Slicing apples by hand isn’t terribly difficult—unless you want identical pieces for even cooking, as we call for in some recipes, like Apple Upside-Down Cake (free through February 3, 2013).
Enter: The apple slicer. Of the models we tested, The Williams-Sonoma Dial-A-Slice Apple Divider was the only one that made the cut(s).
Gadget name: Williams-Sonoma Dial-A-Slice Apple Divider
Price: $19.95
It looks like: A modern, sleek, sturdy apple slicer.
How it’s supposed to work: This apple slicer is meant to slice through apples and produce identical, smooth-edged pieces.
How we tested it: We tested four apple slicers that promised to remove the core and seeds and cut the fruit into uniform wedges. Only this one lived up to its word.
How it actually works: It successfully plunged through the thick peel and firm flesh of a Granny Smith and made neat, uniform slices of softer Golden Delicious and McIntosh apples.
Drawbacks: It took a bit of effort to get through the Granny Smith, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.
Good to know: Its wider-than-usual, 1-inch, serrated corer gripped the apple and ensured the entire core was removed. We also liked the comfortable rubber handles and plastic cap that pushed the hard-to-reach bottom of the apple entirely through the blades.
My favorite part: Adjustable blades allowed us to cut either 8 or 16 slices. Also, the cap fit onto the slicer for storage, providing protection from the blades.
Best for: Anytime you need identical apple slices or don’t want to cut an apple one slice at a time.
Overall: This is a must for any apple lover or baker of apple desserts.
About the Author: Lisa McManus
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I have one. It is nifty. Butterfingers beware – the blades are extraordinarily sharp. I would recommend never letting a child handle it. Adjusting the slicer blades is not so easy and if you slip it will result in a major cut.
I had one of these, cut myself every time I used it (like Mrsrugie says), and felt it was not that great overall. It didn’t peel the apples, so that took extra time and wasted apple, and it went dull very quickly. Once this gadget is dull, you’re done. I have one that spins the apple and peels and slices all in one, paid about $14 for it, and it love it so much more. When the peeler or slicer blade goes dull, I can get another part, without having to buy a whole new unit.