Which Apple Peeler Should I Buy? Hudson Parer Co vs Pampered Chef

Apple peelers - like apples - boast delightful variety. Admire ingenuity at its finest in this short video of an antique Hudson Parer Co. apple peeler from Laura's Last Ditch Vintage Kitchenwares, and a newer Pampered Chef apple peeler / corer / slicer:


Hudson Parer Co. apple peeler review

The Hudson apple parer peels an
apple quickly, with very little waste.

Pros: 

1. Durability - this peeler is around 100 years old, perhaps older, and it still works great. There are no plastic parts, and it's made of cast iron. Need I say more?
2. Speed - the auto-eject is not only fun and extremely satisfying, but it definitely speeds up the process. Once I got going with this thing (and you don't see it in this video, because it only shows the first few I did), I put apples on as I was cranking the blade back to the front, and it was SUPER fast.
3. It looks cool. This peeler has a lovely patina that only comes from years of use. Use it for decor when you're not peeling apples.
4. The blade is simpler, so it won't go out of adjustment as easily as the Pampered Chef peeler.
5. There's very little waste.
6. Peels a wide range of apple sizes. 
7. It's extremely effective. This peeler leaves very little skin on the apple, just a bit at the stem end and the blossom end.
8. Because it doesn't core or slice, it doesn't spill as much juice around as the Pampered Chef.

Cons: 

1. The clamp doesn't open wide enough to fit on the edge of a standard kitchen counter; I had to mount it on a board and then clamp the board to my table.
2. It doesn't core or slice.

Pampered Chef Peeler / Corer / Slicer review


Pros: 

1. Durability: The Pampered Chef apple peeler is pretty nice quality - nothing like the Hudson peeler, of course, but it doesn't feel chintzy.
2. It cores and slices.
3. Versatility: It can peel without coring or slicing. It can core and slice without peeling (I forgot to show this feature in the video, but you can pull down the peeling arm and there's a little bar that holds it back if you don't want to peel).
4. Handles a wide range of apple sizes.
5. It's effective. It misses a little more skin than the Hudson, but it still does a good job.
6. The clamp opens nice and wide, and will fit most tables.

Cons: 

1. Waste: This peeler has more waste than the Hudson. You can adjust the blade, but, in my experience, it's hard to get it just right. Also, the core has all kinds of good apple left around it, and I core by hand quickly and with less waste.
2. Coring leaves pieces of the apple seed casing. No corer will core as well as you can do by hand.
3. It doesn't look nice. It's just a boring machine.
4. A countertop doesn't generally have a large enough lip for this to fit on, and it works its way loose pretty easily, especially if you use the rubber bumpers provided (I don't use them in this video).
5. It's a bit messy. The coring and slicing action leaves juice to run out of the apples, so you'll have a sticky mess to wipe up afterward.

Conclusion


Both apple peelers work well and I recommend either. If slicing and coring isn't important to you, then you'll be very happy and impressed with the Hudson apple peeler. If you prefer a machine that cores and slices, a Pampered Chef peeler corer slicer will serve you well.


2 comments:

  1. Great video, Laura. The demonstration was good and you addressed the issues between the two. I own the Pampered Chef one. Perhaps it is time to get it out and start using it.

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  2. Loved your comparison - this is an excellent article and video! Well done, Laura!

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