Customer Reviews

Harold Imports Chestnutter

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After buying 2 of these for myself and a friend, they both fell apart after several uses (the hinge pins came out and have been re-installed several times), the blades bent and lost their sharpness. A great idea but horrible construction.

This is a great idea. I bought it a few years ago as a gift for my parents who love roasted chestnuts. It really worked well until it broke after maybe a dozen uses. I did not buy this from this seller - the bad review is for the product. I don't know what kind of metal it's made of but the inner part broke and Amazon would not help because it was bought by a third party vendor.

The idea of chestnutter is good but needs some improvements. Due to the depth of chestnut chamber, the cutter can only reach the big size chestnuts. Also the cutter is not sharp enough.

This device provides a much safer way to lance the skin of chestnuts before roasting. It could use more leverage, however, the short handles require more effort than my wife can exert and therefore I get the job of breaking the skin.

Frankly I don't understand the bad reviews. I have had this for years.
I actually bought it at a flea market for $2.00. But after using it I would buy it again (full price)if it should break.
First of all if your chestnuts are too small (mine are never small) you just put a cotton ball or two and it will work fine.
If the pin comes out go get a small length of heavy wire and string it through and twist it, it will not move then.
Mine is very sharp, it cuts the nut so fast I got scared the first time I used it. I do not know haw many times it was used before I got it but it was not brand new.
I used to cut the chestnuts at my mother-in-laws and it was a pain we had to do them by the pound. This would have been a God send.
Do not hesitate to buy this thing it really is great.
I am sorry you all don't like it, I do!

After reading the review above, I eMailed the people at Jasco. I got this reply:

<< Thank you so much for your interest in the Chestnutter. We stand 100%
behind the quality of the Chestnutter. If you have a problem with this
product within 1 year of purchase (ample time to detect any manufacturing
defect), we will repair or replace it free of charge.

We have thousands of very satisfied customers and I hope to be able to
count you among them.

Yours truly,
Sharon

Sharon Siegel
JASCO enterprises
t- 847 972-1896 >>

THEN I eMailed back and asked where I might find this guarantee on their website. No reply...
~silence~

What can I say? Mine works fine and is the fastest, most reliable way of scoring a chestnut for roasting that I have seen. It works a bit like a cherry-pitter. You place the chestnut in the receptacle, close the holder, and squeeze. Open and a nice "x" appears. Some ultra-large or tiny ones still need to be done by hand with a chef's knife. Not a big deal.

I bought this for my dad who likes chestnuts. It works well, and I don't have to worry that he's going to stab his fingers with a knife when he tries to pierce the raw chestnut before he roasts them. He thought it was a cool gadget.

I love my "Chestnutter!" I LOVE to cook and I cook constantly (for a husband and 2 growing boys). But I do not have a lot of gadgets. In fact, I'm not that big on gadgets unless they are really going to add a value in some way. But this little fella really fills the bill. It is sturdy and well made. There are 3 arms that are secured together:

(1) the 1st arm has a little receptacle for the chestnut to sit in

(2) the 2nd arm swings down and secure the nut

(3) the 3rd arm then comes down and pierces the chestnut with an X through a hole in top of the 2nd arm

Ingenious, right? Because anyone who's ever roasted chestnuts knows how difficult it can be to get that all important "X" carved into one (that tough skin, you know). And without the X, you don't have ' chestnuts roasting on an open fire ' '.....you have chestnuts exploding on an open fire. Nobody needs that.

If you like chestnuts, make your life a little easier and get this gadget. After all, roasted chestnuts make everything a little better, don't they?

I was forever cutting my hands each winter with a knife whilst trying to cut little crosses into my chestnuts, this gadget is brilliant! I would recommend it to anyone who loves the taste of freshly roasted chestnuts like I do!