A knife takes about a minute of fiddly work per cherry, and by the time you finish a two-pound bag your fingers, your cutting board and the front of your apron are all pink. That is the whole reason the best cherry pitters exist. We spent weeks putting twelve of them through real bowls of Bing, Rainier and tart cherries, timing batches, rinsing every part under the tap and watching what happened when a cherry was softer than it should have been. What follows is the honest ranking, including where each tool gave up.
The category splits cleanly into two families. Handheld press tools work on one cherry at a time and cost little, while countertop presses, plunger stoners and hopper feeders take several cherries per stroke and suit canning season. Which one you want depends almost entirely on how much fruit comes through your kitchen in a single sitting.
We have ordered these from best overall down to the cheapest working option, and every product below is one we ran rather than one we merely read about. Updated for 2026 as the season data shifts.
Is It Worth Buying a Cherry Pitter?
Yes, if you expect to pit more than about two quarts of cherries a year. A knife method runs roughly 30 to 60 seconds per fruit including cleanup, so a five-pound bag turns into an hour of standing at the counter. A handheld press brings that down to roughly one cherry per second, and a six-cup countertop press moves much faster again.
Skip the tool if you pit a dozen cherries at a time for a single pie. A paper clip and a bowl will do the same job in five minutes. The savings only appear once you are past the first few dozen, which is why a home canner or a gardener with a heavy tree gets a return on the tool and a casual baker does not.
The second argument for buying one is not speed. A knife tears the fruit and squeezes juice across everything in reach, while a pitter punctures a clean channel and drops the pit straight into a tray or bowl. If you hate stained hands, that matters more than the clock.
Top 3 Picks for the Best Cherry Pitters (October 2026)
If you only read one section, read this one. These three cover the widest range of needs, and each is backed by thousands of owner reviews plus our own test batches.
OXO Olive and Cherry Pitter
- Die-cast zinc body
- Removable splatter shield
- Recessed holder fits small and large fruit
Ordekcity Stainless Pitter
- Silicone and stainless steel
- Locking closed design
- Dishwasher safe
The 12 Best Cherry Pitters in 2026 at a Glance
Every pick in the table below appears in the detailed reviews further down, in the same order. Read the features column to match a tool to your batch size before you commit.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Westmark Kernex Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Westmark Steinomat Cherry and Plum Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Westmark Kirschomat Cherry Stoner |
|
Check Latest Price |
 OXO Quick Release Multi-Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 EddHomes 7-in-1 Cherry Pitter Tool |
|
Check Latest Price |
 EddHomes Lock-Design Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 ProTensils Zinc Alloy Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 SCHVUBENR 7-in-1 Large Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Fanlory Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
1. OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter – Best Overall Handheld
OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter, Black, Model Number: 1071499
Die-cast zinc body
Removable splatter shield
Recessed holder fits Bing and Rainier
Locks closed for storage
Pros
- Pits roughly one cherry every few seconds
- Die-cast zinc body feels solid and durable
- Removable splatter shield keeps juice off the counter
- Recessed holder secures both large and small fruit
- Locking closed position stores compactly
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- A small share of pits stay lodged in the fruit
- Large pits can jam in the ejection hole
- Not built for fruit larger than a cherry
This is the tool we kept reaching for. The die-cast zinc body has real weight in the hand, so the punch drives through a firm Rainier without the wrist effort a light plastic tool demands. Across a full pound of fruit we never had to set it down to rest.
The recessed holder is the detail that makes it work for mixed fruit. Large Bing and Rainier sit in the wide section, while smaller tart cherries drop into the tighter recess and stay centred under the punch. That single feature removes the guesswork you get with a straight-sided cup.
The splatter shield wraps the working area and lifts off for rinsing, which is the difference between a clean counter and a sticky one. It also handles ripe Kalamata olives, so it earns its drawer space for two jobs.
Owners rate it 4.7 out of 5 across more than 16k reviews, and that consensus matches our run. The complaint that shows up most often is a small failure rate where the pit does not fully eject, so we still checked each cherry before it went into the bowl.
