Farber Ware Peeler

This vegetable peeler is a general-merchandise kitchen tool sold under the Farber Ware name. The product details don't list its blade type, handle material or dimensions, so check the packaging for those. In a liquor store, the peeler's most useful job is cutting citrus peel for drinks, though it also handles everyday kitchen peeling. For cocktails, a peeler takes broad strips of zest that a paring knife usually cuts unevenly. Use a lemon, orange or grapefruit with firm, thick skin. Press the blade lightly and pull in one long stroke so you get mostly colored zest and as little bitter white pith as possible. Hold the strip skin-side down over the finished drink and pinch it, so the citrus oils spray across the surface. Then rub the peel around the rim and drop it in or set it on the side. This works well in an Old Fashioned, a Negroni, a Manhattan, a martini and many other stirred drinks. A wide strip also looks cleaner in a rocks glass than a wedge does. Peelers in this style usually have a swivel or fixed blade, and a swivel blade tends to follow the curve of fruit more easily. Check how the blade sits on the tool before you buy. For citrus, a sharp, lightly pressed blade matters more than force. The tool also strips carrots, potatoes, cucumbers and apples. It's worth keeping a separate peeler for cocktail work if you don't want citrus oil on the blade when you prepare savory food. To clean it, rinse it soon after use so citrus oils and starch don't dry on the blade. Dry it before storing it so it stays in good condition. Confirm care instructions, such as whether it is dishwasher-safe, on the packaging, since they aren't in the listing.