Makes children eat more fruit! (Ikea Charm Apple Slicer)

Member Name: dee778

Product:	Ikea Charm Apple Slicer
Date:	22/06/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A lovely gadget which is very well designed.

Disadvantages: Sharp blades that have no cover.

I first saw this apple slicer at work, where a colleague impressed everyone in the lunch room with a display of instant apple slicing every day! I immediately thought that my children would absolutely love the noise it made and the way it cut the apple into 8 pieces, exactly the same size.

Walking through IKEA marketplace I spotted a red version, and immediately popped it into my shopping bag. It was a couple of pounds and seemed very good value. Once I got it home, both my gadget-mad sons were fascinated, and ate at least one apple every day for the next two weeks.

The design of the apple slicer is very clever. It is robust so that you can put your whole weight onto the apple. Very simple to use, you just put the slicer on the top of the apple, making sure that the round hole is over the core. One swift push downwards, and you instantly have eight lovely identical apple chunks and the core falls away from the slices in a very satisfying cylinder. The blades are fairly sharp, but not as sharp as a knife, so children really need to be supervised when using the slicer. They can actively participate in the slicing, as long as you make sure that no little fingers are under the slicer when they push down (ouch!). Having said this, it is amost impossible to leave your fingers underneath, as the handles are designed to fit the palm of your hand exactly and stand well clear of the blades. When you push down, it makes a very satisfying thump, which the children love.

The slicer is dishwasher proof - I have had it for a year or more and it still looks like new after loads of washes. I am reluctant to take it to work as the blades can be sharp in my bag, but my work colleague has made a special plastic sheath so that she can take hers in. I would think that IKEA could increase their sales if they made a sheath like this for travel and picnics.

I really recommend this slicer as a way of making children eat more fruit. It is simple and cheap, but they love it!

Summary: A good buy