The OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter is the best cherry pitter for most people because it pits cleanly with one squeeze, locks shut for storage, and its splatter shield keeps juice off your counter. If you pit more than a bag of cherries a year, a dedicated pitter turns a purple-fingered chore into a few quiet minutes. The right one depends on volume: single-cherry tools are fine for snacking, but bakers and canners should look at multi-cherry designs.

Quick Answer

The OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter is the best pick for most kitchens, pitting one cherry at a time with a splatter shield and a comfortable squeeze action. For big batches, the Leifheit Cherrymat pits several pounds an hour with far less hand fatigue.

  • Best overall: OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter
  • Best value: Chef’n QuickPit Cherry Pitter
  • Best budget: Westmark Cherry Pitter
  • Avoid: Multi-cherry gadgets with loose plungers that crush fruit instead of punching the pit through

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Quick Picks

  • Best overall: OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter, One-squeeze pitting with a splatter shield and a lock for the drawer.. Check price on Amazon
  • Best value: Chef’n QuickPit Cherry Pitter, Compact spring-loaded design that is quick and easy on the hands..
  • Best budget: Westmark Cherry Pitter, Simple sturdy German design that also handles olives..

Comparison Table

Pitter Type Best for Capacity Buy
OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter Handheld squeeze Everyday snacking and small bakes One cherry Check Price
Chef’n QuickPit Cherry Pitter Handheld spring-loaded Fast one-handed pitting One cherry Check Price
Westmark Cherry Pitter Handheld squeeze Cherries and olives on a budget One cherry Check Price
Leifheit Cherrymat Countertop lever Canning and big baking batches Continuous feed Check Price

How We Chose These Kitchen Gadgets Picks

We compared the most established pitters on plunger alignment, splatter control, and hand comfort, then dug into aggregated owner feedback to see which ones actually remove pits cleanly across cherry sizes. Tools with frequent reports of crushed fruit or leftover pits were dropped.

Key Takeaway: Match the pitter to your volume. A handheld tool is all a snacker needs, but if you can or bake with cherries by the pound, a countertop model like the Leifheit pays for itself in saved time and spared thumbs.

Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter

OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter

Best for: Home cooks who pit cherries for snacking, salads, and the occasional pie and want clean results without juice everywhere. Why it made the list: The plunger lines up with the cradle every time, the splatter shield actually contains the juice, and the soft handles make repeat squeezing comfortable.

  • Key specs: Die-cast zinc and plastic body, soft non-slip grips, splatter shield, locking latch for storage, also pits olives, top-rack dishwasher safe.
  • What we like: Pits punch through cleanly on the first squeeze for medium and large cherries, and the shield genuinely keeps juice off shirts and counters.
  • What we do not like: Small or very soft cherries can slip in the cradle, and pitting a full quart one cherry at a time gets tedious.
  • Who should buy it: Anyone who buys fresh cherries regularly in season and wants a reliable tool that stores flat in a drawer.
  • Who should avoid it: Canners and serious bakers working through multiple pounds; a continuous-feed pitter like the Leifheit Cherrymat is far faster.
  • Common complaints: Owners note the shield can pop out of place during washing and that undersized cherries sometimes need repositioning.
  • Size note: It is a compact handheld tool about the size of a garlic press and locks closed so it takes little drawer space.
  • Cleaning note: Rinse it right after use before juice dries; it is top-rack dishwasher safe but hand washing keeps the shield seated.
  • Alternative: The Chef’n QuickPit if you want something even smaller and spring-assisted for one-handed use.

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Cherry Pitter Buying Guide

Handheld or countertop

Handheld squeeze pitters are cheap, compact, and perfect for a bowl of snacking cherries. Countertop lever models with a feed chute pit several times faster and spare your hands, which matters if you preserve or bake in volume.

Look at plunger alignment

A pitter only works if the plunger meets the pit dead center. Rigid bodies and firm cradles pit cleanly; flexy plastic frames let the cherry roll and end in crushed fruit with the pit still inside.

Splatter control

Cherry juice stains. Shields, enclosed chambers, or designs that eject pits downward into a cup keep the mess contained. If a pitter has no juice management at all, plan to work over the sink.

Safety Notes

  • Always double-check pitted cherries destined for kids or blenders, since even good pitters occasionally miss a pit.
  • Keep fingers clear of the plunger path when working fast through a batch.
  • Wash pitters promptly, as dried cherry juice is acidic and can degrade metal parts over time.
  • Store locking pitters latched so the spring is not compressed in the drawer.

What to Avoid

  • Flexible all-plastic pitters that let the cherry shift off center.
  • Multi-cherry gadgets with poorly aligned plungers that pierce fruit but leave pits behind.
  • Push-rod straw-style pitters if you have hand pain, since they need firm force per cherry.
  • Any pitter without a shield or chamber if you care about your countertops and clothes.

FAQ

Do cherry pitters work on olives too?

Most handheld cherry pitters, including the OXO and Westmark, handle olives of similar size. Very large queen olives or tiny arbequinas may not seat properly in the cradle, so results depend on fruit size.

How many cherries can I pit per hour?

With a handheld pitter, most people manage a few pounds per hour before hand fatigue sets in. A countertop lever model like the Leifheit Cherrymat can more than double that pace because cherries feed continuously and the lever does the work.

Can I pit cherries without a pitter?

Yes, you can push pits out with a sturdy straw or a chopstick over a bottle, or slice around the pit with a paring knife. It works for a handful of cherries but is slow, messy, and mangles fruit destined for pies or preserves.

Final Verdict

The OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter is the best cherry pitter for everyday use, with the Chef’n QuickPit Cherry Pitter as the compact value pick and the Leifheit Cherrymat as the batch machine for canning season.

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