The peeler is an important tool in the kitchen and it consist of a slotted metal blade attached to a handle that is used to peel vegetables such as potatoes and carrots and fruit such as apples and pears.

The peeler differs from a paring knife, which also can be used for peeling, in that the blade has a slot cut into it, which is sharpened on the inside edge, while the other side prevents the blade from cutting too far into the vegetable. This makes the peeler a very efficient tool and it will save a lot of waste, if you peel with a paring knife, you will have more waste and over a extended period of time you will save a lot of money using a good peeler!

There are a variety of peelers on the market, most peelers are straight or have a Y shape.

A straight peeler has the blade parallel to the handle, resembling a pairing knife the blade would be fixed or pivoting. The French Econome is a fixed blade which does not pivot. The Econome was invented by Victor Pouzet and was invented in France. I did not add a picture of this peeler in the blog.

Then there is the swivel peeler it was designed by Jonas Peeler, and designed in Sweden. It is a straight design with a pivoting blade attached to the end of an oblong metal or plastic loop handle, which is held like a knife.The blade has two edges to enable use in either direction, and by either hand. While often copied, the original is still made by Linden Sweden. Of course many other manufactures have created their own design derived from the swivel design such as the peeler below in the photograph.

The Y peeler is has a blade perpendicular to its handle, a design closely resembling a safety razor and is used with a similar action to a razor which will be shaving off skin in strips parallel to the handle. Most speed peelers have an 'eye gouger' beside the blade, a loop of metal or plastic used to dig out eyes and blemishes from the potato or other vegetable or fruit. 

The Zena Rex design peeler is a variety of this peeler an was invented by the Swiss in 1947 by Alfred Neweczerzal. It has a one piece aluminum or plastic handle and a pivoting carbon steel blade with dual edges. To me it is the most efficient peeler and the one I always will use when I peel my vegetables and fruit!

I have included a picture of the peeler below and this one I have used for so many years, if you take care of them and not lose them, you can used them for many years and they stay very sharp as well!

There are many other peelers that are designed by other manufactures and have there own design and are very attractive so people will buy them by design. Some are not very effective however!

Apple peelers are also made to make it more efficient for Chefs to work in the kitchen, like the apple peeler which is a large peeler is a crank operated device that peels apples and optionally cores and slices them in one motion. it will peel the apples into a helical shape. It is designed to work on apples but will also peel a number of other fruits and vegetables such as pears, beetroot, potatoes, cucumbers and carrots.

I do not have a picture of this peeler.

The peeler was invented so to make it easier and more efficient to peel the vegetables and fruit so that Chefs in the kitchen can work fast and also save money.

The peeler is a very important tool, my recommendation is to use the Zena Rex Swiss peeler it is the most efficient and fasted peeler to use!

How has it effected me in the kitchen?

The peeler to me is a very important tool in the kitchen and of course you want to work with the best peeler possible one that peels very efficiently, to me the straight peelers are not efficient enough in a professional kitchen because you will have to work fast so that you will save labour cost.

Citations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peeler

"Original Jonas Peeler". KitchenKapers. Linden Sweden. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2020-12-12. This is the Original Swedish Jonas peeler that was a staple in kitchens throughout the U.S. in the 1950s & 60s

Richard Stokes (19 April 2011). "The Westmark potato peeler". Dzho.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2019