The Best Fruit Prep Gadgets | Gear Heads

Get the most out of your fresh, seasonal produce with the best tools for fruit prep that save you time and money. Lisa and Hannah have the full rundown on which gadgets are worth purchasing.
Hannah's Favorites:
- Norpro Tomato Core It: bit.ly/44ZAH7n
- Oxo Good Grips Pineapple Slicer: bit.ly/454Lb5n
-Chefn Stem Gem: bit.ly/3R4NFLm
Lisa's Favorites:
- Progressie Prepworks Collapsible Mini Colander: bit.ly/3V0k6eX
- Oxo Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer: bit.ly/4bEO53c
- Trudeau 3-in-1 Avocado Cutter: bit.ly/4bWM3vg
- Oxo Good Grips Apple Divider: bit.ly/3KjuhGC
- Norpro Ez Fruit Wedger: bit.ly/4bEyTTL
- VKP Brands Johnny Apple Peeler: bit.ly/3wX5IfE
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[@stevenchristophersen7673]

Would you cover the correct way to "wash" fruits and veggies? Should I bother with vinegar, salt, and/or vegetable/fruit sprays?

[@violetg7315]

I believe wash the fruits under running water and soft brush for a few minutes should be good.

[@leapintothewild]

Do a little googling on using baking soda -- what it removes is disgusting when you think it could've been going in your mouth. I add a 1/4 cup to a large bowl of room temp water, throw in the fruit or veg and let sit a few minutes, then rinse. Easy, peasy and cheap!

[@Jen7867]

I'd love to see an actual experiment on this, too!! 👍 Depending on the item, I either rinse it throughly with water (leafy greens, rice, lentils) or wash it with soap, water, and a nylon bristle brush.

[@Isabella66Gracen]

I know from experience that a little white vinegar in the water has really prolonged the freshness if strawberries for me. It eliminates mold spores that cause them to spoil faster. That's the only fruit I have tried this with.

[@porcorosso4330]

I have seen a video on this topic by some other channel. basically, just adding anything is better than plain water. then the question becomes what is the main thing you want to remove. at the end of the day, I just concluded I will use salt water since it is easy for me to get salt. that said, like some others have mentioned vinegar might be good for keeping things fresh and browning.

[@4kassis]

I use the thingy that you call a tomato corer for my strawberries. Works fine!

[@deanmar9002]

Me, too. Works great for it.

[@leapintothewild]

My mom's had that red spiral peeler in heavy use for several decades, and only had to change the blade once because she dropped it and got nicked. It even peels the old-fashioned dense, grainy pears for sticky preserves! Just an amazing, sturdy tool.

[@AdamBechtol]

Reminds me how my aunt had one as well.

[@SprGrlRVG]

I usually agree with Lisa but not about the avacado tool. I really love mine. Maybe it's because I'm not confident with a chef's knife. But with my Oxo tool, I can slice up that avacado in like 2 seconds and I don't worry about cutting myself.

[@imuneik]

I ALWAYS appreciate the tool videos from ATK. It has saved me time and money over the years by showing me tools that actually work and are worth the value that’s the best thing ever!!! Thank you!!! 🥰

[@hearttoheart4me]

Tomato corer for strawberries also, fine mesh strainer good for rinsing everything. Using a couple tools for multiple uses. Save space and money especially in a small space.

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

Fine mesh strainer rusts and doesn’t collapse.

[@daveklein2826]

Tomato cider is way to large for strawberry.... Your idea is a FAIL

[@bostonrailfan2427]

or just use what you already have: a knife

[@pajamasam5461]

For the avocadoes, after you slice it in half, you can cut it up before using a spoon to remove it from the peel. It makes it so much easier, and you get perfect slices too. You can also cubed it like that very easily.

[@davidbgreensmith]

If you take the half with the pit and press gently on the skin side, the pit will fall straight out of a ripe avocado.

[@janehall2720]

And for the next installment, the cherry pitter. If you need to clean alot of cherries 🍒, that is the way to go. I have one that you hit the spring-loaded plunger, it pushes the pit into a cup and the fruit into a bowl. So much better and faster than a hair pin.

