The Internet Is Torn Over The Correct Way To Use A Potato Peeler

Think you know how to use a potato peeler? Think again. TikTok is the place to discover food and kitchen hacks. While one hack teaches people to clean their reusable snack bags by baking them in the oven, this latest hack is much simpler. This particular kitchen hack on how to correctly use a kitchen tool is blowing everyone's mind — but also dividing up the internet. A TikTok user shared how to use a potato peeler and claimed that many are probably incorrectly using. When using a potato peeler, you probably slice the potato in a continuous upward motion away from the potato, which can be cumbersome — but safe.

Instead, you can peel the potato in half the time by moving the gadget in an up-and-down motion, according to the video. Using this method helps you peel the skin off continuously with every move without having to awkwardly stop. This method makes peeling potatoes much faster and easier. Needless to say, people on TikTok are awestruck. Even so, this hack has divided some.

The TikTok creator is no stranger to sharing kitchen hacks on their TikTok account, but the potato peeler hack has people talking. At the time of writing, the TikTok video received over 11 million views and 563,000 likes. In the comments, people are mind blown by the hack.

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A majority of people pointed out that this was the first time that they heard of this hack. One user went as far as to comment that they are questioning everything they have done in life. Another commenter stated that they wished that kitchen tools and gadgets came with instructions. 

While many applauded the hack, some argued that the structure of the peeler has an intended function that differs from the hack. A few commented that the peeler is shaped that way so that it can be used by both left-handed and right-handed people. "That's not the reason why they swivel," another person said. "A lot of the things you peel are round. The angle of attack changes as you move."

Of course, as noted in the comment thread, it can be dangerous to bring a blade (even a peeler) toward yourself. One accidental slip and your arm is in the path of the blade.

Not all kitchen appliances and tools are created equal. The same can be said about potato and vegetable peelers. There are many different types of potato peelers on the market. From swivel to y-shaped peelers, how potato peelers are designed results in different functionalities and capabilities.

Unlike other peelers, the blades of swivel peelers are designed to be rotated and, well, swivel, along the angle of the product it's peeling. Swivel peelers, as the one demonstrated in the TikTok video, generally can peel in any direction and are more comfortable to use, according to the New York Times.

While you can now take this newfound TikTok hack to peel potatoes and make some French fries, a potato peeler can do more than peel the skins of potatoes. Of course, you can use a peeler to peel other vegetables, like carrots. Try using your swivel potato peeler to shave some chocolate to top desserts like ice cream and cheesecake. Just be careful, and think twice before you pull a blade toward you.