After reading the high marks this was given, and because I have and like using other Vacu Vin products, I ordered this. Living in Hawaii, I have easy access to excellent fresh pineapple. After 30 plus years of cutting up the fruit, I've developed a quick method for getting the job done--but it IS somewhat messy to do. (Also thought it would be neat to have the option of using the shell to serve dessert or a drink.)BUT it totally mangled the fruit! In retrospect I might have anticipated this, for the following reasons:
1. The cutters all are plastic, and using them to cut a fibrous fruit--and the even more fibrous core--is similar to using a plastic knife in lieu of a real steak knife: It can be done, but it's an effort.
2. Yes, I tried each of the cutters. All had the same sized core-removal portion, which is way too small for the pineapples I buy here; only the outer diameter on each of the cutters varies.
3. Not only does this gadget assume that the core will be relatively small, it assumes that it will be VERY straight and very centered--a mistake, for the core often is slightly off-center and often widens near the base.
After ten minutes, I gave up on this gadget and did what I normally do: Got out two cutting boards (one for the cored wedges, one for the original fruit, then used my trusty 20 cm (8 inch) Wusthof Trident serrated bread knife in the following steps.
1. Cut off the prickly top of the pineapple with a margin of 1/2 to one inches
2. Cut a slice off the bottom, with about the same margin. These two cuts give you a nice flat end, top and bottom.
3. Cut the pineapple first into quarters, then into eighths
4. Remove the core from each wedge (easily visible from the side) by standing it on end and slicing it top to bottom
5. Remove the outer pineapple "skin" and "eyes" by standing each wedge on end and slicing off 1 cm (3/8 inch) of the outer skin. This is the trickiest part, learning to cut along a gentle curve.
The resulting product is 8 tidy wedges, which you can slice up or serve individually. They are great in fruit salad, make awesome additions to kabobs--if they last long enough. From our pineapples, I generally have a yield of three pint containers of sliced fruit per pineapple.
In summary, until Vacu Vin comes out with a metal version, and addresses the core size issue, my advice is to save your money and put it towards a really good serrated bread knife, such as the Wusthof Trident. In the end it will get you as much as 50% more fruit and you'll have a knife that will give you years of service.
However, if you are totally dedicated to getting a shell from your pineapple, chat up the bartender or manager in one of those bars that sells tropical drinks with umbrellas and ask them where to buy a metal corer. Aloha!
Highly recommended!
Buy Vacu Vin Pineapple Easy Slicer, set of 3 blade sizes. Now
Alright, I don't know how really fresh the pineapple is in Michigan, but they sell it at the grocery store. My family just loves fresh pineapple, (the canned stuff can stay in the can), but it is such a hassle to try to clean and core and slice the pineapple. NOT WITH THIS gadget!In less than one minute, I can peel, core, slice and serve fresh pineapple rings, with very little mess to clean up afterwards. Even better, the shell remains intact for use as a fancy serving bowl along with the watermelon bowl! We are having fresh pineapple more often, and the memories of the Hawaii trip are discussed each and every time the perfect pineapple is served.
With three different blade singes, almost all pineapple sizes are covered. A great little gadget for the price!
Read Best Reviews of Vacu Vin Pineapple Easy Slicer, set of 3 blade sizes. Here
It's a bit awkward to use at first but once you get used to it, it's very useful. we were able to get a good cut the first time. it's important to pick the right size center piece to make sure it's clean on the edges, i would recommend this to people who like fresh pineapples or entertain a lot, great for a party for that bartender wanna be..The price is right for what it gives you. one more thing to stick in the drawer.
UPDATE:
lower the stars.. not only do i not use this anymore.. can't find it.. got a pineapple cutting knife on last vacation to hawaii.. beats this thing hands down
Want Vacu Vin Pineapple Easy Slicer, set of 3 blade sizes. Discount?
Overall, I think this product is pretty useful and far less work than cutting pineapple with a knife. I purchased the version with multiple cutting sizes to accommodate different sized fruit. If you find cutting pineapple a chore and have room for one more gadget in your kitchen, you will probably appreciate this product. I really like this product for the quickness and ease of "gutting" most of the fruit from a pineapple. However, it's effectiveness does depend on how ripe your fruit is and whether the pineapple is firm or soft. If your fruit is pretty ripe and softening, then this product is a little bit messy and may "crush" your pineapple. If your fruit is quite firm, you may feel like you're getting an arm workout. But either way, with this item you can be snacking on the the heart of the pineapple fruit in two or three minutes which is pretty cool.
