Rotato Express Peels Vegetables Quickly

Potato peeling is one of the most mind numbing of all kitchen tasks, so when a new gadget that promises to end the drudgery comes along, of course I have to try it. The Rotato Express is a new device that claims to peel potatoes, apples and other vegetables with the push of a button.

If you haven't seen this on TV, the Rotato Express has four prongs at the bottom of the machine that hold your potato or apple, a top spike to further stabilize the vegetable and a small blade arm that lays against the side of the vegetable to remove the peel. When your vegetable has been secured, the commercial claims that you press a button and the potato will rotate against the blade and it will be peeled quickly and with no fuss. The Rotato Express stops automatically when it reaches the end of the vegetable. Because this is the "Rotato" Express, we put the machine to the first test with a potato.

Setting up the device was easy, but the spikes are sharp, so if your child wants to help (an once they see it in action, they will) make sure they are careful when placing the vegetables on them. The base is rubberized, so it is stable and non-slip. After everything was set up, I let my eight year old daughter press the Rotato Express button and away it went. The potato rotated a constant speed and the peel came off in a thin, continuous strip. Everything went exactly as advertised. My daughter was delighted with the "peel ribbon" and I was pleased with my newly-peeled potato.

The next thing we tried on the Rotato Express was an apple and it worked as well as the potato. We tried it on several other vegetables with varying degrees of success. Zucchini and pears worked well. I also tried an eggplant, but it did not work as well as the thin was somewhat thick and the eggplant was somewhat soft. The Rotato Express worked with a cucumber, but it to be cut in half before it would fit between the spikes.

All in all, the Rotato Express performs exactly as advertised and it is fun to use. It is bulky and takes up a lot of room, so if you have a small kitchen, it may not be for you. The Rotato Express sells for $24.95 plus $7.95 shipping. If you find yourself peeling a lot of potatoes, it may be worth the price, but otherwise you may have a slightly pricey toy taking up a large spot in your kitchen.