Whether you’re making your yearly batch of fresh strawberry rhubarb jam or prepping your morning smoothies, a good strawberry huller will save a ton of time in the kitchen. Likewise, strawberry hullers are great for cocktail garnishes and eye-catching desserts that require a more uniform look.
While single-purpose tools might not seem so sustainable in theory, a strawberry huller is unique in that it can create less food waste than using a paring knife or simply slicing across the tops of your berries. Smaller strawberries can also make the paring knife method more tedious (and sometimes more dangerous), especially when recipes call for multiple pounds of fruit. Strawberry hullers are also convenient for other uses like coring tomatoes, removing potato eyes, or targeting bruised portions of hardier fruits during the rest of the year.
An ideal huller will combine important features like materials, ease of cleaning, size, value, and performance. To help you take full advantage of summer’s strawberry season and beyond, we researched and tested the best strawberry hullers available.
Best Overall
OXO Good Grips Strawberry Huller
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- Non-slip grip
- Works with different-sized berries
- Easy to clean
- Spring loaded
- Hard to store
The Oxo brand is known for its signature non-slip handles that provide a comfortable grip, even while handling wet ingredients. This strawberry huller incorporates a tong-style design with tapered blades that grab onto the berry’s stem and core to remove with a slight twist of the hand. The hinges are spring-loaded, so you can easily tackle a large number of berries in mere seconds, and the stainless steel blades are rounded to create as little waste as possible.
We tested this strawberry huller ourselves and were very impressed with its performance. It felt incredibly light and contoured to the hand perfectly. Thanks to the ergonomic shape and soft signature “Good Grips” padding along the handles, it was comfortable to use even while working through several large baskets of farmers market strawberries. The rounded blades and hinge design made it simple to target the stem and core regardless of size—we used it successfully on large, medium, and small berries—without losing any of the precious red fruit. The stem removal resulted in uniform, perfectly-round holes.
The blades were also sharp enough to pierce the berry easily, but not so sharp that we worried about the tool slipping and cutting our hands. We cleaned the tool both by handwashing and by simply tossing it in the dishwasher, which was super convenient. Several reviewers noted the bulky width, which may make it more awkward to store, but we found it smaller than expected and simple to stow away in the kitchen drawer alongside other cooking gadgets. What’s more, we think that the affordable price and efficiency that this tool provides more than makes up for any shortcomings.
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Materials: Plastic, stainless steel | Dimensions: 5.75 x 1.25 x 4.75 inches | Weight: 1.8 ounces
Best Push Button
Chef’n Original Stem Gem Strawberry Huller
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- Fun design
- Push-button mechanism is easier on hands
- Creates very little waste
- Great value
- May be difficult to clean
The Chef’n Orignal Stem Gen didn’t just catch our attention because of the clever name—it’s also one of the most popular and highly-rated strawberry hullers available. This model uses a simple push-button mechanism with a stainless steel tip. The metal piece grabs onto the berry stem without attaching to the surrounding fruit, meaning you won’t waste any part of the strawberry besides the stem and core. Simply twist to remove, release the button, and you’re ready to move on to your next berry. We also appreciate that the tip creates perfectly rounded openings for garnishes and stuffing strawberries with fillings like Nutella or cheesecake.
We could easily see this strawberry huller become a favorite summer kitchen gadget for the kids, thanks to its thoughtful design and cute colors (it even looks like a strawberry!). The only fault we could find with this model is in the ease of cleaning since there are more opportunities for food particles to build up around the edges—though it does earn points for being top-rack dishwasher safe.
Materials: Plastic, stainless steel | Dimensions: 3.59 x 1.9 inches | Weight: 0.96 ounces
Best for Gifting
Williams Sonoma Summer Berry Set
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- Includes tools for hulling and pitting
- Basket doubles as a colander
- Keeps berries fresh
- Pricey
If you have someone in your life who can’t get enough of summer fruit, this Williams Sonoma Summer Berry Basket will make the perfect gift. It includes the fan-favorite Chef’n Original Stem Gem Strawberry Huller, plus a matching Chef’n Berry Basket and an Oxo Cherry Pitter.
Of course, the Chef’n huller is already one of our top picks, but we also love the look and design of the cherry pitter; It has a splatter guard to keep any cherry juice from leaking, a locking handle for storage, and a non-slip grip. The berry basket has an inner container for rinsing and draining your berries, along with a plastic lid for keeping everything fresh.
Materials: Plastic, stainless steel, zinc, Santoprene | Dimensions: 3.59 x 1.9-inch srawberry huller, 5.75-inch cherry pitter, 4 x 4.5 x 4.5-inch berry basket
Best Set
Joie Strawberry Huller and Slicer
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- Set includes matching slicer
- Attractive design
- Both pieces are also available separately
- Slicer is bulky
This set comes with a Joie huller and an adorable matching slicer shaped like a strawberry. The huller itself is made of sturdy plastic and stainless steel with a rounded scooper end that won’t poke you like a paring knife. Reviewers love the little strawberry huller because it is super easy to clean (just throw it in the dishwasher) and precise. Although the simplicity of the tool—no fancy buttons or hinges—means it may take some getting used to, it will last a long time.
The slicer has seven blades for creating evenly-sized cuts that are ideal for garnishing cakes and snacking with little fingers. Despite the bulky size, it does lay flat for easy storage. If you have your eye on a different huller on our list, Joie sells the strawberry slicer separately.