[@mjremy2605]

Please give us the link! I need this for a cherry pie.

[@phranerphamily]

I recently was helping my mother with some strawberries and she pulled out that little huller. She told me I picked up this weird little tool and it works really good. She was right you're also right it's the greatest little tool!

[@butoolhasnain4164]

I'm surprised you didn't include cherry pitter. That's something a knife can't do, or at least not as cleanly or fast.

[@kimberlyford587]

yes i have one and love it! i see people using a straw// too funny-- i stick w/ my pitter!

[@hanadr]

Spitting out cherry pits is such a nostalgic rush of summers as a kid. Although I imagine it would not be appreciated as a method for making cherry pies.

[@candyknutson4539]

I have an OXO cherry pitter and I like it. We have a Bing and a Rainier cherry tree, so it comes in handy.

[@hanadr]

@@candyknutson4539 oooh that must be so lovely to have so many cherries!!!

[@edenferriss768]

We use it for olives and dates too. I love that thing.

[@yettaoshea8869]

Strawberry hulling: there is another tool it’s been around for longer than I’ve been alive. My grandmother had one, my mom, and me. It’s like a fat pair of tweezers and you just push it down on either side of the leaves/ stem, pinch and pull. One of my favorite tools for hulling is a plain old plastic drinking straw. Push the straw up thru the bottom of the strawberry and out comes pith.

[@joker6solitaire]

That's a brilliant hack! I have metal straws, so I'll give it a try with them, too.

[@generybarczyk6993]

Most berries that I encounter at the grocery store are in plastic containers already slotted to drain liquids, ergo, a colander.

[@daveklein2826]

Ergo NOT

[@generybarczyk6993]

@@daveklein2826 Assuming NOT is an e-shout of the word _not,_ and if I am to understand that as a denial of my logic, then I am left in awe of the ability of one person to be so cosmically misapprehensive of the obvious in such a brief yet obscure manner. In other words, _IS SO!_

[@daveklein2826]

@@generybarczyk6993 NOT

[@generybarczyk6993]

@@daveklein2826 IS SO!

[@eringoldsmith2677]

I have been hulling tons of strawberries this season. I found using a table spoon gets the job done quickly and much more effectively than a paring knife. Even better… use a grapefruit spoon. My favorite tool for a pineapple is a boning knife- thin and flexible and will cut right along the edge of the eyes with little waste. Love both Apple tools- I may need to upgrade this fall!

[@ryang7604]

The real advice is in the comments!! Thank you for this 😊

[@maryannford7665]

Brilliant idea with the boning knife!!! I’m going to try your spoon and strawberry trick. 🌸😀

[@joycej9415]

Yes I use a grapefruit spoon that way too!

[@jackielinde7568]

Never heard of the "Poke the avocado seed" bit to get it out. I've always seen and done the chopping thing with a knife or sandwich spreader, especially back in the early 90's when I used to work in a sandwich shop. TBH, I preferred the sandwich spreader over a knife for Avocados. Less chance of cutting yourself.

[@johnSmith-lx9nw]

Some of the best parts of these videos are the people walking by and looking in the door in the background

[@ratlips4363]

I bought the pineapple corer years ago when they first came out. What a great tool. No waster, save the juice, and the hull. I also have the apple corer/peeler/slicer that I have given as gifts. As for the avocado, I'm from the old school, a knife and a spoon....great video, thanks

[@vickiegray690]

Dear Rat Lips love your screen name by the way. I’m with you about the best way to handle Avocado. No extra gadget needed.

[@SheilaR.08]

I absolutely love the strawberry huller! I bought one on a whim a few years ago and it works like a charm. I like how cleanly it removes the core, and it's so quick. I'm not generally a gadget person, but I'm hooked on this one. On my third, since it keeps getting "borrowed."

[@marianschneider4199]

Genetic genealogy

[@timgorman2437]

I have the NorPro tomato corer, and I use that on strawberries too. It’s not perfect, but it does a decent job and does not waste as much of the strawberry as a knife.

[@harrystokes1412]

Tomatoes and Avocados are Frutables. So much fun to invent words. Just solved my questions about pineapple and apple coring and peeling. Think You.

