional peelers, which have a double blade positioned parallel to the handle and are better at getting around curves and edges, says Nicole Papantoniou, Kitchen Appliance Lab’s Senior Testing Editor. Y peelers have a double blade that lies perpendicular to the handle and "are good for long, straight ingredients," says Papantoniou. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference: They can each be used for all types of peeling.
- Blade: Potato peelers come with straight or serrated blades. After putting both to the test, we recommend straight blades for potatoes and most ingredients and serrated for delicate items with thin skins, like tomatoes. Straight blades produce clean cuts, while serrated leave behind ridges that are not ideal for presentation.
- Material: Blades are generally stainless steel or carbon steel, though there are ceramic-bladed peelers. Stainless steel holds a sharp edge and is also usually dishwasher safe. Carbon steel is very sharp but can rust over time if not washed and dried thoroughly. Ceramic blades are sharp but can stain.
- Handle: While a non-slip handle is universally helpful — you don’t want the peeler to slip and cut you — the main advice is to find a peeler that’s comfortable for you. A peeler should sit comfortably in your hand and allow you to work quickly, without fatigue.
- Eyer: This small protrusion near the blade allows you to remove imperfections without gouging the potato.
A sharp blade and a comfortable grip were just some of the criteria we tested.
