Almost perfect
No need to reinvent the peeler
Happy Friday, all. I only shave the surface of today’s subject. But that’s the point. ~JRC
Necessity is the mother of invention, so they say. Indeed, tasks that present a unique challenge often inspire creative solutions. And when things work out well, when inspiration hits the mark, someone makes something that changes how we do things forever.
They make something that is almost perfect.
Take, for example, the humble vegetable peeler. This device comes in several forms, all having a curved blade with a slot cut out of the middle. The shape easily glides over the surface of vegetables and fruit. And the sharpened edges in the center remove a thin layer - usually only the skin or rind - without taking a substantial amount of the edible flesh beneath. The peeler is also relatively safe to use when compared to a knife; as such, the user's flesh stays intact too.
If you've never used a peeler, you probably don't cook much. The tool is as commonplace in the kitchen as a knife or spoon. So when it's time to prep some carrots or potatoes, hardly anyone reaches for a knife. Instead, the vegetable peeler is the no-brainer go-to tool of choice.
It's so good at doing what it does that it feels self-evident the peeler should exist at all. And so it is with great inventions. The wheel. Nail clippers. Umbrellas. Unique and valuable creations, one and all.
We've come to expect them, and, like all great inventions, we now take them for granted. But there was a time when none of these was a thing. Apparently, it was a time of slow roads, much nail-biting, a fear of rainy days, and, before the vegetable peeler, a time of mortally wounded veggies, injured at the hands of clumsy, knife-wielding culinarians.
Thank goodness we live in more civilized times.
My favorite style of peeler is the Jonas peeler, designed in Sweden in 1953, apparently by someone named Jonas. It's the one pictured with this article. The original is still made in Sweeden and sells for about eight bucks. My Taiwanese-made version cost three dollars and works just as well. The thing has lasted for years and still peels like a pro.
The other styles, including straight and Y peelers, work the same way; it's a matter of preference. I stick with the Jonas peeler because I like the simplicity of the design. And because it's what my mom uses.
Today, you'll find versions of the Jonas peeler with clunky rubber handles and other unnecessary adornments. And there are all kinds of fancy electric ones advertised as vast improvements over the old. But few of these mods are more than marketing fluff; the old-style peeler still peels the best. And that's what is so revolutionary about it. The thing is almost perfect already.
No need to reinvent the wheel, or the peeler, I say.
Until next time.
JRC
Love these peelers. My great aunt has one that she’s had forever, and I looked them up online after using hers because I thought it was so awesome. So simple and clean…almost perfect. Surprised they weren’t invented until 1953.
I agree, like these peelers very much , simple and so useful. Stick with the old ones