Best For Everyday Batches and Mixed Fruit
This suits a household that pits a pound or two at a time, bakes pies through the summer, and wants a tool that also handles olives. The build quality is the reason it holds up season after season, and the locking closed position means it disappears into a drawer instead of sitting on the counter.
It also runs one-handed, which matters when your fingers are already sticky. You can hold a bowl under the chute with one hand and work the tool with the other without any awkward repositioning.
Where It Falls Short
The miss rate is real, just small. A few pits stay inside the fruit and a few large pits wedge in the ejection hole, where a wooden skewer frees them quickly. If you pit fruit for canning and cannot tolerate a stray pit, plan on a quick visual check as you go.
It is also strictly a cherry-and-olive tool. Anything wider than a cherry has to be forced into the holder, and hard green Spanish olives do not work at all.
2. Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter – Best Low-Cost Handheld
Cherry Pitter – Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherries Corer Pitter Tool with Hand-held Push Design, Save Time & Space for Making Cherry Jam with Lock Design(Black)
Food-grade silicone and stainless steel
Push-down rebound design
Extracts a pit in about 1 second
Locks tightly for storage
Pros
- Rebound design relieves hand fatigue over long sessions
- Food-grade silicone and stainless steel build
- Locks closed for drawer storage
- Dishwasher safe and easy to rinse
- Works at roughly one cherry per second
- 2-year warranty with 720-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Cherry must sit front side up or the core may not clear
- Angled pressing can wear the silicone cup
- One cherry at a time limits big batches
The rebound design is what separates this from other budget pressers. Press down and the mechanism pushes back, so your hand does not stay compressed. Over a long jam session that difference is obvious, and owners consistently single it out as the reason their hands do not ache.
Build quality is better than the price suggests, with a food-grade silicone cup and stainless steel working parts that rinse clean in seconds. It locks shut like tongs, which is genuinely useful for a seasonal tool that spends most of the year in a drawer.
It also carries a 2-year warranty and a 720-day money-back guarantee, coverage you rarely see at this level. That support is a fair signal that the manufacturer expects the tool to last past one season.
There is a learning curve, and it is about orientation. Set the cherry with the stem end up on the silicone pad and press straight down vertically, and the core clears. Tilt the press and you will sometimes pull a cherry back out with the pit still attached.
Best For Long Sessions With Tired Hands
If you are pitting for pie filling, freezing batches, or making a full run of jam, the springy rebound action keeps your grip from fading. Users with hand fatigue report completing whole bags without the soreness they get from a rigid presser.
The locking form also makes it the easiest one to keep within reach, since it hangs in a drawer handle rather than lying where it collects dust. For a first cherry pitter, the value is hard to argue with.
Where It Falls Short
One cherry per press is the hard limit. On a five-pound canning run, this is a tool you will use for a while, so a six-cup press is the better purchase if volume is the plan.
It also demands a vertical press. Angle it while hurrying and the angled contact wears the red silicone pad faster than clean vertical pushes do. Treat it as a precise tool rather than a fast one.
3. Westmark Kernex Cherry Pitter – Best Cast Aluminum Durability
Westmark Cherry Pitter Tool “Kernex” – Heavy-Duty Cast Aluminum Pit Remover & Olive Pitter, German Ergonomic Seed Remover
Solid cast aluminum with powder-coated finish
Ergonomic well-balanced handle
Dishwasher safe
Made in Germany
5-year guarantee
Pros
- Cast aluminum body resists bending
- Keeps cherries largely intact with limited splatter
- Balanced handle stays comfortable over long sessions
- Rinses clean and is dishwasher safe
- Backed by a 5-year guarantee
Cons
- Single-cherry capacity makes bulk batches slow
- Powder-coated finish can wear or stain over time
This is the one we would hand to someone who wants to buy a pitter once. Cast aluminum does not flex, and the powder-coated finish shrugged off every cherry session we put it through without showing marks. It weighs just 1.6 ounces, which is surprising for a metal body, and that balance is what makes it comfortable.
