The Best Vegetable Peelers for Every Home Cook

We found the best vegetable peelers on the market, including our favorite, the OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler.

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straight swivel peeler, Y-shaped peeler, electric peeler, palm peeler
Photo: Allrecipes

Peeling veggies can be a daunting task if you don't have the right tool to get the job done. While using a knife is always an option, vegetable peelers are a much safer and more effective option. The right vegetable peeler can make quick work of a bag of potatoes before mashing, especially if they have added features like a potato eye remover or a comfortable grip handle.

Although it seems like a basic gadget, there are actually many different types of peelers to choose from. Some require manual effort, while others work at the press of a button. They come in different shapes and feature different blade materials, but, ultimately, they all serve the same purpose — removing the outer layer of fruits and veggies.

To help you find the right vegetable peeler for your needs, we rounded up the top models on the market after analyzing their style, cost, and features. We landed on the OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler as our winner because of its comfortable, nonslip handle and razor-sharp steel blade. Keep scrolling to see our full list of the best vegetable peelers of 2022.

Our Favorites

Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Also available at Williams Sonoma and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Why It's Great

  • Peels smoothly
  • Contoured handle
  • Built-in potato eye remover

Grain of Salt

  • Might feel heavy in the hand

As our best overall pick, this OXO peeler can tackle hearty veggies, like carrots and potatoes, just as well as it can create delicate lemon rinds for garnishing drinks or ribbons of your favorite squash. With a sturdy stainless steel blade and sharp eye remover that can easily scoop out potato eyes and other blemishes, it's no wonder why this peeler stands out from the rest.

This model is the newer version of the original OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler, so it has all the good parts of the first product yet features a sharper blade for smoother cuts. Like many other OXO products, this peeler has an ergonomic handle for a comfortable, secure grip, plus it has a hole at the end of the handle for wall storage. Best of all, you can easily clean it in the dishwasher after each use.

The Details: Measures 0.75 x 1.25 x 7.25 inches; stainless steel blade, manual operation

Best Budget: Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler

green vegetable peeler
Amazon

Also available at Williams Sonoma.

Why It's Great

  • Affordable
  • User-friendly design
  • Multiple colors available

Grain of Salt

  • Not dishwasher safe

Don't let the size or price point fool you: The Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler is a solid option for many reasons. It has a super sharp carbon steel blade, feels light in the hand, and works quickly on large vegetables. In comparison to stainless steel blades, carbon steel blades stay sharper as long as you take good care of them by hand-washing after each use.

This Y-shaped peeler is suitable for right- and left-handed people, so everyone in your family can use it comfortably. Although the handle is made out of plastic, it doesn't need to be held as tight as other models thanks to its extra sharp blade. In other words, a little pressure goes a long way. As a bonus, this peeler comes in a variety of colors to add a little fun to your cooking prep.

The Details: Measures 4 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches; carbon steel blade, manual operation

Best for Large Vegetables: OXO Large Y Prep Peeler

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Also available at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Why It's Great

  • Extra wide blade
  • Rust-resistant construction
  • Dishwasher safe

Grain of Salt

  • Short handle may not work with larger hands

OXO makes our list again, but this time it's a Y-shaped blade instead of a swivel. If you like to cook large vegetables like eggplant and butternut squash, this is the peeler for you. Plus, it's a great tool to have on hand to churn out big batches of mashed potatoes during the holidays and shred heapings of homemade coleslaw for outdoor barbecues.

The handle might be a little short for those with large hands, but, luckily, it offers a nice grip with its soft nonslip material. This peeler is dishwasher safe, but it never hurts to hand wash it to help prolong the sharpness of the blade.
The Details: Measures 0.85 x 4.5 x 8 inches; stainless steel blade, manual operation

Related: The Best Food Choppers for Cutting Down on Prep Time

Best Electric: Starfrit Rotato Express

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Also available at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Why It's Great

  • Includes replacement blades
  • Produces little waste
  • Adjusts to fit different foods

Grain of Salt

  • Bulkier to store than handheld options

Sure, peeling a few foods by hand isn't so bad, but when it comes to removing the skin on large quantities of produce, an electric vegetable peeler is a game changer. The Starffrit Rotato Express is an absolute workhorse for prepping fruits and vegetables for homemade pies and crowd-pleasing side dishes. However, the best part is that it produces less waste than handheld models, so you are left with more food to cook with and eat.

This electric peeler has the power to effectively peel a potato clean in just 10 seconds, and all you need to do is place it on the unit and turn it on. The manual arm can adjust as needed to peel fruits and veggies with thick or thin skin, and it can even be used on citrus fruits to make a garnish for cocktails and desserts. The blades are dishwasher safe, and there are even replacements included along with a thumb knife.

The Details: Measures 5.5 x 5.5 x 11 inches; stainless steel blade, electric operation

Best Ceramic: Kyocera Peeler

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Why It's Great

  • Can reach all angles
  • Extremely sharp
  • Lightweight
  • Inexpensive

Grain of Salt

  • Small blade

A majority of peelers on the market and on our list are made with steel blades, typically stainless steel or carbon steel. But there's another option not to be ruled out: ceramic peelers. The Kyocera Peeler claims to maintain a sharp edge 10 times longer than a stainless steel blade. If you peel produce several times a week, this one is for you.

