I bought some gadgets last month, one of which was this Corn Cob Cutter. It is called Lee's Corn Cutter and Creamer. I tried to use it last weekend and I was extremely disappointed in this tool. I should have known something was up when I read this warning on the packaging, and I quote exactly:
Warning! Remember, even scissors or a kitchen knife can be injurious if not used properly. KEEP FINGERS HIGH ON VEGETABLE and away from blades and cutting elements. This product has been used safely by millions for generations.
I was thinking the only reason to put something like that on there is a lot of people have probably gotten injured using this thing. The way this is supposed to work is you lay the tool horizontally flat on top of a bowl. You then take your corn and run it "in a quick motion" towards the cutting blades and push the cob past them. If you look at the pic below, notice where the person's thumb and fore fingers are pushing toward the blade. I tried this a few times and your hand gets so slippery because the corn and juices run down the tool and your hand. After 2 minutes, I thought, it isn't a matter of will I cut my finger off, it was a matter of when will I cut my finger off. I decided to just use a knife and I felt much safer.
I think this product would work great for cream style corn because the instructions tell you to set the blade depth to barely pierce the tip of the kernels. Thus making it easy to push the cob through the blades and for the serrated blades to cream the ear.
I don't like cream style corn and this product said you can just set the depth of the blade accordingly to cut the kernels clean. Easier said than done, the blade wants to dig in to the cob while cutting and thus your hands want to slip.
If you have used this tool to cut whole kernel corn and it worked great for you, please tell me what I am doing wrong. I have seen several videos on youtube of people using it successfully but they were always using it to make cream style corn.
I am going to do more research and maybe I will have better luck with another corn gadget.
Here is a pic from their website.
7 comments:
No, we always used pare knife & creamed what we did not freeze whole.
I used my super sharp filet knife and it worked good too.
That device looks scary. I happened to catch a Rachael Ray show on the Food channel and saw her use two bowls and a knife. She placed a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl, stood the corn on top of the small bowl, and ran the knife from top to bottom of the cob. The corn kernels fell into the larger bowl.
A bunt/angel food pan would also work, the hole in the pan could hold the cob stem.
GrafixMuse - What you described is exactly what I ended up doing. Only I just cut mine directly on a cutting board, but the bowl in a bowl trick sounds cleaner.
I borrowed one from a friend and did 6 dozen ears of corn in less than two hours. The way they're showing in the picture - that doesn't work. I used a very large, deep, square container and propped the bottom end of the cutter on a bottom corner near me. I set the dish on my lap, wedging it between my (hugely pregnant!) belly and the table.
That way, I could *see* the blade and keep my fingers away from it. I found that it worked best if I left the "handle" on the corn ear. It also works best if the corn is well cooked. I had been blanching about 3 minutes when cutting with a knife, but my friend told me 8-10 minutes and she was right.
It DID take a while to get into the rhythm, just like any new tool, but once I did, I cut the ears *fast*. As I said - 6 dozen ears, about 5 quarts creamed corn - in less than two hours, and that included the learning curve.
When I use a knife, my hand cramps after a few ears. It took me two days to do a bushel of corn last week because my hand kept hurting so I had to stop. With this, I was holding the ear, so my hand was more open. And yea - keep your fingers on TOP of the ear.
After using it, both my Mom and I have decided that anyone who does large amounts of corn needs this tool.
Canadian doomer, thanks for that info. I have yet to use it again but I still have it. I have been blanching and freezing my corn on the cob since last year. If I ever decide to use it again I will try your tips.
They key is to have the blade height adjust right. If it is too high, the blade will cut into the cob and make it really hard to push the cob over the blade. This will take a little trial and error at the beginning. Adjustment will be needed between corn varieties as well. For whole kernel, the second blade should be removed or lower all the way down. The shredder should also be removed.
Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkeysbE6UoE
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