Anybody reading really like peeling fruits and vegetables by hand? This is a job destined for machines. When I first spotted Rotato in the store I thought: hey, that looks like a lot easier way of peeling potatoes, fruit and vegetables. And at less than $9 at Wal-mart, it seemed worth a try.

The only assembly required with Rotato is screwing on the handle. Then you position the target fruit or vegatable on the bottom spikes that rotate when you turn the crank. A spike on the top is used to hold the other end in place. Turn and peel. Easy, huh?

Not so fast. We found the razor blade that the instructions warn not to touch becomes hopelessly clogged with peels forcing you to stop the peeling process and very carefully clean off the razory tip. Also Rotato didn’t peel the top or bottom of the granny smith apple tested, only the center portion and left noticeable varying gaps in the peel depth. It was kind of tasty eating the peels of the insides. That might be one handy use for Rotato: peeling thin pieces of the inside of the apple and dehydrating.

I decided to try an orange for Hmmcast #177 (hey, remember those?):

Click To Play Hmmcast #177 video (will load in popup window)
Among the worst $8+ I’ve ever spent on any kitchen utility. I’ll keep peeling by hand, no domo arigato, Mr. Rotato. Grade: F.

Hmmcast #177 downloads
PSP .mp4 (480×272) iPod .mp4 (640×480) Windows .wmv (1480×1080 HD)