Sure, you can hull and slice strawberries with a sharp knife. But when you’re faced with those pounds of local berries you picked or bought at the farmers market, or a party for a crowd, a handy tool or two can be a godsend.
We tried out three:
Chef’n Stem Gem: For hulling strawberries, this compact tool is hard to beat.
Push on the end to release four sharp prongs, insert into the berry, twist and pull. It’s that simple. Out comes the stem and a small wedge from the center, all in one piece. Push on the end once more to eject the stem from the tool.
$7.99 at chefn.com.
Chef’n Strawberry Slicester: This handheld tool produces perfect (about 1/4-inch) slices, one berry at a time, with a squeeze of the handle. It’s an easy way to slice berries directly into a serving bowl or, say, onto your dish of cereal or ice cream. Also works with mushrooms.
$14.99 at chefn.com.
Strawberry Slicer: From the Crisp line of kitchen gadgets, this hinged countertop slicer also turns out perfect slices. The advantage is a cutting surface large enough to handle two large or three small berries at a time.
$19.99 at crispcooking.com.
All three are dishwasher-safe (but easy enough to rinse clean).
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