It's on the smaller side, so while it might not be the best option for potatoes, we love this peeler for fruits, carrots, and cucumbers. It's dishwasher safe and resistant to acids, so cleanup is a breeze. Plus, the plastic handle (available in a few bright colors) is easy to hold and feels light in the hand.

The Details: Measures 1 x 3.8 x 10.1 inches; ceramic blade, manual operation

Most Ergonomic: Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Also available at Walmart.

Why It's Great

  • Suitable for lefties
  • Features a blemish remover
  • Available in multiple colors

Grain of Salt

  • Blade sometimes gets clogged

This peeler feature indents on the handle for each finger to hold onto securely and comfortably, plus it's designed for both right- and left-handed users. The dual stainless steel blades swivel in both directions, so you can peel your food quickly and efficiently. Just make sure that the peel isn't caught in the blade before moving it in the opposite direction.

We also love that it glides smoothly around fruits like apples and peaches and can get into the nooks and crannies around stems. To top it off, it has a blemish remover on the front end for easy potato eye removal, and on the opposite end, there's an added hook for easy storage.

The Details: Measures 0.8 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches; Blade Material: Stainless steel, Operation: Manual

Related: The 9 Best Food Processors, Tested by Allrecipes

Most Versatile: Deiss Pro Dual Julienne Peeler & Vegetable Peeler

Best Vegetable Peelers
Amazon

Also available at Wayfair.

Why It's Great:

  • Great value
  • Multifunctional design
  • Dishwasher safe

Grain of Salt:

  • No protective cover provided

Who doesn't love a kitchen tool that offers multiple functions? Not only does this budget-friendly option perform basic peeling, but it can also julienne, slice, and garnish. This means you can cut julienne carrots for salads, peel lemons for garnishes, and remove the skin from potatoes with the same clever gadget.

The nonslip ergonomic handle allows for safe and easy holding in either hand. However, there's no cover to keep your fingers protected from the sharp alloy steel blade, so keep it out of reach of little chefs. After each use, you can either put it in the dishwasher or hand wash it and then hang it up on a wall or inside a cabinet with its convenient loop on the handle.

The Details: Measures 0.8 x 3.4 x 7.1 inches; alloy steel blade, manual operation

Our Takeaway

We chose the OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler as our best overall pick because of its outstanding design, price, and performance. Its sturdiness allows you to glide through all kinds of vegetables with ease, and we love that it has a sharp tip for removing blemishes.

How to Pick the Right Peeler

Type of Peeler

The two most common peeler designs are straight swivel and Y-shaped. Straight swivel peelers allow you to peel toward or away from yourself while removing the skin as you would with a paring knife, but it can be hard to get larger strokes. If you're working with veggies that have a greater surface area, like potatoes and eggplant, go for a Y-shaped peeler for optimal efficiency.

In addition to manual peelers, which require a bit of effort from you, there are electric peelers that can get the job done even faster. They take up more storage space but make the peeling process quick and easy.

Material

Blades can be made from stainless steel, carbon steel, or ceramic. Stainless steel blades are a popular choice because they are usually dishwasher safe and can be sharpened. Carbon steel is extremely durable and sharp, but if not taken care of properly, it can rust fairly quickly. Although less common, ceramic blades tend to stay sharper for longer.

Some peelers are entirely stainless steel from blade to handle, while some feature a hard plastic handle instead. If you typically peel a lot of vegetables at once, you might want a handle that has a soft grip handle to help alleviate some of the pressure.

Ease of Use

Once you've decided what style and material you want, the third factor to consider when buying a vegetable peeler is general ease of use. Look for cushioned, soft grip handles that can take pressure off your hand and wrist, or go for an electric model and let it do the work for you.

Common Questions

What vegetables require a peeler?

Many fruits and vegetables have an outer peel or skin that's usually safe to consume but can be removed depending on personal preference or recipe. You can use vegetable peelers on squash, potatoes, beets, turnips, eggplant, and carrots.

Can you sharpen a vegetable peeler?

To keep your tool sharp and working properly, you can carefully run a paring knife or metal nail file along each blade of your peeler. You can also prolong your peeler by taking good care of it. Many peelers on the market are dishwasher safe, but hand-washing is the more gentle way to go. If you still find your blade getting dull with time, some brands offer replacement blades for select peelers.

Can you use a vegetable peeler on cheese?

If you don't have a cheese slicer, put your veggie peeler to work! Use your swivel or Y-shaped peeler on your favorite firm cheeses like parmesan or pecorino to garnish soups, salads, and pasta dishes. You can even use it to make uniform slices of your favorite cheddar for grilled cheese.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Allrecipes is a community-driven brand committed to providing helpful resources and trusted information to home cooks. Jacqueline Weiss is a professional food writer with over five years of experience and a lifelong lover of working in the kitchen. Her writing has appeared in Eat This Not That, EatingWell, Taste Of Home, Simply Recipes, and more. For this article, she selected the best vegetable peelers on the market based on each one's overall value, design, and durability.

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