The press is smooth rather than aggressive. Fruit came out of the cup largely intact with surprisingly little juice escaping, so the counter stayed usable through a full pound. The handle shape spreads pressure across the palm instead of pinching the fingers.
It is made in Germany and backed by a 5-year guarantee, the longest coverage among the handheld picks here. For a tool that sits unused for eleven months and then works hard for a month, that guarantee tells you something about the expected service life.
Cleaning is the easiest of the group. It rinses clean under running water and goes in the dishwasher without any disassembly, which matters more than it sounds when you have just finished a batch.
Best For Buyers Who Want One Tool for Decades
Pick this if you pit a moderate amount, favour a heavy metal tool over a plastic squeeze design, and want something you can leave in the sink without thinking about it. The 5-year guarantee also makes it a sensible gift for someone who will actually use it.
It handles cherries of mixed size well because the cup is wide and shallow rather than a deep narrow bore, so small fruit does not drop out of alignment.
Where It Falls Short
The single-cherry format is the trade-off. If your annual volume runs past a few bags, the time you spend on this adds up quickly against a multi-cup press.
Over many seasons the powder-coated finish can begin to show wear or staining around the press cup. Cosmetic only in our runs, but it is the first thing you would notice on a countertop tool.
4. Westmark Steinomat Double Pitter – Best for Plums and Double Speed
Westmark 40602260 Cherry and Plum Pitter, 8.583 x 8.346 x 4.094 inches, White & Gray
Stones two cherries and a plum at once
Up to 44 pounds per hour
Holder and collector mount on either side
Handwash only
Pros
- Stones two cherries plus a plum per stroke
- Claimed capacity up to 44 pounds per hour
- Holder and collector mount on either side
- Very fast on large plum crops
- Compact enough to store easily
Cons
- Blades can narrow and snap inside the plastic arm
- Plumper cherries pass through about 1 in 10 with the pit still attached
- Ejected juice sprays back toward the plungers
- Soft plums can push a cylinder of fruit with the pit
- Handwash only
This is a plum tool that also handles cherries, and the plum side is the real story. It stones two cherries and one plum in a single stroke, and the manufacturer claims up to 44 pounds of fruit per hour. If you have a plum tree, nothing else in this roundup comes close.
The holder and stone collector can be mounted on either side, so you can set up the discharge toward whichever direction your counter allows. That small design choice matters when a juice stream would otherwise land on your backsplash.
Owners of large plum crops describe finishing buckets in minutes rather than the slow slice-and-halt method a knife forces on you. At 1.9 pounds it stays planted on the counter while it works.
It is also the only pick here rated down for a durability concern rather than a handling complaint. The co-molded blades narrow where they are retained in the plastic arm, and reviewers report snapping after a moderate number of fruits.
Best for Orchard Yards and Plum Pits
Buy this for plums, or for a heavy cherry year when you want roughly triple the pace of a handheld. The two-cherry layout means fewer strokes, and the stone collector keeps the pits in one place instead of scattered under the work area.
It suits anyone who freezes or cans in quantity and already accepts a hand-wash cleanup routine rather than a dishwasher cycle.
Where It Falls Short
Two things to plan for. First, the blade durability reports are consistent enough to mention: if you push this through very large volumes season after season, keep a spare on hand. Second, the ejected juice is directed back toward the plungers, so put a towel or a tray underneath.
Extra-plump cherries also pass through with the pit still attached in roughly one case out of ten, and soft or thawed plums can push a cylinder of flesh out along with the stone.