[@Olive_O_Sudden]

I have NEVER before seen nor heard of anyone using the knife point to remove an avocado pit.😧🥑

[@noracharles80]

Lisa, thank you. Great job!

[@debrawashington5222]

I love this!! Always informative and fun!

[@cassandragonzalez5660]

you guys are just GREAT. Love these videos

[@erniesteele3164]

Lucy bought the strawberry huller years ago when it first came out... I thought she was nuts, BUT it works extremely well as advertised and we would recommend it to anyone... Also, I've never used anything but a knife and a serving spoon on avocados... Simple and effective and doesn't need a gadget to do it.... Use a grapefruit spoon for tomatoes... On another note, we've been considering the apple corer/section for years and are now convinced to get one... Thanks for the great video.

[@mjremy2605]

I agree about avocados, use a knife and spoon. But for the tomato you do need the corer. The spoon? No. The corer is incredible and fast. Zip, zippity zip zip! Speed. No waste.

[@simonsavelyev7399]

That apple spiralizer looks so fuuuun!

[@roderickfemm8799]

When I was a kid we had strawberry hullers like a pair of large flattened metal tweezers, you pressed in on two sides of the hull, squeezed the huller together and twisted out the hull. When you allowed the huller to open, the hull would then fall into your garbage pile. There are a couple still around on that general idea, but you really can't beat those old hullers when you've been doing u-pick and you have three flats of beautiful soft ripe strawberries to prepare for freezing.

[@leapintothewild]

I still see those in Amish markets -- they're great!

[@susanmolnar9606]

I still have a few of those hullers. My mother back in the day had several and taught us to use them as strawberry hullers. Never failed me!

[@Vorador666]

Daamnnn that's some really good review, gonna order some of these now

[@deanmar9002]

I have the Norpro tomato corer and I use it to hull strawberries and it works great for that.

[@jojosmith1097]

Amazon sold out of the mini colander so I went over to Walmart... Love you guys and your gadgets. Gearheads rock :)

[@karenwagner6880]

Disagree on the Oxo avocado tool! It takes a little practice, but we use a lot of avocados so we got good at it fairly quickly. We find it much easier and less wasteful - I can go through half a dozen avocados in minutes. Key is not to be tentative - hold the avocado half in the palm of your hand so you can get in there and scoop down to the peel. I even take mine when traveling if I anticipate making using avocados. Love this thing!

[@mhanshaw165]

FYI you can use the tomato corer on the strawberries also. I have one and I use it for both.

[@daveklein2826]

And you waste to much

[@mjremy2605]

No, it does not work as well. It is too big and mashes up small berries. This tool looks very right.

[@collettecaya9507]

For the apple tools you need perfectly shaped apples. They don't work on lopsided apples.

[@leapintothewild]

Yes - and they don't work on the large apples I prefer like Honeycrisp and Fuji, especially when you have a local orchard with giant fruit!

[@udalimb384]

Single purpose tools take up a lot of real estate. Perhaps you could do a capsule fruit/veg prep. Similar to capsule kitchen. Follow up thought....would any of these items make it to an expanded capsule plus kitchen? Hmmm.

[@daveklein2826]

LMAO

[@daveklein2826]

Total waste of time

[@keetrandling4530]

Hannah, How in the world is it taking you several "stabs" to core a tomato with a knife? You insert the tip of a paring knife at an angle, and turn the tomato around, producing a cone-shaped core removed cleanly and quickly.

[@margaretforsythe4035]

I've been using the strawberry stem gadget for years (at least 15) and find it also works for removing the eyes in potatoes and miscellaneous bad spots in anything. Not 'one use' at all. And yes, I still have the same one.

[@cherylb2727]

I use a teaspoon to hull strawberries ! My Grandma and Mom taught me this one. But, I do like the one you are using.

[@bcook7956]

I use a grapefruit spoon. Works great.

[@MinhNguyen-mo5fp]

Thank you 😊

[@vickiegray690]

I want one of the NorPro thin hand slicers and the rotation type for preparing apples. I have loved the pineapple 🍍 corer since I first laid eyes on it. My favorite kitchen tool if you discount knives and good cutting boards is my 🍈 🍉 baller. I like to bake pies and find that it will scoop the seeds right out of apples 🍏 and small pears. I also use it to hull my strawberries 🍓. I know I’m missing some uses but don’t separate me and my melon baller. Thanks ladies.

