Peelers: varieties, best producers and subtleties of choice

The kitchen is a place for storing knives of different sizes, types and purposes. But there is a special one among them, the main function of which is not cutting food, but cleaning vegetables and fruits. Many people just call it a peeler. We will talk about the features, areas of use and hidden options for using such a kitchen unit in this article.

As the name suggests, the peeler is designed to peel various fruits, vegetables and root crops. The main feature of such a knife is that the thickness of the cut layer is always minimal; when using a conventional knife, it is several times larger.

Another name for this device is the piller, however, during the Soviet Union it was called much easier - economical knife. Today, the peeler is distinguished by its unique features against the background of other, more modern kitchen units.

• Wide range of products. There are hand and electric knives for cleaning, there are those with one or two blades. In addition, even pillars from the same manufacturer, produced in the same series, can have different shapes and colors.
• 100% safe to use. Thanks to its unique shape, it is simply impossible to cut with such an economical knife, with all the desire. Therefore, they can even be given to children.
• Using such a knife, you can not only peel the necessary root crops, fruits or vegetables, but also cut them thinly, evenly and beautifully.
• Even products with an uneven surface and a lot of imperfections can be cleaned as economically and simply as possible.

The range of vegetable peelers presented today on store shelves is amazing. And very often people who have not used the pillers before are simply lost from such an abundance and do not know where to choose. That's why you first just need to study the basic assortment and its types.

Everything is simple here - a vegetable peeler can be household and industrial. In the first case, it has a compact size and fits easily in the hand. Until recently, they were presented only in an autonomous version, that is, they cleaned products by manual action. But recently, an automatic model has appeared on the market, which peels fruits and vegetables on its own, without human intervention. Such a piller works from being connected to the electrical network.

Industrial peellers are more bulky and always only electric, since they are designed to clean a large number of products at once, and it is simply impossible to do it quickly by hand.

For a long time, economical knives were made of a special plastic alloy. Only the cutting parts were metal in them. But such pillars often and quickly broke down, so the manufacturers decided to modernize them.

Therefore, a metal peeler with a plastic splash on the handle appeared on the shelves - it is necessary for a more convenient and strong fixation of the pill in the hand. As in the previous version, the knife is made of metal - sharp stainless steel.

The ceramic peeler appeared on the shelves relatively recently, but immediately became very popular. It is convenient, durable in use, and has an attractive appearance.

Most often, there are two options - with a fixed or floating blade. The second option is considered more preferable, since such an economical knife can be used not only for cleaning products, but also for cutting them, as well as when decorating dishes - in carving.

The blade of the saw itself can be either smooth or with small teeth. In addition, the blades can be located both on the side of the peeler - then it is vertical, and in its upper part - such a horizontal peeler.

According to this criterion, all pillers are divided into three large groups.

• Standard economical knife It is intended only for simple peeling of products from the skin or top layer.

• Double-sided peeler it has a classic blade at one end, and a pointed lance at the other, designed for cutting out defects from food, for example, small areas of wrinkled pulp, rot or eyes in potatoes.

• 3-in-1 device. In a classic home kitchen, it is rarely used and is more suitable for professional use. The saw is double-sided, but on one side there is a blade with a sharp peak at the end, and on the other there is a small round spoon for cutting balls from vegetables or fruits. That is, it is not just an economical knife, but at the same time a saw and a carving knife.

But it is not enough to understand the varieties of economical knives, you also need to choose products from really trusted brands. Only in this case, the peeler will not only be easy to use, but will also last a really long time.

Pay attention to the following brands.

• Borner - German vegetable peeler. By the way, this manufacturer has long established itself positively as the creator of high-quality units to facilitate kitchen work. This is a handheld vertical saw with a floating double-sided blade.The body is plastic, but very strong and durable.

• Victorinox - manufacturer Switzerland. Initially, such a pill was announced as a knife designed to peel only tomatoes and kiwi. But thanks to the strong blade and its secure attachment, this peeler can be used for other vegetables, fruits and root vegetables. Economical knife - horizontal with a double movable blade. The body is plastic, lightweight.

• Webber BE-5288 - manufacturer Germany. Another hand-held model of the piller. It features compact size, light weight and convenient operation. Suitable for peeling both hard root vegetables and soft fruits and vegetables. The thickness of the cut layer does not exceed 3 mm. It has three blades, which allows you not only to peel, but also to cut already peeled food into cubes. The rubberized handle protects the saw from slipping in the hand and accidental injury.

• Joseph tri-peeler - UK manufacturer. This is a manual economical knife. Differs in multifunctionality, stylish design and ease of use. Has three interchangeable knives, as well as a device for cutting eyes on potatoes. The case is durable, shock-resistant.

• First Austria FA-5120 White - manufacturer Austria. Such a piller will become simply an irreplaceable assistant in the kitchen, especially if the family is large. The drum's capacity allows cleaning up to 1 kg of raw materials at a time. Allows you not only to peel the food, but also makes it possible to cut them into strips. It is compact and easy to clean.

• Emerio - another German-made economical knife. Initially, it was created only for peeling potatoes, but today it is used for processing other root crops, fruits and vegetables. In just 2 minutes, it efficiently cleans up to 1 kg of raw materials.

• AOT version p03 - Chinese automatic vegetable peeler. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that only one fruit can be peeled at a time. At the same time, cleansing proceeds in a spiral, quickly, efficiently and does not depend on the shape of the fruit. The device is easy to use, compact in storage.

To make the use of the economical knife not only durable, but also really convenient, choose a peeler based on the following guidelines.

• The integrity of the cleaning discs and the availability of spare parts in the kit. The richer the complete set of the pillar, the wider the scope of its use will be, and therefore, the more significant will be the facilitation of work in the kitchen. If there are extraneous notches, inaccuracies or cracks on the knife, then such a peeler will not last long, and it is unlikely to be convenient and safe in operation.
• Amount of permissible rejects at work... No matter how modern and high-quality the economical knife is, a self-respecting manufacturer admits that he too will make errors in his work. It is important to choose the unit for which this indicator does not exceed five percent.
• Knives must be made of stainless steel only. In this case, cleaning will be fast, high-quality, and the volume of waste will be minimal.

If an automatic economical knife is purchased, then it must have a protective case, which must be solid and not have any damage. It is better to give preference to those models, the drum of which, like the knives themselves, is made of stainless steel. It is imperative to make sure that the selected model has a mesh filter to protect the internal mechanisms from dirt. Otherwise, the pilot will quickly clog, and its service life will be significantly reduced.

Only a peeler chosen in accordance with these recommendations will last a really long time, and the result of its work will delight.

In order for the acquired piller to serve for a really long time, when using it, the following recommendations should be observed.

• Models with a static blade should be used either for cutting vegetables, fruits and root vegetables into thin slices, or for cleaning raw materials as regular and even as possible.
• If the saw has replacement blades, they should be stored either in a dedicated compartment or in a sealed box.
• Thrifty knife should be washed immediately after use. The blades must not only be thoroughly rinsed, but also wiped dry before storing.
• Do not use a vegetable peeler if the blade or handle is chipped, cracked, or severely damaged.
• The device can only be used to clean the products specified by the manufacturer.

For information on how to choose a vegetable peeler, see the next video.