A cutting device for spiral cutting a vegetable includes a mounting surface that engages the vegetable and is rotated using a motor, which causes rotation of the vegetable. The mounting surface may be moved toward a cutting surface using a lever arm that transmits only a portion of a manual force applied to the lever arm in a direction toward the mounting surface, facilitating precise movement of the mounting surface and a consistent size and shape of the resulting vegetable strands. Movement of the vegetable relative to the cutting surface may pass the vegetable through a slotted blade and a secondary blade. The spacing of cutters in the slotted blade determines the width of vegetable strands produced by the cutting apparatus, while the placement of the secondary blade determines the thickness of the strands. The position of the secondary blade may be adjustable to control the thickness.

In one respect, the invention is a coring machine for removing portions of food item blanks, the coring machine comprising a plate assembly for holding the food item blanks and a pair of coring assemblies, each comprised of a plurality of coring bits that are aligned with passages in the plate assembly.

A fruit and vegetable coring system comprises a tube in the form of a cylinder exhibiting a cutting edge (cylindrical blade) on one end and attachment to a handle at the other end. This cylindrical blade is used to make a cylindrical incision about the core of a fruit (or vegetable) and potentially slice through the entire depth of the fruit (or vegetable). In certain cooking applications, it is desirable to remove the core of the fruit, and not slice through the entire depth of the fruit, but retain a floor below the core for the retention of cooking stuffs. To make provision for this application, some form of planar blade(s) is made part of the interior of the cylinder in the proximity of the cylindrical blade for the purpose of shearing the fruit core and freeing it from the fruit upon rotation of the cylinder about its longitudinal axis once inserted in the fruit. An alternative to the planar blade is the inclusion of a wire blade attached across the diameter of the cylinder in the proximity of the cylindrical blade. The change in the inner diameter of the cylinder due to the interior taper of the cylinder associated with the blade is disclosed to be sufficient to compress the fruit core and thereby retain it in the cylinder for removal from the fruit. Provision is made for standoff collars placed along the cylinder near the handle attachment to adjust the coring depth of the cutting. Additionally, various alignment mechanisms are included in embodiments of the system to provide alignment of the coring cylinder with the core of the fruit.

A fruit and vegetable coring system comprises a tube in the form of a cylinder exhibiting a cutting edge (cylindrical blade) on one end and attachment to a handle at the other end. This cylindrical blade is used to make a cylindrical incision about the core of a fruit (or vegetable) and potentially slice through the entire depth of the fruit (or vegetable). In certain cooking applications, it is desirable to remove the core of the fruit, and not slice through the entire depth of the fruit, but retain a floor below the core for the retention of cooking stuffs. To make provision for this application, some form of planar blade(s) is made part of the interior of the cylinder in the proximity of the cylindrical blade for the purpose of shearing the fruit core and freeing it from the fruit upon rotation of the cylinder about its longitudinal axis once inserted in the fruit. An alternative to the planar blade is the inclusion of a wire blade attached across the diameter of the cylinder in the proximity of the cylindrical blade. The change in the inner diameter of the cylinder due to the interior taper of the cylinder associated with the blade is disclosed to be sufficient to compress the fruit core and thereby retain it in the cylinder for removal from the fruit. Provision is made for standoff collars placed along the cylinder near the handle attachment to adjust the coring depth of the cutting. Additionally, various alignment mechanisms are included in embodiments of the system to provide alignment of the coring cylinder with the core of the fruit.

A slicer device and a method of using a slicer device for slicing and removing a fleshy part of a watermelon surrounded by a rind. The device includes a cutter piece, a plurality of cutters and at least one support bar attached to an outer surface of the cutter piece. The cutter piece has an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior for receiving the fleshy part of the watermelon. The plurality of cutters are within the interior of the cutter piece arranged to form a pattern with a plurality of openings, with each of the openings being defined between cutters or between at least one cutter and the inner surface of the cutter piece, such that the fleshy part of the watermelon within the rind is cut into multiple pieces with geometric shapes.

A snap-fit fruit scoop set includes a first, second, and third fruit scoop, each of the first, second, and third fruit scoops having a corresponding cutting hoop and a handle secured to the cutting hoop. Each of the first, second, and third fruit scoops also includes a locking feature formed on the applicable cutting hoop to enable the first, second, and third fruit scoops to be attached to one another via the locking features.

A snap-fit fruit scoop set includes a first, second, and third fruit scoop, each of the first, second, and third fruit scoops having a corresponding cutting hoop and a handle secured to the cutting hoop. Each of the first, second, and third fruit scoops also includes a locking feature formed on the applicable cutting hoop to enable the first, second, and third fruit scoops to be attached to one another via the locking features.

Exemplary systems and methods for storing a food item prior to cutting, for cutting the food item, and for supporting the food item for serving to a user after it has been cut are described herein. The exemplary system may include a cutting apparatus removably couplable to an open end of a collapsible apparatus having a collapsible region between the open end and a base. The system may be configured to store the food item until cut. Upon application of a sufficient compressive force, the collapsible apparatus collapses and causes the food item to be cut and moved out of the collapsible apparatus through the cutting apparatus. The system is configured to operate while maintaining the coupling between the cutting apparatus and the collapsible apparatus in all of a food storage configuration, a food cutting configuration and a food serving configuration, and transitions therebetween.

Exemplary systems and methods for storing a food item prior to cutting, for cutting the food item, and for supporting the food item for serving to a user after it has been cut are described herein. The exemplary system may include a cutting apparatus removably couplable to an open end of a collapsible apparatus having a collapsible region between the open end and a base. The system may be configured to store the food item until cut. Upon application of a sufficient compressive force, the collapsible apparatus collapses and causes the food item to be cut and moved out of the collapsible apparatus through the cutting apparatus. The system is configured to operate while maintaining the coupling between the cutting apparatus and the collapsible apparatus in all of a food storage configuration, a food cutting configuration and a food serving configuration, and transitions therebetween.

A tool (1) for separating flesh from a core and a rind of a fruit, in particular a pineapple, comprising: a corer (10) that, op opposite ends, is provided with a driving member (40) and a cutting edge (12); a flesh cutter (20) extending radially on the corer and having at least one cutting edge (22), wherein the shape of the flesh cutter is such that upon rotation it executes a helical movement with a predetermined pitch; a rind cutter (30), provided at an outer end of the flesh cutter and extending parallel to the corer, said rind cutter including a cutting edge (32). The tool further comprises a section cutter (60), including an annular hub (62) configured to be slidingly received on the corer, an annular rim (66), and one or more spokes (64) radiating from the hub and interconnecting the hub and the rim.