Apple Corers/Slicers

We loved this sturdy, classic cast-iron apple device and how easily we were able to peel, core, and slice with it. It made quick work of apples, whether they were perfectly round or lopsided, small or oversize. We timed it, and it took just about 15 seconds to put an apple on the prongs; peel, core, and slice it; and discard the core. The suction base, with a lever to apply it, was easy to use and held very firmly, whether placed on the counter or inside a rimmed baking sheet. You can adjust the blades so that the device can peel and core but not slice, slice and core but not peel, etc. We also successfully peeled (and spiral-cut) potatoes with this gadget. A caveat: It can’t process soft fruit such as pears, which can’t be anchored on the prongs. The manufacturer guarantees the device for five years and sells replacement blades and other parts.

We loved the 16 slim, neatly cut apple slices that this gadget produced from a single fruit, perfect for baking or snacking. Its raised, grippy handles were comfortable to grab and push, and we loved its cleverly designed round coring blade at the center, which protrudes beyond the spoke-like cutting blades by a little less than ⅛ inch. This part makes the first cut, anchoring the device on the apple and breaking the resistance of the apple skin, so the cutting blades glide through more easily. After you press down through the apple, you lift it onto a plastic base and push down again, which makes the core and 16 perfect slices pop up and out—no struggling to free them from sharp blades. The device works well for pears, too, and is easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. Our only wish is that the base attached for storage so that it would be easier to keep track of its whereabouts.

While it takes a firm push to start, this basic, classic apple corer/slicer produced eight mostly neat wedges, whether the apples were large or small, symmetrical or irregular; it also worked nicely on pears. It grips the apple firmly and starts the cut with precision because its round center blade for coring the apple protrudes very slightly (less than 1/16 inch) past the slicing blades. It breaks the resistance of the apple skin and makes the pass through the apple smoother and easier. Its large, raised, rubber-trimmed handles are gently grippy and comfortable to push. It’s easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. One quibble: Sometimes it doesn’t quite cut through the apple skin at the bottom, and you have to gently pull up on the core and tug a few slices to free them.

We were initially puzzled by this model’s attached base, which hinges out from the round slicer body, but we eventually came to appreciate it. After you press the device down over an apple to cut and core the fruit, you swing the base under and press down again to make the final cut through the bottom of the apple to free the slices without the need to poke at the blades. However, the blades on this slicer were a bit blunt compared with other models and took much more force to cut. Cleanup was slightly awkward due to the attached piece.

This crank-style model was easy to set up and processed round apples almost effortlessly, but it struggled with anything less than uniformly round fruit, especially apples that were large or lopsided. Its peeling blade was prone to clogging and became slightly duller over the course of testing. Compared with our top-rated crank-style peeler, which is made of solid enameled cast iron, it is the same size but weighs nearly a pound less, with thinner, lighter parts, making us concerned about its durability.

With fairly flat handles that are not very comfortable, and needing a strong push to cut through apples, this model is fine, but you could do better. It struggled to cut through the apple peel at the end of a cut, so we usually had to poke and rip apple wedges out of the blades.

While we loved the idea of an adjustable slicer that would allow us to choose between eight big wedges or 16 narrow ones, in practice it didn’t work very well. The blades rotated to select the number of slices and didn’t align well when they were doubled up to make just eight slices. As a result, it was hard to push through apples, and the edges of the slices became shredded, making raggedy-looking slices and trapping bits of fruit in the blades, making them hard to clean. It only worked well when set for 16 slices. The plastic base helps free sliced fruit.

This clever-looking gadget is OK, as far as it goes: All it does is peel—no coring, no slicing—which feels like a lot of production for one result. That said, it peels really well. While it looks like a child’s toy, it was a bit scary to set up because it peels with a razor blade poised on an adjustable arm. And when we pulled peeled apples off the prongs, we feared that our hands would hit the razor. Water became trapped inside the clear plastic body and took days to evaporate. The “bonus core slicer” was adequate, but its handles were puny, set too low, and uncomfortable, and the bottom of the core and slices got stuck in the blades.

This device is identical to our top-ranked crank-style model, but with a clamp at the bottom instead of a suction attachment. We found the clamp terribly difficult to affix to any countertop or surface so that it held firmly. If the device isn’t securely anchored, it doesn’t work. In sum: Avoid the clamp style; get a suction model.