July 28, 2023, 8:30 PM UTC

Growing up in the Midwest, I was no stranger to coming home to a table flush with fresh, sweet corn. When I was younger, my favorite accompaniment to a hot-off-the-grill burger was a bowl of corn (seasoned with butter and salt, of course). Now, I have more sophisticated taste buds, so I typically opt for elote and its limey, cheesy flavors. You can say my taste buds’ preferences have shifted, but one thing has stayed the same: I hate eating corn — on the cob. Corn strands in my teeth were always uncomfortable, and my hands typically became greasy or sticky if I did not have access to handy corn holders.

Consequently, I usually just cut my corn off the cob. Holding the tip of the corn cob tightly yet gingerly with my fingers, I would slice a sharp knife down the side, with the intention of delivering clean, smooth pieces. But when the corn was hot (or doused in butter), the knife would often slip out of my fingers. This frequent battle for delicious corn off-the-cob became a part of my life for years. That is until OXO's corn peeler arrived at my front door.

OXO Good Grips Corn Prep Peeler

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OXO Good Grips Corn Prep Peeler

"I used this for the first time and I am sold! Easy, clean, and removes all of the corn," one review wrote.

$9.99

$12.99

Complete with an “ever-sharp” stainless steel blade and a non-slip handle, this corn peeler has become a staple cooking tool during family barbecues. Our plates of sweet, buttery Michigan corn never touch the table without their counterpart — our trusty corn peeler. People call, Can you pass me the corn peeler? over the throwback summer jams we play all season long.

When I went to college, I even bought one for my dorm room! Clearly, other reviewers are on the same "must-have" page as me because the peeler has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon and over 6,800 overall ratings.

Woman sitting peeling corn — Courtesy Bella Druckman

It's easy to use and even kid-friendly

Though this efficient tool has a sharp blade made from Japanese stainless steel, even my 11-year-old sister has used this device for years without incident. And for my siblings with braces, this device gave them the chance to enjoy corn in a dentist-approved manner. Verified reviewers agree. “My son has braces on his teeth and can't eat corn on the cob, but he loves corn on the cob's flavor,” one shoppers wrote. “This device is great for removing the kernels from the cob safely and quickly, so he can get the taste and freshness!”

It takes seconds to peel the whole cob

I'll be honest, when I first saw the corn peeler, I was skeptical about its efficacy. I’m left-handed, so when I use other peelers, they don't always work. But with the OXO tool, I could strip a whole corn in seconds. They peeled off in neat, even strips with every pass.

To prevent accidents, you should peel in a downwards motion. In my experience, the corn peeler only gets stuck when I don't wedge it into the corncob firmly enough. When that happens, I recommend readjusting your stance on the cob, and all your corn will be peeled in no time.

“I have previously only used a knife to remove corn from a cob and I always feel like I leave too much on,” one reviewer wrote. “With the corn prep peeler it was extremely easy to get all the corn. The head is curved so it aligns with the cob and the downward motion had very little resistance, making removal effortless.”

Another plus is that this corn peeler is a game-changer when it come to post-dinner clean up. After using the tool, you can just stick it in the dishwasher and call it a day.

Given this corn peeler’s perks — a sharp blade, sturdy grip and dishwasher-safe materials — I understand why thousands of Amazon customers rave about the product. At just under $10, this tool is an easy hack to optimize your corn eating while the sweet treat is still in its summer prime — and a small price to pay for safe meal prep and gunk-free teeth.