The 10 Best Apple Corers
Editor's Notes
July 16, 2021:
Sadly, our previous favorite slicer from Mueller Austria is almost impossible to get your hands on now, so we can no longer recommend it. However, the Norpro 5133 Grip-Ez is nearly as nice, with slip-resistant handles and a durable base that ensures the job is done right. It also costs next to nothing, in addition to its high performance. If you want to separate the tasks of coring and slicing, go with the two-piece Deiss Art, which is every bit as affordable as the Norpro.
April 22, 2020:
The apple corers we've chosen include everything from sleek, low-profile options to more robust countertop models. All of these tools feature sharp, durable blades that extract cores easily and quickly, and minimize cleanup, too. Apple corers are great for removing the seeds of the apple in one fell swoop, and the fibrous material surrounding the seeds. If you're looking for something that will do all the prep work for you, you may be interested in an apple slicer as well. This kind of tool is perfect for parents who find themselves spending a little bit too much time everyday prepping school lunches.
The Mueller Austria Remover, Fox Run 5547, Deiss Art, and Mueller Austria SpeedSlice are new additions to the list, chosen to provide users with a wider variety of mechanisms for removing cores. The Mueller Austria SpeedSlice has been awarded the top spot because of its ability to both core and slice apples while minimizing cleanup. By contrast, the StarPack Premier Utensil, Jamie Oliver Twist 'n' Slide, and Westmark German have been removed due to fulfillment concerns and confirmed complaints about core remnants being left behind.
The What, Why, And How Of Apple Corers
Apply firm, constant pressure, and don’t try to go incredibly quickly or use undue force, as you risk damage or injury.
If you see one without knowing what it is, you might be excused for thinking that an apple corer is some kind of medieval implement of torture or the instrument of a particularly callous dentist. But an apple corer is a completely benign, highly useful kitchen item that is simplicity itself. Essentially, it’s a long cylindrical tool with a hollow space that you push through the fruit in order to pull out the core, or the middle piece with the seeds. You’ll notice that some have fancier handles than other ones, but they all perform basically the same job: get rid of the bits in the middle you don’t want to eat.
So, why do people use an apple corer rather than a knife? The answer lies in the speed and uniformity with which you can prepare apples with one of these handy devices. For instance, if you’re making apple pie or cider, you’re going to need to core quite a few of these fruits in a short period. An apple corer cuts down on your prep time and helps prevent your arm from becoming tired from so much cutting. These tools make snack preparation a breeze and make disposing of the core less messy, since it comes out in one piece.
How you use a corer is simple. First, put the apple on a sturdy flat surface, like your kitchen counter, with the stem side facing up. Then, grasp the corer in your dominant hand and hold the fruit steady with your other hand. Push the corer down through the middle; you might need to twist slightly back and forth as you go, helping the serrated edge to move through the fruit. Apply firm, constant pressure, and don’t try to go incredibly quickly or use undue force, as you risk damage or injury. When the corer has come out through the bottom, pull it back out the way it was inserted and discard the core.
Other Uses For Apple Corers
Although “apple” is right there in the name, no one is going to break down your door and take you away if you use it on another fruit, like a pear or quince, both of which pair exceptionally well with sweet and savory flavors alike. You might also try your corer on fruits without cores, like watermelon or cantaloupe, to easily produce bite-sized snacks for kids. Or, when Halloween comes, try using your sturdiest apple corer to create perfectly round holes in your jack-o’-lantern. One fruit that may not stand up to your corer, though, is pineapple, the cutting of which is made simpler by a dedicated pineapple cutter.
An apple corer is also an excellent tool to have on hand when it comes time to think about food garnish and presentation.
If you’d like to get a little more creative, then you can use your apple corer to take your delicious desserts to the next level. You can remove a small and tidy section of a cupcake with an apple corer, leaving a hollow for your favorite filling, perhaps icing, jam, or whipped cream. Or, randomly add various fillings to a cake in this manner, so no one knows what flavor they’ll get as you serve. To hide where you added the filing, cover the top with icing. For the best results, remember not to press the corer all the way to the bottom of the confection; you need to leave a surface to contain the surprise inside.
An apple corer is also an excellent tool to have on hand when it comes time to think about food garnish and presentation. You could easily remove the center from your cucumber slices, for instance, and fill or place another food inside, perhaps a berry or radish rose. Remove the middle from a large strawberry and add a dollop of hazelnut spread for a yummy addition to your dessert plate. You could even plate cooked potato slices with a perfectly round bite of cheese inside for a more eye-catching twist on cheesy potatoes.
Types Of Apples
Once you get used to the simplicity of an apple corer, you’ll probably find that you’re consuming more of these delicious and healthy fruits. If you’re starting to get tired of the common Granny Smith and Red Delicious varieties, you’re in luck — there are more than 100 varieties of apple commercially grown in the United States alone.
Far from difficult, applesauce is made by boiling and then mashing a large quantity of this fruit, with or without sugar.
For instance, if you enjoy a tart, crisp flavor, then you may want to check out the McIntosh, which is the national apple of Canada. It’s also commonly known as the Mac, and in fact, this is the apple after which the Apple computer is named. It holds up well for baking (the fruit, not the computer), but its crisp, sharp taste makes it appropriate for snacking, as well. To get your tartness fix, you might also try the Newton Pippin, Jonathan, or Liberty varieties.
If a mellow flavor profile is more your speed, then a Jazz apple might make your heart sing. Actually, Jazz is just the brand name of the Scifresh cultivar, which is a cross between the Braeburn and the Royal Gala, two delicious choices in their own right. Another popular mellow favorite is the Golden Delicious, which has a creamy, buttery taste.
Or, you could really put your apple corer to work and try making some applesauce. Far from difficult, applesauce is made by boiling and then mashing a large quantity of this fruit, with or without sugar. For a sweeter tasting sauce, try Gala, Fuji, or Honey Crisp varieties; for a sauce that won’t hit your sweet tooth so hard, choose Jonamac, Cortland, or Gravenstein.
Among all of these apple varieties, there’s one thing you’re not going to find, and that’s a seedless apple. In actuality, a seedless apple was developed over a hundred years ago by John F. Spencer, who wanted to revolutionize the way people ate this fruit, much the way that the seedless orange had changed the way that people viewed oranges. Although he did manage to cultivate the Spencer Seedless, it never caught on commercially — so you’d probably better keep your apple corer handy.