Potato Peeling Question

[Fred Sipe]

Which has more surface area to peel, 10 pounds of big ass potatoes or 10 pounds of smallish potatoes? I just worked my way through the small ones.

[Karen/NoCA]

Ten pounds is ten pounds. I prefer Yukon Gold spuds all around and they are usually smaller than the russetts. One consolation, rice them after cooking ...saves mashing time, so I guess it is all relevant.

[Mike Filigenzi]

Big-ass potatoes will be more volume to surface area, so you'll have less peeling.

If they're for mashed potatoes, though, I like Karen's ricing option. It makes for excellent potatoes and no peeling is necessary.

[Shlomo R]

ten pounds of smalish potatoes will have more surface area to peel, and will also ultimately result in a very slightly smaller quantity of mashed potatoes because more mass will be lost in the peelings.

[Carrie L.]

I love the small Yukon Golds for mashed potatoes too and also use the ricer for mashing. Len isn't a fan though. He had the job of peeling with what he called an "inferior peeler" the kind that is "Y" shaped, and not the standard type of peeler, and I heard lots of explatives throughout the process. He begged me to buy a standard peeler before he is charged with peeling again.

[Redwinger]

He begged me to buy a standard peeler before he is charged with peeling again.

Jeez Carrie, don't you give Len an allowance so he can buy his own kitchen gadgets?

[Jenise]

Brings to mind the time I asked my husband to peel half the potatoes, pointing to a five or ten pound bag while I went off on an errand. When I got home he had peeled ALL the potatoes, but each only half way. It was so cute I practically cried.

[Fred Sipe]

Brings to mind the time I asked my husband to peel half the potatoes, pointing to a five or ten pound bag while I went off on an errand. When I got home he had peeled ALL the potatoes, but each only half way. It was so cute I practically cried.

God bless that man!!! Love it.

[Carrie L.]

He begged me to buy a standard peeler before he is charged with peeling again.

Jeez Carrie, don't you give Len an allowance so he can buy his own kitchen gadgets?

I promise you that kitchen gadgets would be the last thing he would think of purchasing on his own. He considers the kitchen "my domaine" and I'm actually okay with that.

[Carrie L.]

Brings to mind the time I asked my husband to peel half the potatoes, pointing to a five or ten pound bag while I went off on an errand. When I got home he had peeled ALL the potatoes, but each only half way. It was so cute I practically cried.

Jenise that is an absolute riot. I'm sure he figured you had a darned good reason for needing peels on half of all the potatoes. Adorable.

[Frank Deis]

One of my best kitchen purchases ever was a Kyocera ceramic peeler.



The blade is super sharp forever, and peeling things is almost fun.

There are other brands probably as good...

[Jenise]

Jenise that is an absolute riot. I'm sure he figured you had a darned good reason for needing peels on half of all the potatoes. Adorable.

Even he couldn't imagine why I'd want them peeled only halfway, but he's so trusting of my judgement that if that's what I wanted (or what he thought I said) then there must be a good reason, and I would have it.


Frank, never used a Kyocera! I'm intrigued, even though my Zyliss is my favorite peeler ever. Different shape, though, the blade is vertical to the handle not horizontal, which I prefer. Or think I do.

[Carrie L.]

This is the kind I've been using since the 80s when I worked for a caterer. These are what she used and I thought they were the easiest peelers ever. Len does not agree! Jenise, I wonder if you'd like them if you tried them. The brand is Kuhn Rikon.

[Carl Eppig]

We have never been able to use the kind picured above, particulaly on potatoes. We use a traditional peeler from Good Grips.

[Mike Filigenzi]

This is the kind I've been using since the 80s when I worked for a caterer. These are what she used and I thought they were the easiest peelers ever. Len does not agree! Jenise, I wonder if you'd like them if you tried them. The brand is Kuhn Rikon.

I have an all-metal version of those which is my preferred peeler.

[Jenise]

This is the kind I've been using since the 80s when I worked for a caterer. These are what she used and I thought they were the easiest peelers ever. Len does not agree! Jenise, I wonder if you'd like them if you tried them. The brand is Kuhn Rikon.

Once upon a time I had a cheap little metal peeler that was a horizontal blade like what you show, but instead of a handle you grab it had a rigid loop shaped bottom you would put all four fingers into. The overall method is similar to yours, you pull down to peel. But then it could also be true that i never found a really good vertical peeler until i bought my zyliss. not sure, just know that I've owned a number of different peelers, and pretty much kept buying until i found one i liked better than the rest. And these days I'm just more efficient pushing a blade away to remove peel than to pull down toward me as this style requires.

[Mike Filigenzi]

Once upon a time I had a cheap little metal peeler that was a horizontal blade like what you show, but instead of a handle you grab it had a rigid loop shaped bottom you would put all four fingers into.

That's the one I have. We also have a Good Grips vertical one as well as a couple of cheapie verticals. I find that I like the way the horizontal one works. I also like the fact that it has the little pointy thing on one side that you can use to scoop out the potato eyes or any blemished bits. Some of the vertical ones are sharp enough on the ends to do that but some (including the particular Good Grips one we have) aren't.

[Jenise]

Once upon a time I had a cheap little metal peeler that was a horizontal blade like what you show, but instead of a handle you grab it had a rigid loop shaped bottom you would put all four fingers into.

That's the one I have. We also have a Good Grips vertical one as well as a couple of cheapie verticals. I find that I like the way the horizontal one works. I also like the fact that it has the little pointy thing on one side that you can use to scoop out the potato eyes or any blemished bits. Some of the vertical ones are sharp enough on the ends to do that but some (including the particular Good Grips one we have) aren't.

Yup, were talking about the same tool. Loved that little side thing, great for removing the eyes or any other unwanted parts on potatoes without reaching for a knife. Those things last forever--the one i had was probably 30 years old when it died, it had been part of my childhood household. My Zyliss has a very useful blade at the top for the same purpose. The Zyliss replaced a Good Grips one, btw, which wars a POS. the blade twirled 360 if you pressed/pulled very hard.