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Potato peelers are mechanical devices used to remove the skin from onions without damaging them. They work by using friction and sharp blades or teeth to remove the skin. Industrial-grade peelers use a barrel hopper or a long horizontal screw to move and rotate the onions. Single onion peelers exist but are not as efficient for large batches.
A potato peeler is a mechanical device designed to remove the skin from an onion without damaging the underlying onion or bruising it so that it rots quickly. There are very few models designed for use in a home, because the most commonly used mechanisms are quite large, although the machines are a staple in food preparation, manufacturing and some high-volume kitchens. The two most common models of potato peelers both work on the principle of forcing the onions to touch sharp blades or teeth which, over time, completely remove the loose outer skin of the onion. One design uses a barrel-shaped chamber to hold the onions, while the second type uses a screw auger or conveyor belt to move a line of onions through a series of blades. More rarely, a single peeler may hold a single onion and, with a blade, remove the skin in much the same way a potato peeler works.
The concept behind most designs for an industrial-grade peeler is that the combination of friction, the mass of the onion, and a series of tiny teeth or blades will come together to remove an onion’s loose, outer skin. The process requires the onion to be moved and rotated so that each side of the onion passes by the teeth or blades. This method is quite effective, and when cared for, does almost no harm to an onion, meaning peeled alliums can be stored for a short while after being peeled.
The problem of moving onions through the teeth or blades in a peeler is solved in one design using a barrel hopper. The hopper is lined with sharp teeth and the onions are loaded inside. When activated, the hopper begins to rotate, causing the onions to fall inside and contact the tines at different angles. These machines can be prone to blockages when the skins are removed.
Another solution is to use a long horizontal screw that is constantly turning. The onions are placed on the vine and moved along the line as if they were on a conveyor belt. Plates of sharp teeth are placed at different points so as to cut away the skin of the onions as they move and rotate, driven by friction with the turning screw. This type of peeler tends to be very large, however, and usually works in conjunction with some type of magazine.
A single onion peeler can be used, but normally individual onions need to be specifically loaded into a special vise or holder. This peeler works by twisting the onion into place as a blade moves from one end to the other, peeling off the skin. This model works much like a potato peeler but isn’t as efficient for use on large batches of onions.
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