Dreamfarm Corn Tools: Corn Holders ("Lockorns") and Corn Stripper ("Corpeel")
Ahhh summer! The time for tomatoes and berries … and CORN! I love corn on the cob (and we also have a great Cool Tip for getting the husk and silk off) and making off-the-cob dishes like Corn Soup and Shredded Zucchini Sauteed with Corn and Chives.
But when eating corn on the cob, the challenge has always been to get your corn holders to stay in place and not slip out of the ends of the cob.
Getting the kernels off the cob can be messy, frustrating, and sometimes even a little dangerous. (The ‘knife down the corn cob’ method always makes me a little nervous, and knives just aren’t curved the way a corn cob is.)
Well, we’ve found great solutions for both of these approaches to corn from a clever Australian company named Dreamfarm….
For corn on the cob, corn holders are an almost essential tool if you (a) don’t want to burn your fingers, and (b) don’t want your fingers covered in butter. But most 2-pronged corn holders pull out of the cob as easily as they go in. That’s why we were so delighted to see the innovative minds at Dreamfarm at work.
The Dreamfarm corn holders (what they call “Lockorns” for lock corn holders) are nothing short of brilliant: they have the traditional pair of prongs, but between those prongs they have an arcing third prong that rotates to lock onto the ear of corn and hold tight; then when the corn holders are at rest in your drawer, these arcing third prongs hold the pair together, and shield your fingers from being accidentally pricked. As we said: brilliant!...and therefore a Cool Tool.
And now for the second aspect of enjoying corn: dismembering the ear of corn into its component parts: the cob (which can be used to make the base broth for the delicious Corn Soup above) and the kernels, which you can use in so many dishes. The issue here is how best to separate the two. You need something sharp to cut the kernels cleanly off the cob, but you also want some built-in safety features to protect your fingers, hands, and any other part of your anatomy that might get involved.
Dreamfarm has reimagined the corn stripper by turning the process upside down: instead of running the blade over the top of the horizontal ear of corn, you run the ear of corn over the curved blade (see the video--it’s one of those “one picture is worth…” things). The “Corpeel” (for corn peeler) has 4 safety features built into its design.The first safety feature is the curved sharp blade: you don’t want to run a sharp blade against a moist and slippery surface when the shapes don’t match. In other words, it’s not always easy - or safe - to strip a curved ear of corn with a straight blade; they’re just not designed, by nature, to work together. The curved blade is designed to have maximum corn contact, with very little left over to impact your tender fingers. Secondly, when the Corpeel is closed and folded, at rest in your drain rack or in your drawer, it not only takes up very little space, but is designed to protect the blade (and thus your fingers!). Thirdly, the finger indentations on the side of the Corpeel protect your fingers and assure a better grip when using the tool. Finally, the silicone strip at the end of the ramp that corrals the corn coming off the cob also helps stabilize the Corpeel on your counter. Altogether, you have a true Cool Tool!
Facts:
- BPA Free
- Dishwasher safe
- Pair of Corn Holders:
- Length:3.2” / 8.2cm
- Width:1.2” /3cm
- Weight:0.04lb / 0.02kg
- Material:Polypropylene, Stainless Steel
- Corn Stripper:
- Length:6.7” / 16.9cm
- Width:2.1” /5.3cm
- Weight:0.11lb / 0.05kg
- Material:Polypropylene, Stainless Steel