[@glendaharding4884]

So informative!!

[@SrJohnnyCat]

I have the pineapple corer. Best buy ever!

[@kitjune9333]

Bought a strawberry huller a while ago which looks exactly like that Chef'N stem gem huller, except it's made by OXO and cost $2.99. Best of all, it can be taken apart for cleaning. Maybe OXO stopped making it but I'm very glad I bought such a useful "unicorn product" on a whim and paid so little for it. Thanks ATK.

[@candywong4697]

Thanks for your sharing and I from Hongkong

[@mmb4427]

You can push a metal drinking straw (or even a plastic one sometimes) through the center of the strawberry and it will remove the core nicely!

[@eat_things]

Pinch the avocado seed using your thumb and index finger by going around the top of the knife. It will slide off the blade safely. Don't drag the knife with the avocado seeds or use something else to get it off - like your finger across the blade here! What if your thumb slips below the blade and you slice yourself. (not my trick - something I saw in an old Alton Brown video. I can't believe that's not what is taught everywhere. There is no better way)

[@kiarrasayshi]

I always was just taught to smack the handle if the knife onto the trash can, but just typing that out I realize how gross that sounds... The blade doesn't get anywhere near the garbage, but still. I can see how that wouldn't be widely recommended. But it works great!

[@nancylauka6239]

I use a beak nosed paring knife for my avocados. It works perfectly.

[@bcook7956]

I use a grapefruit spoon for my strawberries. I love my apple peeler/slicer. Im thinking the collapsible strainer would be great for travel- we often stop by roadside stands, and this would give us a way to clean our treats.

[@PolySammo]

I love my pineapple peeler corer honey glow pineapples are in our stores right now and we bought two of them this week and the prep was so easy and quick and worth every penny

[@marygersetich8709]

The Norpro slicer looks amazing. My experience with Apple corer peeler slicer gadgets is that they only work on perfectly sized apples.

[@allythearts5439]

That apple cutter is a nice one Apple pie 🥧😊

[@hanadr]

I got a little scared about the avocado tools but my trust was quickly restored!

[@Robroy333]

You can also remove the Avocado seed by pushing with your thumb on the back side of it. :)~ (Like you would a hard boiled egg to make Deviled Eggs)

[@MoGhotbi]

In 1893 SCOTUS ruled in Nix vs Hedden that the tomato was a vegetable, not a fruit and should be regulated as such. Glad they were making scientific decisions even back then. What a great track record.

[@1111MeditationPortal]

Useful gadgets. :)

[@64782048]

ROFL. Thank you for the great video. I was joking with my wife that there isn't a strawberry picker. And of course ATK never disappoints me hahahaha

[@marcysikes]

I have a corer that I thought was a strawberry corer. Now you tell me it is for tomatoes! Works great for strawberries.

[@stepawayful]

Oxo makes a strawberry huller that looks like tweezers. You put the tips into the top of the strawberry, pinch and pull. 🍓

[@karmjitmann3324]

Great 👍🏼

[@gnewman18]

A spoon works really well as a strawberry huller

[@pigvalve9885]

if the avocado is anywhere near ripe if you quarter it and the outside just peals off no spoon needed and you get the most out of the avocado

[@lenalyles2712]

My pineapple corer is just as good and not as expensive. A grapefruit knife works great for tomatoes. I have collapsible colanders from small to large and are great as steamer.

[@robertsterner2145]

I was totally ready to complain about the strawberry huller and say "just learn how to use your paring knife," but this video converted me. I also put the apple corer in my Amazon cart. OTOH, I'm sorry but even if I have to deal with a bunch of tomatoes, it seems like it's no faster to core them with my paring knife than with a special tool (aka "just learns how to use your paring knife").

[@RocRizzo]

Attach your drill to the spiral cutter, and whip through those apples at light speed!