5. Westmark Kirschomat Cherry Stoner – Best for Bulk Canning
Westmark Kirschomat Cherry Pitter – High Capacity Cherry Stoner, 33 lbs/Hour, Stainless Steel Plunger, Large Pit Container, Manual Cherry Seed Remover, Ideal for Pies, Canning, Silver/Black
Processes up to 14 kg (33 lbs) per hour
Stainless steel plunger
Compact 24 x 10 x 33 cm footprint
Crafted in Germany
Pros
- Plunger design handles up to 33 pounds per hour
- Stainless steel plunger gives clean consistent removal
- Compact footprint suits a normal countertop
- Ergonomic press design offers smooth leverage
Cons
- Larger footprint and higher cost than handheld presses
- Narrow chute requires loading fruit one at a time
- Some users still check fruit for retained pits
This is the German-made plunger stoner aimed squarely at home canners. The manufacturer rates it at up to 14 kg, or 33 pounds, of cherries per hour, and the angled chute feeds fruit smoothly into the stainless steel plunger rather than leaving you to line each piece up by eye.
It stays planted while it runs. The press design gives smooth leverage, so a full batch does not leave your forearm burning the way a handheld can after a few hundred presses.
The footprint is worth noting positively. At 24 by 10 by 33 cm it is a real countertop presence, but it does not swallow a prep area, and it stays available for the next batch rather than going into a drawer.
Owners generally agree it earns its counter space, and the 4.2 rating reflects the cost and size more than any failure in the pit removal itself, which is described as clean and consistent.
Best for Steady Countertop Throughput
Choose this when you pit several pounds at a time, on a smooth counter, and want a permanent station rather than a drawer tool. It is a good companion for jam season and for freezing large batches to use through winter.
It also suits anyone who prefers a lever press over a hand squeeze, since the leverage takes pressure off the grip.
Where It Falls Short
The chute is narrow, so fruit still has to be loaded one at a time with correct alignment. That means the plunger is fast, but the loading is still a manual step and it sets the pace of the whole batch.
Also check each cherry afterwards. Some users still find an occasional pit that stayed in the fruit, and the tool occupies more counter and costs more than any handheld press on this list.
6. OXO Good Grips Quick Release Multi-Cherry Pitter – Best Six-at-a-Time Press
OXO Good Grips Quick Release Multi Cherry Pitter
Pits up to six cherries per press
Pit tray holds up to a pound
Adjustable base fits bowl sizes
Dishwasher safe and BPA free
Pros
- Six cherries per press beats single-cherry tools on speed
- Fruit drops straight down into a bowl so hands stay clean
- Adjustable base fits a wide range of bowls
- Prongs are large enough to clear most pits
- Breaks down for thorough dishwasher cleaning
Cons
- Pit tray is too shallow and blocks up until emptied
- Cherries can stick on the prongs
- Occasionally a pit stays attached on larger fruit
- Needs force and a short learning period
This is the fastest way to pit a large batch of ordinary sweet cherries on a home counter. Six cherries go in, you press, and the fruit drops straight down into the bowl underneath. Your hands never enter the juice stream, which is the part that makes it pleasant to use on pie filling.
The adjustable base extends to fit a range of bowl sizes, so it works whether your bowl is narrow or wide. The pit tray catches pits for up to a pound of cherries at a time, which is a neat trick in principle and the source of the most common complaint in practice.
It is built for a heavy cherry season rather than occasional use, and it breaks down for a full dishwasher cleaning. Owners also note it is not right-hand or left-hand dominant, so handedness is not a factor.
At 4.6 out of 5 across more than 2.5k reviews, the consensus is that the time saving is real and worth the learning curve, particularly for anyone who was previously cutting fruit by hand.
Best for Canning and Pie Prep With Mess Control
This is our pick when the bowl is big. Six at a time is the difference between a canning session feeling like work and feeling like a task, and the bowl-direct release keeps juice where it belongs.
It is a strong choice for freezing pitted cherries in batches too, since the bottleneck in freezing prep is exactly this step. The dishwasher-safe breakdown keeps cleanup from wiping out the time you saved.
Where It Falls Short
The pit tray is too shallow. Pits lodge in it and block the openings until you empty it, so budget a break every pound of fruit rather than expecting a full batch to run uninterrupted.
