The Best Cherry Pitters for Pie and Beyond

Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Quick Release Multi-Cherry Pitter

Also available at Bed Bath & Beyond and Williams Sonoma.

Why It's Great

• Pits are captured
• Flexible for fruit size
• Adjustable base

Grain of Salt

• Shallow pit tray

This OXO model tops our list because it's moderately priced for a pitter that can handle multiple cherries at once, is sturdily constructed, and has an adjustable base that fits over bowls of varying sizes. It bowls us over further with its one-handed construction, which allows you to pit the cherries through a simple press of the lid.

While many cherry pitters are made of materials that are considered better than plastic, we appreciate that this is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and so easy to use and clean. And even though it isn't our favorite option for a kid-friendly pitter, it has a safe and straightfoward design suitable for little helpers.

The Details: Made from BPA-free plastic; fits six cherries; dishwasher safe

Best Handheld: OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter

Also available at Bed Bath & Beyond and Williams Sonoma.

Why It's Great

• Splash guard
• Ergonomic design
• Holds large and small cherries

Grain of Salt

• Sometimes pits can get stuck

Designed specifically to not put strain on your hands, this cherry pitter's comfortable grip makes it stand out. In addition to the pressure controlled handle creating a gentler experience, you'll be free of splashback thanks to the guard around the tool that prevents juices from flying out as you press.

There's minimal effort needed to operate this cherry pitter, and it works nicely for cherries of all sizes. To use it, you can hold it in the air or place it on a surface; a feature other single pitters don't offer. OXO is known for its intuitively designed kitchen gadgets, and this cherry pitter is no exception.

The Details: Made from plastic and zinc; fits one cherry; dishwasher safe

Best Budget: Suuker Cherry Pitter

Why It's Great

• Inexpensive
• Multi-purpose design
• Stainless steel construction

Grain of Salt

• Tiresome for large batches

If you've never seen a cherry pitter quite like this one, you're not alone. It's a unique design, and one that prevents you from having to grip and squeeze endlessly, which can prove challenging for many hands.

Additionally, this cherry pitter can be used for other small fruits, such as red dates, olives, and hawthorn berries. For less than $15, this model is versatile and affordable.

The pitter's design is similar to a wine cork opener in looks, except you use your thumb to press the cherry's pit through the fruit as you hold the tool in your hand with your fingers. When the pit comes out the bottom, you'll pull the cherry out. Operating on one cherry at a time isn't ideal for making a pie, but it's a useful tool for snacking on cherries or preparing smaller recipes.

The Details: Made from stainless steel; fits one cherry; dishwasher safe

Related: Drew Barrymore's Chic Blender Is Perfect for Summery Beverages

Best for Large Quantities: Leifheit Cherry Pitter with Stone Catcher Container

Why It's Great

• 25 pounds per hour
• Captures pits
• Easy to press

Grain of Salt

• Takes up more storage space than others

Anyone who's planning on doing some serious cherry pitting will be well-served by this model. The Leifheit boasts an ability to pit up to 25 pounds of fruit per hour, and it has a large catch tray underneath to hold the pits as you go.

How does it work? You'll press each cherry through with a quick press of your palm, and the stainless steel plunger extracts the pit and tumbles the cherry down a chute. Because there's no catch for the cherry, you'll want to plan on having a bowl nearby. If you have a cherry tree or enjoy making extra cherry cobbler, pie, or conserve to freeze, this is the tool you need to tackle large batches.

The Details: Made from plastic and stainless steel; fits cups of cherries; dishwasher safe

Best for Small Cherries: ProTensils Premium Cherry Pitter

Why It's Great

• Ideal for small cherries
• Efficient long steel prong
• Affordable

Grain of Salt

• Extra-large cherries won't fit

It's easy to forget that cherries range in size since larger varieties are so popular, but this pitter is here for the smaller types of cherries. With that said, extra-large ones might be an awkward fit and can lose juice around the sides.

This tool operates by way of a simple squeezing method, and its steel prong is lengthy enough to guarantee that the pit will be completely removed. It looks like stainless steel, but it's made from zinc alloy, which is easier to clean. It's great for Montmorency cherries, as well as small olives that would get lost in a large pitter.

The Details: Made from zinc alloy; fits one cherry; dishwasher safe

Best Design: Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter Automatic Feed Tray

Also available at Walmart.

Why It's Great

• Large pit container
• Suction base
• Keeps cherries intact

Grain of Salt

• Hand wash only

Pitting large loads of cherries is a breeze thanks to this model's speedy spring action. You can start by placing a generous handful of cherries into the tray and then feeding them into the plunger while you press down on the knob. As the plunger's sharp prong effortlessly removes the pits, the pits fall into the bottom container while the ready-to-eat cherries drop into a bowl (provided by you). The Nopro won't get you through a huge batch as quickly as the Leifheit, but it will be far faster than any single or multiple pitters.

This pitter is arguably one of the easiest models to use and store, from the suction base that holds it in place on your counter to its breakdown for easy storage. If you consume a lot of cherries when they're in season but want a tool that works quickly and takes up little space the rest of the year, the Norpo cherry pitter is an excellent choice.

The Details: Made from plastic; fits 10 cherries; hand wash only

Best Kid-Friendly: Talisman Designs Chomper Pitter

Why It's Great

• Adorable design
• Easy to use
• Safe for small hands

Grain of Salt

• Small pit tray

Food prep doesn't get any cuter or more kid-friendly than this "chomper" of a cherry pitter. It's a single pitter, meaning it works on one cherry at a time. You can help your little chef place the cherry into the tool's mouth, press down, release, and watch it land underneath.

The pitter catches the pits, which most single item cherry pitters do not, and stores them in the tool's head. You'll need to periodically empty it as you use the pitter. We love how contained the whole affair is, since kids can sometimes be a bit on the messy side in the kitchen. This pitter keeps things tidy and lets your kids have fun helping out.

The Details: Made from BPA-free plastic; fits one cherry; dishwasher safe