Peanut Butter Mixer
Stirring natural peanut butter in the jar is often a messy affair, with the top layer of oil spilling over the edge as you attempt to combine it with the thick paste of peanut solids underneath. That’s where Grandpa Witmer’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer ($9.95) comes in. A simple hand crank attached to a lid that screws onto the jar, it blends oil and solids but doesn’t splash the operator. The original Model 100 mixer fits securely onto standard 16-ounce jars (other models fit 12-ounce jars as well as mammoth industrial-size containers), thanks to its rubber gasket and plastic lid liner. We slipped the crank through a small hole in the center of the lid, screwed the lid onto our jar, and turned the crank. When we were finished stirring, the gasket automatically wiped the crank clean as we pulled it back out through the lid, leaving us with perfectly mixed, ready-to-eat peanut butter (which we stored in the fridge to prevent reseparation). The mixer’s simple parts are hand-washable only—a minor inconvenience for such a handy device.
- Good:
- ★★★
- Fair:
- ★★
- Poor:
- ★
- N/A:
- ----
| Product Tested | Performance | Comfort | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | ||||
 |
Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: FlexibleThe nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus. |
★★★ | ★★★ | $19.95 |
| Recommended | ||||
 |
Wüsthof Classic Boning KnifeHefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasn’t sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts. |
★★ | ★★★ | $99.95 |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
 |
Mundial Boning Knife: FlexibleThe sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat. |
★★ | ★★ | $19.95 |
| Not Recommended | ||||
 |
Shun Gokujo Filet KnifeDesigned to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery. |
★★ | ★ | $179.95 |
 |
MAC Boning Knife—Chef SeriesThe large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult. |
★ | ★★ | $34.95 |
 |
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning KnifeThe blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced. |
★ | ★ | $53.60 |
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