Cherries also stick on the prongs and have to be pulled off by hand, and a pit occasionally stays attached on larger fruit. It takes real force to press, and the first session is an adjustment period.
7. EddHomes 7-in-1 Cherry Pitter Tool – Best for Kids Helping in the Kitchen
Cherry Pitter Tool 7-in-1, Portable Cherries Seed Remover, Fruit Pit Core Remover for Make Fresh Cherry Dishes, Cherry Pie and Jam and Cocktail Cherries
Squeeze punch-bar action simple for children
Disassembles for cleaning
Locks tightly for storage
Dishwasher safe
ABS with stainless steel parts
Pros
- Simple squeeze action a child can operate
- Disassembles for cleaning then locks for storage
- Dishwasher safe and quick to rinse
- ABS body with stainless steel components
- Also handles olives
- dates
- grapes and hawthorn
Cons
- The 7-in-1 layout only works reliably with a few cherries at a time
- Needs noticeable hand strength to press through
- Lower rating than simpler single-cherry tools
- Some pits stay attached and soft fruit can be crushed
The selling point here is simplicity of action. You pop the stem off, line the stem end up with the punch bar and squeeze, which is short enough to explain to a child in a sentence. There is no lever to coordinate and nothing to line up beyond the fruit itself.
It disassembles for cleaning and then locks tightly for storage, so a family kitchen can put it straight back in a drawer. It is dishwasher safe and rinses clean without much effort.
The multi-use angle is genuine rather than marketing. Owners use it on olives, Chinese dates, grapes and hawthorn as well as cherries, which extends its usefulness past a single season of fruit.
The 4.2 rating is lower than the simpler single-cherry tools here, and the reason shows in the reviews: the multi-hole layout strains when you actually fill it, and softer fruit can come out slightly crushed.
Best for Family Kitchen Sessions
This suits a household where an adult and a child want to prep fruit together, or where a teenager is doing snack prep. The short squeeze action works for smaller hands, and the disassembly means an adult can hand it over for rinsing without worry.
It is also a reasonable second tool for a kitchen that already has a good handheld, since the squeeze action is different enough that the two do not feel redundant.
Where It Falls Short
Do not take the 7-in-1 claim at face value. It only performs reliably when a few cherries are loaded rather than all seven, so the real capacity is lower than the listing suggests.
It also needs noticeable hand strength to drive the punch through, and on over-ripe fruit you can get a retained pit or a slightly crushed cherry. The gap between its rating and the dedicated single-cherry picks is the gap between a fun tool and a precision tool.
8. EddHomes Lock-Design Cherry Pitter – Best for Slim Drawer Storage
Cherry Pitter Tool, Heavy-Duty Seed Core Remover With Space-Saving Lock Design, Pit Remover for Cherries (Black)
Squeeze punch-bar design that children can use
Disassembles then locks for slim storage
Dishwasher safe
ABS with stainless steel construction
Pros
- Very low cost for a working pitter
- Locks closed into a slim drawer-friendly profile
- Disassembles for cleaning and is dishwasher safe
- Users report pitting a large bag in about five minutes
- Also handles olives
- dates and pindo pine berries
Cons
- Build feels thin to some buyers
- Aggressive enough to spray juice so use a deep bowl
- Smallest cherries need the pit reached by hand
- A few cherries come out with the pit still inside
What stands out is the locked profile. Once the arms close, the tool flattens into something slim enough to slide between a whisk and a spatula, so a seasonal tool does not occupy a premium strip of counter for the other eleven months of the year.
Owners report pitting a large bag of cherries in about five minutes, and at 4.6 out of 5 across nearly 1.9k reviews the satisfaction is high for the simplest mechanism in the category. The action is the same short squeeze as the 7-in-1 version.
It disassembles for cleaning and is dishwasher safe, which is more than some similarly simple tools manage. It also works on other seeded fruit such as dates and olives, useful if you want a second use out of a small purchase.
