Even the most inexperienced cook has tried their hand at peeling vegetables and fruits now and then.
Personally, I’ve found it to be one of the few tasks you can take on that’s truly helpful in meal preparation. Even if your range of culinary experience is generally limited to fried eggs, cereal, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
No matter how often or infrequently you roll up your sleeves and get creative in the kitchen, a potato peeler is a must-have tool that lets you unlock the hidden potential of some of your favorite veggies and fruits.
In a hurry? Check out my favorite potato peeler at Amazon.
A potato peeler is an essential kitchen tool with a sharp-edged metal blade connected to a handle. It can safely remove the outer layer of potatoes and other vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, carrots, and apples, to name a few. Instead of risking your safety with a knife to peel potatoes, next time use a potato peeler to ensure well-peeled veggies and fruits. But which one is best for you in the kitchen?
To know more about potato peelers and which ones are worth buying, read on. We’ve reviewed the eight best potato and vegetable peelers we tested in our own kitchen so that you will find the one that fits your needs the most.
| Best Potato Peeler for Home Kitchens | Our Decision |
|---|---|
| 1. OXO Good Grips Y Peeler | Best Overall Potato Peeler |
| 2. Norpro Stainless Steel Peeler | Best Stainless Steel Potato Peeler |
| 3. UberChef Erg Premium Ultra Sharp Julienne Peeler | Best Potato Peeler for Julienne Potatoes |
| 4. OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler | Best Potato Swivel Peeler |
| 5. Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler | Best Ergonomically Designed Potato Peeler |
| 6. Chef Harvey Classic Swiss Peeler | Best Carbon Steel Potato Peeler |
| 7. Kuhn Rikon Click-N-Curl Spiralizer Set with Swiss & Julienne Peelers | Best Spiralizing Potato Peeler |
| 8. BikBok Vegetable Peeler for Kitchen | Best Potato Peeler with Serrated Blade |
Born to Peel
I’m sure some of you will question why you need to purchase a potato peeler when a sharp knife can be used for the task of peeling potatoes or other foods with skins.
Although a regular old knife can technically do whatever a peeler does, the difference between the two when it comes to preparing your favorite fruits and vegetables for frying, baking, or raw consumption is that even the most basic peeler is specifically made for just that: peeling. If you want to preserve your knife’s sharpness and maintain its great condition, it’s honestly best to let the potato peelers do what they’re made to do and leave your expensive blades in the knife block.
The steel blade of a hand-held potato peeler is slotted, with one side of the slot sharp enough to cut into the skin from potatoes to other vegetables and fruit.
And the other side of a potato peeler is dull or rounded to prevent the sharp side from plunging deeper into the rest of the vegetable or fruit.
The handle is generally made from plastic, steel, or wood.
Perfecting the Peel
Peelers have been around for centuries, but over the years a few different designs have emerged as the most useful and widely produced and utilized. With several types up for grabs, you should know which kind of peeler you need to help you achieve your peeling needs. It’s smart to invest in a good quality peeler that you can use for the years to come and ultimately become best friends with.
- A straight peeler has the slot cut into a blade that is parallel to the handle, so that it looks like a knife.
- A swivel peeler allows for easy use in any direction, with a two-edged blade resting on a pivot.
- A Y peeler, with a blade set perpendicular to the handle, facilitates a smooth, slicing away of the skin.
- There are also various mechanical peelers, such as the crank-powered mechanical apple peeler (which was designed for apples but can be used for potatoes, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables).
- A mechanical peeler specifically for potatoes called the Magnascrubber, which removes the skin by tumbling the potatoes around inside a space lined with rubber studs.
- Steam jets are common in mass production settings. These are also used to soften the skin of potatoes so that they can be easily rubbed off.
The last few options, however, are a bit much for making some potatoes for a family dinner. You’ll most likely be looking for a straight, swivel, or Y peeler for single family use.
Hot Potato!
Of all the vegetables that you may want or need to peel, potatoes are arguably the most important ones.
As the world’s fourth-largest food crop, after maize and grains such as rice and wheat, potatoes are common in the cuisine of different cultures all around the world.
Whether you’re making some standard mashed potatoes, dum aloo curry, or gnocchi, you’re going to need the right appliance to properly and efficiently peel your potatoes and have them ready to go.
It’s often tempting to rely on what we already have to work with when we peel our potatoes, but there’s nothing more efficient than using a potato peeler. You only need to find the right kind of potato peeler to be able to rely on for safety, speed, comfort, and ease of use.
Even better, those potato skins stripped away by your potato peeler actually can make a delicious snack themselves. Talk about enjoying every last bite!