Materials: Plastic, stainless steel | Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.75 x 0.15-inch huller, 3.5 x 2.7 x 0.75-inch slicer | Weight: 1.23-ounce huller, 2.4-ounce slicer
Best Serrated
Norpro Stainless Steel Strawberry Huller and Tomato Stem Corer Tool
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- Ideal for both strawberries and tomatoes
- Sharp edges
- Great value
- End loop for hanging
- Head may bend if used on tougher fruits
- Can’t adjust core size
Although this huller is technically marketed for coring tomatoes, it works just as well with hulling strawberries. The stainless steel head uses durable serrated teeth to latch and scoop out the berry’s stem and core with an easy twist without wasting any of the bright red fruit. Some reviewers even reported using it to remove bruised parts of apples but noted that the head is prone to bending backward if overused on larger or tougher fruits.
We like the thick handle, which is made of heavy-duty plastic that’s smooth and easy to clean, as well as the end loop for hanging to dry or store. Another plus? This tool is more affordable than similar models.
Materials: Stainless steel, plastic | Dimensions: 4.75 x 0.25 x 0.75 inches | Weight: 1.09 ounces
Best Straw Style
Tovolo Strawberry Huller
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- Ergonomic handle
- Small and easy to store
- Removes a thinner core
- Not ideal for larger berries
If you’ve ever used a regular plastic straw to hull strawberries, this tool proposes a practical upgrade. Rather than stocking up on single-use straws that are bound to get clogged and tossed in the trash, the Tovolo Strawberry Huller is reusable, easy to clean, and fast. The stainless steel tube pushes up through berry cores from the bottom, and the rounded handle is shaped to fit your thumb with non-slip ridges. Perhaps the best feature is the straw cutout on the side of the tube, which makes clearing the removed core and cleaning simple and efficient.
The narrow opening means that larger strawberries with thicker stems might be more difficult to clear, but if you’re working with seasonal berries at the peak of ripeness, it definitely removes as little fruit as possible. This tool is also dishwasher safe, and the slim shape makes it easy to store.
Materials: Stainless steel, plastic | Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 0.5 inches | Weight: 1.12 ounces
Most Versatile
LIANGKEN Strawberry Huller Stem Remover
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- Great value
- Neutral color
- Spring-loaded
- Easy to clean
- Not as sturdy as others
This is a great budget-conscious option for those looking for a basic strawberry huller for occasional use. We love that it has a more neutral color, which is a nice contrast in case bright red is not your style. It’s also designed for use on more than just strawberries—reviewers were successful in coring tomatoes as well as removing pineapple and potato eyes with this gadget.
It has a spring-loaded, rounded handle to reduce hand fatigue and a sharp tip to cut through tougher fruit. The blades are slightly larger than others, so we’d imagine it works well with larger stems as well as smaller ones, but the beauty of the tong-style huller is that it allows for better control.
Materials: Stainless steel, plastic | Dimensions: 4.72 x 1.89 x 1.18 inches | Weight: 1.76 ounces
Final Verdict
The OXO Good Grips Strawberry Huller is a great tong-style huller that is comfortable to hold, performs well, and doesn’t take up too much space in your drawer. For a set that includes everything you need to hull and slice your strawberries, consider the Joie Strawberry Huller and Slicer.
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What to Look for in a Strawberry Huller
Ease of Cleaning
Strawberries are full of tiny seeds and firm, juicy flesh that can get stuck in the nooks and crannies of a poorly-designed huller. Notice any small spaces that look difficult to reach for cleaning or drying to avoid issues from rust or food accumulation. Likewise, some strawberry hullers are dishwasher safe while others are hand-wash only.
Ease of Use
Strawberry hullers aren’t one size fits all—the ease of use will depend on your specific needs. For example, if you have wrist limitations, opt for a slicing or straw-style huller rather than one that requires twisting. A longer handle will help keep your hands from turning red, as well. Likewise, look for a non-slip handle for added safety if you’re working with extra-juicy or freshly-washed strawberries.
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Efficiency
If you’re in the market for a strawberry huller, chances are you’re planning on working with large quantities of strawberries. You’ll want a tool that will streamline the process and hull your berries in seconds without wasting too much of the fruit surrounding the stem. Tong-style hullers should have spring-loaded handles so you don’t have to open and close them manually, and push-button hullers need to operate smoothly to avoid getting jammed.
Size
Some strawberry hullers are larger in size than others, so it’s important to keep that in mind if you have limited storage space in your kitchen. Long, slim hullers or scoops are good for stowing away in your silverware drawer organizer, while round, tong-style hullers may fit better with baking supplies.
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FAQ
How do you hull a strawberry?
There are several different types of strawberry hullers, but most of them work by inserting a rounded stainless steel claw or sharpened tips, pushing it into the flesh, and twisting the stem to remove. Hulled strawberries are delicious on their own, but especially great for garnishing cocktails and strawberry-based desserts.
Do you have to hull strawberries for jam?
Although a strawberry’s core and green, leafy top are technically edible, they have a grassy texture and bitter taste that can affect the flavor of your jam. The portion right below the leaves that connects the tops to the rest of the fruit is typically tougher in texture than the red part of the berry, so it can also create white lumps in jam.
Is a strawberry huller worth it?
If you eat a lot of strawberries or make a lot of strawberry recipes, investing in a strawberry huller is absolutely worth it. Using a strawberry huller preserves more of the fruit compared to cutting off the tops of the berries, so you’ll get more volume and generate less waste. Don’t forget to toss your stems into the compost bin.