[@jelatinosa]

Those avocado tools are strictly for haas avocados. In the Caribbean we have so many types of avocado in so different shapes and sizes that a one size fits all tool, like that oxo one, would not work for most avocados. Plus, many of our varieties have thin, easy to peel, green skin and free stone pits that are easy to remove too. They also have a variety of textured flesh for different uses, not just for guac. We eat a slice with our food in PR, or we use it as a butter substitute on our fresh baked bread, depending on the variety of avocado.

[@maxmeh2342]

OXO makes a strawberry huller. I have one of their older models, which is almost identical to the one you demo'ed, but I think they discontinued it. Their current model looks pretty good too.

[@rninrvr]

OK, bought the Oxo pineapple corer and slicer and found that my method of hand processing a pineapple is faster and gives me better and larger chunks without waste of juice that comes from that tool boring down through the pineapple. Further, the elephant in the room, getting the core out of the tool once you are done.

[@kens962]

2:52 if you have time, cut the thick skin off and use the Oxo wide peeler (purple). Minimal waste and cut eyes off diagonally.

[@alexanderjamieson7971]

OxO has a strawberry huller. I bought one for my wife a couple years ago

[@user-vn3tl6up2y]

Love your videos! But what about a cherry pitter?!? Which would you recommend?

[@daveklein2826]

I'm almost positive that they have a video on that

[@leapintothewild]

You know it's gonna be an OXO... lol

[@jrdube]

I use that same tomato corer for strawberries. I don't like "one use" gadgets. Never thought of the apple gadget for taters...thanks

[@thefingerofgod69]

For apples I cut them in half and use a melon baller to get the core out and the two ends (the top and the bottom).

[@walterbarr9709]

I'm getting the pineapple thing straight up but my favourite was the stem gem. How cool is that? Thank you

[@brat46]

Where was this video BEFORE I canned strawberry jam??? LOL. I do have a 30+ yr old clamp on crank apple peeler. When canning apples I remove the handle and add a drill to it. It made going thru several bushels of apples so easy.

[@willhandy4518]

With the avocado 🥑 seed simply push it out…apply a small amount of pressure from just behind it from the outside, and it pops out… no knives necessary

[@hollisburkes9553]

Hey, gearheads! I just think of them as tomatoes 🍅! Probably I lean towards vegetable. BTW will you review kitchen composters? Thanx for the great vids!

[@stevenseverance3692]

Thanks for the Information on what's available for "Helping one out in the Kitchen". Food 🥑🥝 preparation can be tiresome but alas these new "Gadgets"will definitely 😁 help me out "immensely. Sincerely Yours 🤠 Mr Severance, "The Cake 😋 🍰🎂🥳🎉🎈 Man", "World 🌎🌍 Cruiser"&"Succulent 🪴 Collector", and "Teacup's & Saucer's Set's and Teapot 🫖 Collector".

[@K_Lee]

I’d like to know if there are any good tools or techniques for cutting mangos. I always mangle them trying to cut around the pit.

[@sunflowerbaby1853]

Who cores a tomato? I eat the whole thing.

[@ph11p3540]

I have no issues if you call a tomato a fruit or a vegetable but I would not argue with a botanist scientist

[@sherrizanoli1398]

You will appreciate the tomatoes cover when you are looking at 2 bushels.

[@Lukebott12]

Test the zyliss peeler

[@redeemedrivka]

haha I bought that thing for strawberries not knowing it's really a tomato corer!

[@Psara]

peppers are fruits too, but no one gets pedantic about that. people complaining that tomatoes are fruits not vegetables is basically the same as complaining that pumpkins are fruits not orange: they can be more than one thing in more than one category. 🙄

[@davethebarber62920]

I've always just twisted the stem off strawberries with my thumb and forefinger. My hands get stained a little but no big deal.

[@dio52]

The problem with most of these is that they're not worth having unless you use a LOT of the foods they're designed for. Most of them are just a bit too large or a bit too unusually shaped to fit nicely in a drawer or cabinet. The tomato corer and strawberry huller are compact enough to just be kept along with measuring spoons and whatnot, but for the infrequent need I'd have for the rest, it's easier to just get a knife and board.