A-peeling Options
Maybe you’re looking to make mashed potatoes for a hundred people at Thanksgiving dinner and need to get them all peeled lickety-split, or you’re just slicing a few pieces for a personal serving of French fries. Whatever your purpose, there’s a multitude of options for potato peelers on the market that will best suit your needs.
To help you find the perfect potato peeler that will last you a lifetime, you need to consider the following: the material it is made of, the kind of blade it has (vertical or horizontal), the quality of the handle, its ease of cleaning and care, other possible unique features, and of course, the price.
Best Overall Potato Peeler – OXO Good Grips Y Peeler
The OXO Good Grips Y Peeler is a good, low-cost, simple, efficient option if you want to be able to peel at the speed of lightning without a whole lot of fuss. It’s ergonomically designed for comfort while peeling, with a sharp blade that ensures easy skin removal.
The OXO Good Grips Y Peeler is a low-maintenance and high-quality potato peeler that will help make your cooking process smooth sailing. When Oxo Good Grips Pro is compared to other brands, it naturally stands out for its durability–it can last up to several years when taken care of correctly.
This model is a great deal, as most people prefer to use a Y-peeler rather than a swivel peeler. It’s dishwasher safe, too. However, one drawback is that this peeler does not come with a blade cover, so be careful storing this tool.
Best Stainless Steel Potato Peeler – Norpro Stainless Steel Peeler
If you’re looking for something sleek, simple, and efficient, the Norpro 50 Stainless Steel Potato Peeler is for you. With industrial-grade sharp stainless steel and a swivel that makes it easy to peel away from the rounded surface,, the Norpro 50 Stainless Steel Potato Peeler really gets the job done quickly without a whole lot of fanfare.
Aside from its professionally and beautifully designed stainless steel blades, it has a built-in potato eye remover too! Its round-shaped handle will also accommodate pretty much any hand size for effortless peeling. Plus, you can conveniently store this potato peeler by hanging it using the loop at the end of the handle. We recommend hand washing this model to maintain the great condition of its stainless steel blades.
Best Potato Peeler for Julienne Potatoes – UberChef Erg Premium Ultra Sharp Julienne Peeler
If you want a peeler that you can use on multiple veggies with maximum effectiveness, the Premium Ultra Sharp Stainless Steel Peeler by UberChef is a great choice. With a sharp stainless steel blade, the UberChef will have you cooking up a storm–and cleaning up quickly, too, with its dishwasher-safe design.
This tool is versatile and not limited to peeling potatoes, as you can use it easily on other veggies, including those that are hardest to peel. It has a pro design paired with a sharp stainless steel blade to help you create delectable meals more quickly. You can make anything from zucchini noodles, salads, sliced cheese, to potato fries with this kitchen tool.
In case you do not love this vegetable peeler for any reason, you can return it, and they will refund or replace it, depending on the circumstance. You can rely on this UberChef vegetable peeler guarantee.
Best Potato Swivel Peeler – Oxo Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler
The OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler has the best swiveling twin blades that provide flexibility when you’re peeling fruits and vegetables, especially potatoes. You can peel with ease due to its soft, non-slip, oversized handle. Plus, there’s no need to buy a separate potato eye remover, as this OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler comes with one built-in. Storage is easy with its large hole in the handle for hanging, and cleaning is a cinch, too, as it’s dishwasher-safe.
If by any chance you experience any problems or issues with your OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler, you can send the company a message for easy repair or replacement.
Best Ergonomically Designed Potato Peeler – Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler
The Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler has a sharp stainless steel blade that can navigate peeling with ease. Its sharpness allows for thin peels to reduce food waste. It is also ergonomically designed to provide a no-slip grip during use. No problems with cleaning this vegetable peeler, too, as it’s totally dishwasher safe. It’s no wonder this Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler constantly receives a 5-star Amazon Rating with 14,000 plus reviews!
The handle, however, doesn’t allow for you to alter your grip, which may be an issue for some. If not, though, then this Spring Chef Premium Vegetable Peeler is your best bet for a swivel peeler.
Best Carbon Steel Potato Peeler – Chef Harvey Classic Swiss Peeler
Chef Harvey’s Swiss Peeler with a carbon steel blade and stainless handle is perfect for peeling thinly sliced fruits and veggies to ensure their even cooking. It has contoured grips both for your safety and to reduce the possibility of hand fatigue during extended use. This model is also specially made in Switzerland: rest assured that it is durable and long-lasting.
