I have a cousin, Taryn, who, like many other parents with toddlers, worries about her daughter choking on food.
A simple grape is a healthy but hazardous treat for Taryn’s 2-year-old daughter, Leila, so my cousin would meticulously cut each one into segments. I wish I had come across OXO’s Good Grips Grape & Tomato Cutter a year ago. It would have saved her so much time.
OXO’s device (also known as the Tot Grape Cutter on oxo.com and bedbathandbeyond.com) quarters fruit quickly and easily with a single push by the thumb. I also used it on a caprese salad, pictured at far right, so I would have mozzarella and tomato in every bite.
How it works: Place one grape or tomato (or cheese ball) into the chamber, hold over a dish and press the green plunger with your thumb. The plunger pushes the fruit through the sharp, serrated blades at the bottom of the tool.
Does it work?: Yes, but it’s best used on oblong items (green grapes work well) with the exception of the soft, round mozzarella in the caprese salad. Although the mozzarella didn’t fit completely in the chamber, it was soft enough so the plunger could still quarter most of each ball; the section that didn’t fit was cut off by the edges of the gadget and joined its companions in the bowl.
Pros: Super fast; I produced a small bowl full of quartered grapes within a minute. Plunger top untwists from the bottom so it’s easy to wash. Dishwasher safe. Safe for children to use. Compact and comes with a cover so it can be tossed into a diaper bag.
Cons: Doesn’t work well on rounded items, such as bigger red grapes and round tomatoes. Sometimes a speck of fruit will get stuck where the blades cross, so if cuts are not coming out clean, check that area.
Cost and availability: $9.99 at oxo.com with $9.10 shipping, bedbathandbeyond.com (free shipping on orders over $29), surlatable.com ($13.50 shipping) and amazon.com (free shipping on orders over $25).
Worth it?: My cousin will love this.
Got a gadget that you love? Curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.