[@atlenebartolino8923]

Hi. Love your gadget videos. All of them. I would like you to let the names of the products to be on the screen a lot longer. I'm trying to take note of the name and price. I have to stop the video to copy or go back some frames to write it down Always on the look for birthday/Christmas etc. presents as well as things for myself. Thanks so much. You guys are great.

[@laurenbeckerle7977]

The only avocado gadget I like is the avo saver. Works well. No plastic wrap waste.

[@thatonedog819]

Our house have had the issue with plastic apple slicers seperating from the blade with use. Obviously that's a major safety problem that makes me nervous to use. Have you guys had that problem with these?

[@violetg7315]

For me, the pineapple slicer maybe easy to use. However, it wastes tons of flash. I prefer my traditional method. I know it takes time and effort. But, you get and enjoy all the yummy pineapple.

[@DoughboyGod]

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@dubya13207]

I use my strawberry huller for tomatoes too...saves on the gadgets Also, Lisa's avocado seed extrication method was dangerous! Instead, knock the knife in as close to the blade as possible, then use your fingers to pinch it off the blade from the back. The "try to slide it off the bowl and fumble with your hand if that doesn't work" is bound to hurt someone...

[@Nocturne22]

Pinching the blade seems way more dangerous. If the avocado is soft enough, I honestly just dig it out with a spoon. If it mangles the flesh a little, who cares: I'm mashing it up anyways.

[@dubya13207]

@@Nocturne22, it's hard to illustrate in this medium, but when I say "from the back", I mean the back of the blade. you don't grab the sharp bit at all. just two fingers holding the blade by the spine, next to the pit but putting most of the pressure on the blade itself...pit slips right off. if you get the pit at the heel of the blade (close to the handle), you can do it right in your blade hand too

[@cskotnicki]

I still want to know who put that stand mixer on the top shelf.

[@lisamcmanus6656]

Our producer, who's over six feet tall, and pretty strong, saw it as a reasonable spot. Works for him!! For me, that's too high. That's a great example of why we always have people of different heights and hand sizes and handedness and skill levels test products during our reviews, to be sure they suit a wide variety of people.

[@cskotnicki]

@@lisamcmanus6656 well, he's still nuts for putting it up there. 😁 My wife and I love watching your videos. Me being familiar, and her an actual chef for over 20 years, can relate to what you have in your content....And we still learn. Thank you.

[@rebeccanater]

My friend has a phd in plant biology and said vegetables dont actually exist. Everything we call a vegetable is just a different part of a plant, potatoes are roots, lettuce is leaves, eggplant is the fruit etc.

[@robertmccoy9901]

Mini-colander 4-pack now at 23.65

[@XzTS-Roostro]

My sisters and I have an Oxo apple corer that only removes the core without slicing. Someones we just want to remove the core and keep the rest of the apple whole.

[@Scott-tq7ko]

I suppose with the pineapple corer it's a matter of how much waste are you OK with. To leave the eyes, you have to leave all the flesh between them, so you're basically leaving 1/4"-1/2" of pineapple flesh attached to the skin. And since pineapple aren't uniform in diameter, wouldn't this be made for an average (or smaller) pineapple, and so waste even more flesh with ones that have larger diameter?

[@jesstheone231]

HoLD StiLL!! I can't see the cool little gadget at all. I feel like I'm watching an intense tennis match, or like I'm a cat trying to catch a laser. Most Gadget people are guilty of this, usually only while demonstrating the gadgets that i am interested in. That said, 2 enthusiastic thumbs UP! to every coring tool. When and IF I can remember that i have one AND find it in a reasonable time, they make fruit like tomatoes, strawberries, pineapples, mangos, cherries, melons, fuh-uun! Uh&_hmm!

[@TheJeanean]

Do those “food purifiers” actually do anything?

[@porcorosso4330]

I have never thought of the avocado as a vegetable....

[@leapintothewild]

hahaha Did Hannah really say she "wrassles" with her pineapple? Where are you from, girl? :-)

[@anthonyrotella751]

The best & cheapest strawberry corer is a plain old sturdy drinking straw, Its fast & easy, one quick jab through the berry & it is cored with no waste. When done just toss the straw in the trash, nothing extra to wash or take up space in a drawer.