The carbon steel blade allows the efficient removal of potatoes’ eyes and skins, which you can use when making fries, salads, desserts, or garnishes. This potato peeler also features a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty that can be used in case you encounter issues with it at any time. One downside to this peeler is that it needs to be hand washed only, and the carbon steel blade needs to be dried carefully and thoroughly after each wash to maintain its sharpness.
Best Spiralizing Potato Peeler – Kuhn Rikon Click-N-Curl Spiralizer Set with Swiss Julienne Peelers
The Kuhn Rikon Spiralizer Set with Swiss and Julienne Peeler tackles several tasks with just one tool. You can peel fruits and veggies efficiently and make veggie noodles with this tool’s sharp blades and spiralizing feature. The ribbon curls this set will make helps you achieve garnishes and attractive veggie ribbons. The cones that spiralize your vegetables can fit either the straight or Julienne peeler, too, and they’re removable for easy storage.
There’s no need to buy separate tools now, as this set has it all! However, you may find it a bit challenging to hold the Kuhn Rikon during peeling due to its small size.
Best Potato Peeler with Serrated Blade – BikBok Vegetable Peeler
BikBok’s Stainless Steel Y-Peeler has the perfect serrated blade to peel potatoes and other veggies efficiently. It is made of food-grade stainless steel, meaning it’s made to last for years without you having to worry about rust build-up. Plus, it’s designed for comfortable and safe peeling through its flexible handle, no matter which hand you use. It’s easy to clean, too.
In case you encounter issues with the product, BikBok is committed to improving its innovative culinary supplies. Thus, they can easily provide you with a replacement or refund, depending on your preference.
Peel out!
Once you have the potato peeler that works best for you, you’ll be ready to peel, slice, dice, and cook away!
Before you choose, though, take the time to find a quality potato peeler that fits your needs. To get the best model for you, use these easy tips as a guide:
- Make sure it is easy to hold. Since you’ll be using the peeler for more than one purpose, it makes sense to think about your comfort so you can finish your meal prep safely and quickly.
- Check the cutting power. Do you like peelers that produce thin slices, or do you like the ones with sharp steel blades? This part is essential, as it dictates how efficient your peeler will be with your most common tasks.
- Check what it is made of. Although the durability of your peeler depends upon how often you use it, it actually depends even more upon the material it is made of. If this is a tool you’ll be using often, choose the strongest material for the peeler.
Whipping up a batch of delicious french fries can be hard work. Check out my recommendations for the best french fry cutters.
Check out these easy and delicious potato recipes…
If a manual peeler isn’t appealing, we have also reviewed the best electric potato peelers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best potato peeler?
The OXO Good Grips Pro Peeler is the best potato peeler for its better grip, sharper blade, and durability. The swiveling blade moves with ease as the peeler is designed with the right angle. It has a hole for eye removal, too, so you won’t need to grab a knife for it. Plus, it works for easy hanging as well! If, in any case, the blade gets dull in the long run, you can always find replaceable ones.
What is the best vegetable peeler to buy?
The best vegetable peeler to consider is the 4-inch Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peeler. You can get either the Y-peeler or the straight peeler, which is the Kuhn Rikon Piranha Peeler. This brand offers smooth and sharp blades to faster and safer peeling of fruits and vegetables. Although it is wider and shorter in size than the others, when it comes to the price and weight, this is your best bet for a vegetable peeler.
What vegetable peeler do chefs use?
Professional chefs prefer a vegetable peeler that can help them peel fruits and vegetables quickly and efficiently. Therefore, they are very meticulous in choosing their essential kitchen tools. One of the vegetable peelers that chefs love is the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler. In testing, actual chefs have proven its durability and sharpness. Great news: it’s affordable, too.
How do you peel potatoes quickly?
There’s actually one way to make peeling potatoes go faster–boil them first. Yes, that’s right! Boil your unpeeled potatoes first. Once they become tender, drain them and let them cool (or pop in the fridge). Then, once they’re cool enough, pull away skin that can be removed easily. The boiling process softens the skin, facilitating the task of peeling. Don’t overcook though.
How do you peel potatoes with a peeler?
The easiest and safest way to peel a potato with a peeler is by holding the far end of the potato and peel away from the hand. Always remember to peel in this direction to prevent possible injury. Peel the bottom part of the potato first. Once that’s done, move to the unpeeled parts and continue until you have peeled all sides of the potato.
Additional Resources
- Cleverly: 10 Clever Fruit and Vegetable Peeling Tricks
- YouTube: How to Peel Fruits in 20 Seconds
Rose Reinhard is a Thai-American foodie from Chiang Mai, Thailand. She's been a creative writer since she could speak and enjoys making vegetarian/vegan dishes and reading about food science. She claims her air-fryer is the best purchase she’s ever made to date.