Good Question: What Is This Stringed Gadget?

Here's a request for help from Karen, Christina, and Kristen — what is this gadget?

Dear Kitchen connoisseurs,
We found this in our kitchen. What is it used for? We used it to zest a lemon (and my pinky too) so far...please help!

Karen, Christina, and Kristen, congratulations! You have a.....

....Tomato slicer!

Yes, that's right, this vintage gadget was designed to slice tomatoes. This stumped us for a little while; I though it was a cheese slicer, and Sara Kate suggested egg slicer. I ventured off briefly into the world of butter slicers, but finally I found the twin of your gadget here:

• Red and Black Bakelite Handle Tomato Slicer Vintage at Ruby Lane

Having said that, it would probably work fine for cheese and butter too, as well as hard-boiled eggs. But when summer comes around, you have this handy little unitasker for perfect tomato slices, too.

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Comments (14)

Yup, I remember these - singularly useless at the job of slicing tomatoes too.

Yes, it is a tomato slicer. However, like too many kitchen gadgets, it works better in theory than in reality. I tossed mine years ago. I agree that it would be good for slicing and dicing hard-boiled eggs, but I use my pastry cutter for that.

Yes, Velveeta! That's what it was always used for in my house, growing up! :)

Mine belonged to my grandmother. For something that must be at least sixty years old, it still slices and egg or tomato just fine.

I received one as a gift when I got married, and just tossed it in the Goodwill pile today. You're much better off with a serrated knife for slicing tomatoes, it's not good for slicing mushrooms, and I have an egg slicer for eggs that works MUCH better.

ah yes, the tomato slicer -- it's reeeeeallly dangerous -- so use a handguard that comes with it!

:D

my mom has one. yup, slices tomatoes. don't know if she uses it.

wow, is it really sharp enough to slice tomatoes though? I'm constantly cutting myself trying to cut a tomato even with a decent knife.

It's probably easier to peel off the skin before you try to slice a tomato with one of these - my dad suggested to boil some water (enough for them to submerge), dunk them in for 5-10 seconds, and then place in ice water (to stop the cooking). Then they can be peeled very easily :)

You zested a lemon with that thing? I am impressed! haha

No, it's a traditional folk instrument called a kitchen guitar. You can get it tuned at Williams-Sonoma or some place like that.