What are the best fruit slicers and vegetable choppers for easy summer salad prep?
In the summer months, it’s great to take advantage of the gorgeous weather by spending as much time outdoors before cool temperatures arrive. But, if you feel like everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning and working leave you little time to enjoy your day, you’re not alone.
Luckily, a few convenient gadgets can help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside. So, whether you’re cooking for one or prepping for a dinner party, here are the best fruit slicers and vegetable choppers to make summer salad prep easy.
How to pick the right fruit slicers and vegetable choppers
Type
The two main types of food choppers are manual and electric.
- Manual: Most fruit slicers and vegetable choppers are operated manually. While they require extra force to push or pull, they’re generally less expensive and straightforward to use. Manual slicers and choppers also give you more control over the size and shape of the pieces.
- Electric: Electric fruit and vegetable tools are the best for cutting down on time. Also, if you cannot provide enough elbow grease to use manual gadgets, electric tools are an excellent option. As a downside, they’re generally more expensive and take up more counter or storage space.
Ease of use
The goal of using kitchen tools is to make your life easier by saving time or effort. However, some fruit and vegetable slicers don’t save you time and may not be worth using if you can do the job faster by hand. It’s also smart to pay attention to the cleaning instructions. For example, if you get a spiral slicer with many components, check if they’re dishwasher safe or need to be cleaned by hand.
Safety
Whether cutting with a knife or using a fruit slicer, safety is the first priority. Many tools save time and do the task more safely than a knife. For instance, most mandoline slicers come with gloves, a food holder or a safety guard to keep your fingers away from the blade.
Best fruit slicers and vegetable choppers
Under $20
Chef’n Original Strawberry Huller
One of the most quintessential fruits you’ll want to add to your summer salad is strawberries. This tool saves time on de-stemming with a simple push of a button and a tiny twist. It keeps fingers safe, reduces waste and is versatile enough to use on other produce, such as small peppers.
Sold by Amazon
OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer
Preparing avocado for your salad is often difficult and dangerous. However, this tool splits the avocado, removes the pit, slices and removes seven perfectly cut pieces. With a non-slip grip and dull plastic edges, it’s much safer than using a knife.
Sold by Amazon
From grapes to cherry tomatoes to olives, this compact cutter is an ideal tool to save you time in the kitchen. It quarters your produce into bite-sized pieces, perfect for your summer salad. As a bonus, it comes with a snap-on cover for safety and on-the-go use and comes apart to clean in the dishwasher.
Sold by Amazon
KitchenAid Classic Fruit Slicer
Whether you’re adding apples, pears or other hard produce to your salad, this tool makes the job effortless by coring and slicing in a single motion. While the stainless steel blades are durable and strong enough to chop cleanly through, the ergonomic handles are comfortable and add stability when slicing.
Sold by Amazon
Under $30
Spring Chef Premium Swivel Vegetable Peeler
With most fruits and vegetables requiring peeling, this tool may be one of your most-used kitchen gadgets during the summer. The stainless steel blades are designed to stay extra sharp and swivel for effortless peeling. It’s also dishwasher safe and features a soft-grip handle for comfort.
Sold by Amazon
This unique chopper utilizes a pull cord to operate the blades. While it takes a little strength, this gadget is quiet and ideal for taking on camping trips. It also features a speed control switch for several types of produce and only has a few pieces to clean.
Sold by Amazon
Trudeau Toss and Chop Salad Tongs
It’s never been easier to chop lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and other produce than with this convenient gadget. These chopping tongs have soft-grip handles and eliminate the need for a cutting board.
Sold by Amazon
SameTech Stainless Steel Pineapple Tool
One of the trickiest fruits to enjoy is pineapple due to its prickly exterior, tough core and unique shape. With this tool, you can quickly and effortlessly peel, core and slice an entire pineapple, choosing from rings or bite-sized pieces. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe for convenient clean-up.
Sold by Amazon
Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper
This electric chopper is ideal for those who need an option requiring little to no elbow grease. It’s easy to assemble and is capable of dicing, mincing and pureeing. Since you press to activate the blades and lift to stop, it’s also safe to use.
Sold by Amazon
OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper With Bowl
Look no further than this salad chopper if you want to finely chop all your items together. Cutting everything in the same bowl minimizes dirty dishes and saves time. The chopper has a non-slip grip handle, and the blades are designed to keep contact with the bowl’s curves.
Sold by Amazon
Under $50
If you had to pick just one tool to save you time prepping summer salads, consider this versatile mandoline and chopper. It has four blades to dice small or large pieces, spiralize or ribbon vegetables. Plus, it all collects in the convenient 1.2L tray, eliminating the need for cutting boards and knives entirely.
Sold by Amazon
Dash Safe Slice Mandoline Slicer
With this one tool, you can create 30 unique cuts from one to eight mm thickness, including matchstick, julienne and slicing. It’s also one of the safest tools since it’s designed to prevent your hands from going near the blades. As a bonus, it folds down compactly to take up little space on your counter or in storage.
Sold by Amazon
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Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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