4 Best Vegetable Peelers, Tested by Food Network Kitchen
We peeled potatoes, carrots, apples and more to find the very best peelers for all your produce.
Our Top Vegetable Peelers
- Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler
- Best Y-Peeler: OXO Good Grips Pro Y Peeler
- Best Value: Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler
- Best Serrated: Messermeister Pro Touch Serrated Swivel Peeler (sold out)
Vegetable peelers are so necessary and ubiquitous, you might not even notice yours anymore. Though it isn’t a big purchase, having a great one is still of the utmost importance if you cook a lot, simply because it’s a tool you use — all the time. If you can’t remember the last time you replaced your peeler, or it’s one of those low-grade annoyances you swear you’ll get to one of these days, now is the time.
We peeled carrots, potatoes and apples with a dozen popular models to find the ones that get the job done simply, efficiently and comfortably. Read on for our favorites.
This article has been reviewed since its original publish date for accuracy, pricing and availability. We stand by our list of top vegetable peeler picks and are hopeful that Messermeister Pro Touch Serrated Swivel Peeler, which was sold out at the time of review, will restock soon.
How We Tested
We purchased 12 popular, well-reviewed peelers (some Y-shaped, others traditional peelers) and used each one to peel a large carrot, a baking potato and a Gala apple. We evaluated each one on how comfortable the handle was, how sharp the blades were, how many swipes it took to peel uneven sections of the produce, and whether it took off just the peel or swiped off some of the flesh as well. We also considered the type of metal used in the blades, and whether the peelers were dishwasher safe or not, as well as any other bells and whistles. We also tested five serrated peelers by peeling Compari tomatoes, and we used the same criteria to evaluate them.
If there’s a perfect kitchen tool that does exactly what you want exactly the way you want, this is it. This peeler is comfortable to hold with a cushioned ergonomic grip. It’s sturdy but not overly heavy. It has a stainless steel blade that’s sharp enough to peel the uneven surfaces of a carrot and potato easily, while not stripping too much flesh off a thin-skinned apple, and has a handy eyer that removes blemished parts of potatoes and other produce easily. It’s dishwasher safe too.
Clearly OXO’s Pro line has mastered peelers, as this was our favorite among the Y peelers we tested. Similarly to the traditional peeler, this Y peeler features a super-sharp stainless steel blade that can tackle tougher jobs like carrots and potatoes in one swipe, but it can also take off just the peel with more delicate apples. Like its counterpart, it has an eyer for blemished parts. The no-slip, cushioned grip is comfortable and ergonomic. When you’ve finished tackling your produce, toss this peeler right in the dishwasher.
Three Y peelers for less than $15 is only a good deal if they work — and these tools deliver. Don’t let the bright colors and smaller size fool you: These little workhorses have carbon-steel blades that are super sharp, and the smaller size makes them easier to hold if you happen to have smaller hands. They work better on tougher jobs like uneven carrots and potatoes, taking a bit more off the apple than pricier models, but it’s a small price to pay for, well, such a small price. The carbon steel blades can rust easily, so it's best to hand-wash and dry these peelers.
A good serrated peeler can make removing peels from thin-skinned items like tomatoes and peaches quick and easy, eliminating the need to parboil the produce. This model features a relatively high arch between the blade and the top of the peeler, which made peeling a large tomato easier. The peel had room to move through the arch, minimizing the need to stop and start the peeling process, so it was fuss-free and efficient. The stainless steel blade is sharp and durable, the grip is soft and comfortable, and the peeler is dishwasher safe.
