Best kitchen gadgets for making the most of apple season

Leaves are changing colors, the weather is chilly and there are pumpkins everywhere. But fall is not just about that decorative gourds! It’s also prime apple season, which is always a good time in my book. You can certainly enjoy apples on their own, but they are also fantastic in a variety of different dishes, be it pies, galettes, tarts, crumbles and more. In order to turn this marvelous fruit into a delectable treat, it’s a good idea to invest in a gadget or two, especially if you’re an apple fanatic. Whether you’re into good ol’ Granny Smiths or brightly colored Honeycrisp, we’re sure that at least one of these items belongs in your cooking arsenal.

It even comes with an attached safety cover that keeps your fingers safe from the sharp blades.

“Where has this contraption been my whole life?? It’s a game changer!” said a five-star review. “My children love apples and I always found it so cumbersome having to get out the knife and cutting board and cutting up an apple. My laziness kicked in and I stopped giving them cut up apples. I stumbled across this product and it’s probably the best purchase on Amazon I’ve had in a long time. It magically cuts up the apple into perfect sized slices in just a few seconds. My son literally said “whoa!” When it fanned out the slices so beautifully. Love it!”

Bakers love it too: “This is the best apple slicer! We use it for our home bakery, so it takes a beating, and still holds up pretty well for plastic. The thinner slices help save a ton of time dicing apples for pies and cakes.”

The swiveling twin blades will make quick work out of apples, and we especially love the soft oversized handle as it’s a lot easier on our hands. It has a comfortable grip too, which makes peeling lots of apples far less stressful.

“I was in need of a new peeler as the one I had was old and didn’t do the job,” said a happy shopper. “This one works great in either hand and takes the chore out of peeling vegetables and fruit. It’s also dishwasher safe although I don’t run it through the dishwasher each time I use it and it cleans up and dries just fine. Being left handed I am used to having things that don’t work well unless you use your right hand, but this one works just as well left handed as it does with the right. So far it’s definitely 5 stars.”

themCoring apples can be a chore — you often have to slice i in half before you can remove the center. But not with the OXO Good Grips apple corer. Simply stick it into the center of an apple or pear, and the core will come out easily, no knife required.

“I really love honeycrisp apples,” said an apple lover who also loves this corer. “Honeycrisp apples are very large, too big for those all-in-one corer-slicers. The OXO Good Grips Corer takes care of that problem! Even though I am close to the world’s weakest person, I can easily push this corer through my giant apples with just one hand, then pull it back out, core and seeds in one solid piece. Disposing of the trash is one more on-fingered push over the trash can, then a quick rinse in the sink […] What more could one want?”

Another great apple corer is this one from Zulay Kitchen. It comes with heavy duty sharp serrated tips that will make quick work out of any apple or pear. The smooth ergonomic handle is comfortable to use, and best of all, it has a lever that will help you pop out the unwanted core.

One reviewer said it’s great for those with weak hands. “I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about this little tool. I have weak hands and thought I will have to push/turn really hard, though I’ll hurt myself with the serrated edge.I didn’t expect much for the low price, but gave it a try. I was wrong! This gadget is so easy to use and feels very sturdy in your hands.The serrated edge glides through the apple like it’s butter. You don’t even need to push hard-just twists and it does what it’s supposed to almost on its own. Super easy to clean after use.”

If you need an all-in-one gadget that can peel, slice and core your apples, then you should really give this Spiralizer a try. You can choose to peel without slicing, slice without peeling, or simply slice and peel all in one go! You can easily adjust the thickness of the peel as well. Of course, this peeler/slicer also works with tomatoes, potatoes and all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

“It’s apple season… and my hands are tired from peeling apples with a paring knife!!!” said a happy shopper. “So, I ordered this product because my friend had one and raved about it! It arrived quickly and I continued peeling, coring & slicing apples in RECORD TIME! Wanted to put some in the freezer as well as make a couple of apple pies before family arrived. […] I highly recommend this product if you are in the market for a great apple peeler-corer- slicer! Now I’m going to try it on potatoes!”

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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