PrintIn Design: OXO Good Grips Corn Stripper
On a recent trip to a local Sur La Table, I discovered the Oxo Good Grips Corn Stripper, which is neither an exotic dancer from Iowa nor a tool used for foot care. Rather, it is, of course, a gadget devoted to cutting corn kernels from corn cobs. I was hesitant to dive in. First of all, historically, I have not been an advocate of Good Grips products, with their bulky, awkward knobs and handles, pandering to kitchen neophytes who are threatened either by kitchen tools in general or by the imagined fatigue, calluses, and finger dents that the occasional use of kitchen tools might cause. Secondly, I have a kitchen full of gadgets that never get used—crank-action apple peelers, mushroom brushes, garlic presses and peelers, and so on—which either entirely fail to do the job for which they were intended or don’t do it well enough to necessitate their retrieval and assembly.
But every year, I resolve to fill my freezer with corn, using its sunny taste and color to brighten winter meals marked by squash, apples, and pastel tomatoes from the other side of the planet, but every year I fall short, mostly due to an aversion to actually removing the corn from the cob, with all of its awkward, splattery mess.
Ultimately, my love of corn, and my desire to follow through on this year’s resolution, won out, and the corn stripper came home with me.
The first few passes I took with it left me a bit incredulous. The going was slow, with the stripper’s teeth getting mired in the cob every inch or so, and then the hopper/handle kept popping open and spewing my precious kernels around. But after some trial and error on the first ear, these issues began to subside. The stripper turned out to be cleaner, less awkward, and generally more effective than a knife or any of the other kernel-stripping gadgets I’ve used, sliding easily along the cob, guided by the base of the hopper, neatly collecting freed kernels. All of the corn pith and juices that would normally have found their way into the damnedest places around the kitchen fell instead directly into the receptacle over which I was working. And coming apart in two simple pieces, the stripper cleaned up well when I was finished, too.
The experience left me with a freezer full of cob-free corn and a commitment to do it all over again next summer. If you act quickly, you too can take advantage of these last few weeks of the corn season.
About the author: Amanda Clarke is a recovering restaurant pastry chef with a background in architecture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes, tests, and develops recipes and works on freelance food-styling gigs between walkings and feedings of her two dogs and husband.
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10 Comments:
Amanda, will you clue us in on how you store and use the frozen corn? I'm intrigued!
sabrina at 11:06AM on 09/20/07
I flipped by a tv talk show and saw the guest using an angel food pan to help cut the corn off a cob. Just stand the corn vertically on the centre part of the pan, hold the top of the cob and cut down with a serrated knife. The kernels just fall into the pan. Of course, it is only worth messing up the pan if you are doing a bunch of corn.
-Rob A>
ffaat at 11:12AM on 09/20/07
I just started using the cake pan trick, putting it down in the sink on a towel to prevent scooting, and it worked well-almost everything went in the pan, and the few splatters were easily rinsed down the drain. But I sure am intrigued by the review of this gadget, and I am an Oxo fan (the garden tools are great too).
Cary at 12:47PM on 09/20/07
Has anyone used the OXO mango slicer? Both the mango slicer and the corn slicer are things I'd buy if I didn't already have so many other kitchen gadgets I don't use.
alynn at 1:49PM on 09/20/07
i have used a corn splitter and a Kuhn-Rikon corn zipper and have decided that using a sharp knife is the best device with the least cleaning...as for that Oxo mango slicer - that is the best device i have used-it never fails me
blondee47 at 2:56PM on 09/20/07
Thanks for the comments and tips, all! I'll have to try the angel-food pan trick - despite my newfound love of the Stripper.
Sabrina, as for the freezing, all that I do is put the corn into a zip-top bag, seal it most of the way, and suck as much air as I can out at the corner, seal it up, and toss it in the freezer (sucking out the air not only makes it take up less space but helps prevent ice build-up around the kernels). It won't keep forever, but it's still pretty good after a few months.
As for how I use it, it's great for adding to quesadilla/burrito fillings, salsas, pasta and rice dishes, flans - whatever. One of my go-to dishes involving fresh corn is as follows: sautee up some bacon chunks 'til crispy, drain them and set them aside; in a little of the rendered bacon fat, sautee some onions or shallots until translucent, then add some corn and cook until the corn turns bright yellow and the onions begin to caramelize; add some pasta and a little of its cooking water then a good dollop of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper to taste, maybe some fresh herbs (thyme, savory and tarragon are all particular favorites) and/or a hit of lemon zest; cook and stir briefly until the sauce clings to the pasta, toss the bacon back in, and serve. It takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, and it's so good!
Amanda Clarke at 7:28PM on 09/20/07
Ahhh, don't diss the Oxo! It's not only for neophytes, but also great for those of us who might have some gripping issues - rheumatoid arthritis, or RSI!
txvoodoo at 12:10AM on 09/21/07
alynn-- OXO also has a Good Grips Cherry Pitter that, just like it sounds, pits cherries so you don't have to! Hm, isn't that what mouths are for..? http://www.oxo.com/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?section=10039&item=51786&minisite=10024&respid=53057
Either way, pretty spiffy.
Erin Zimmer at 8:16PM on 09/21/07
Thanks for the review - I had just seen the corn stripper in the store and was curious... hadn't thought to freeze corn though!
I use the OXO mango slicer regularly. It works really well 4 out of 5 times on medium to large mangos. (I've had a few stringy or overripe mangos that were hopeless. For riper mangos, you may want to refrigerate to firm them up before using the slicer.) The directions say to use the slicer, then remove the peel, but I personally prefer to peel then slice. I was dubious that it would make a difference, but it really makes getting the fruit off the pit a lot easier.
SMDNY at 9:19PM on 09/21/07
I have to second the comment by txvoodoo. These "bulky, awkward knobs and handles, pandering to kitchen neophytes" are in fact fairly well-designed tools which are a great relief to people with reduced grip, dexterity or manual strength.
duncan_syrupandtang at 8:12AM on 09/22/07