Help Me Identify This Mystery Kitchen Tool! Good Questions

Q: I work at Sur La Table and found this old beat-up tool in our breakroom a few days ago. I asked around and nobody I work with recognizes it, and some people have worked there for upwards of 8 years.

I am pretty sure it is related to the kitchen since it was found in a kitchen store. Thanks!

Sent by Katherine

Editor: Huh. This one has us rather stumped. We feel like we've seen it somewhere before, but... nope. Not coming to us. It almost looks like a rotary cheese grater, but missing a piece.

Readers, help us all out! What is this thing?

Next question?

(Images: Katherine via email)

Comments (21)

All those little pokey bits inside, plus the shape, make me think it's something to do with shelling a boiled egg. It's not for squeezing lemons or the like because it is shaped wrong for that.

nutcracker. i have just like it. works great for big nuts like walnuts, not so well for small hazelnuts.

Yep, nutcracker. cf. http://www.amazon.com/As-Seen-Quick-nut-Cracker/dp/B000R2C8XS

Absolutely a nutcracker, got one of those here.

as above it is a nutcracker, the sloped sides and grooves accomodates for all sizes of nuts.

Multi-tasker:
Unicorn horn cleaner
Golf ball juicer

It's definitely a nutcracker - I've seen a few of this design in the UK over the last few years. I'm not a fan of this type myself, I find they tend to fire the nut out the top end (with quite some force!) because the nodules are never quite up to the task of holding it in place when squeezing!

@phoxx

You haven't lived till you have freshly squeezed ball juice :)

Yep, a nutcracker. Also very useful for pulling champagne corks that refuse to turn. No, not just useful...irreplaceable for that task. :-)

man, I was gonna guess it's a waffle cone mold. A wee waffle cone, granted. But I prefer the unicorn horn cleaner.

It looks like you use it to open bottles while you're cracking nuts. Haha.

I was going to say, champaign cork grabber/puller. Get that bubbly!

Definitly a nut cracker, I have the same one, and it's used a lot here in France

Oooh, this could be my GF's 'Elbow Sharpener' that my 8 year old nephew asks to see every year or so. Sadly, it's always 'away being serviced' when he asks....

Radleyas, is that a Tiger Woods quote?

nut cracker!! i grew up with one that looked just like this

Actually, nope. You're all wrong! It's a bottle opener. The grooves are there to grip the bottle, and the handles are so that there is leverage. It is used for things like olive oil bottles and such. It doesn't really work as a nut craker, since it doesn't hold the nut properly. I have one (looks exactly the same) and it is indispensible in our house!