This is one of the few picks here that earns a 4.6 rating while sitting at the very bottom of the price range, and that combination is why it is on the list at all.
Best for Quick Chores and Travel Bags
This is the pick for small, frequent jobs: a bowl of cherries for a snack, a small batch for freezing, or fruit prep in a kitchen where drawer space is genuinely tight. The lock means it does not spring open in a drawer and leak juice.
It is also compact enough at 7.87 inches to pack, so it works for a picnic or a rental kitchen where bringing a bulky tool is not practical.
Where It Falls Short
Build feel is the main reservation. Some buyers describe the ABS and stainless steel construction as thin and worry about consistent heavy use, so it is a small-batch tool rather than a canning tool.
It is also aggressive enough to spray juice, which means a deep bowl rather than a shallow dish. The smallest cherries need the pit reached in by hand, and an occasional cherry still comes out with the pit inside, so check as you go.
9. ProTensils Zinc Alloy Cherry Pitter – Best for One-Handed Use
Cherry Pitter Tool Pit Remover with Locking Mechanism | Cherry Picker | Cherry Seed Remover for Baking, Olive Pitter Kitchen Accessories | Cherry Pitters Machine for Making Fresh Cherry Dishes
Zinc alloy body with plunger needle
Extracts a pit in about 1 second
One-hand operable and locks closed
Dishwasher safe
120-day return policy
Pros
- Zinc alloy body holds up over years of use
- Locking mechanism stores compactly like tongs
- Operates one-handed
- Removes pits with minimal flesh damage
- Dishwasher safe and quick to rinse
Cons
- Plunger pin is off-center and misses the pit on some fruit
- Tool can close too far and crush the cherry
- Performs poorly on large cherries and large green olives
- One cherry at a time makes big batches slow
- Juice can squirt on some presses
This is a metal tool with real heft in the hand, and that weight is why it feels like it will still work in five years. Owners report units still going strong after five or more seasons, which is the strongest longevity signal among the handheld picks here.
It operates genuinely one-handed. The locking body means you can hold a bowl in the other hand and pit without setting anything down, and it stores closed like a pair of tongs at just 5 inches long.
It extracts a pit in about a second and does so with minimal damage to the flesh, so the fruit stays whole for pie topping. It is dishwasher safe and rinses clean without disassembly.
The one issue owners raise repeatedly is alignment. The plunger pin is not centred on the base, so on some fruit it passes beside the pit. You can correct for it by eye after a few dozen, and the non-slip handles take the sting out of the extra pressure.
Best for Long-Term Ownership
Choose this if you want a metal mechanism, dislike plastic in a tool that touches food, and pit in modest amounts across many seasons. The zinc alloy build is the reason it outlasts the cheaper pressers on this list.
It also works for lunch prep and one-handed tasks, since you can run it with a single hand while the other holds the container.
Where It Falls Short
The off-centre pin is a genuine accuracy issue rather than a minor one, and it is why the rating sits below the OXO and Westmark handheld picks. Check fruit before it goes into a pie.
It also performs poorly on the largest cherries and on large green olives, and it can close far enough to crush a soft cherry. On big batches the single-cherry format is the limit.
10. Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter – Best Plunger Pitter With a Suction Base
Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter Automatic Feed Tray, 1.75in/4.5cm, As Shown
Automatic feed tray at 1.75 inch
High vacuum suction base
Spring-loaded stainless steel plunger
Disassembles for cleaning
Pros
- Spring plunger with feed tray gives an assembly-line workflow
- Suction base holds on smooth counters and frees hand effort
- Chute handles small tart and large Bing fruit
- Pit cup holds roughly three pounds of pits
- Reported throughput of about 4 pounds in 15 minutes
Cons
- Suction base slips on textured counters unless held
- Cherries spear and stick on the plunger
- Riper soft cherries can ride up the shaft and jam it
- Chute sits low so a bowl goes underneath
- Can spray juice onto nearby surfaces
This is the mid-capacity answer to the handheld-versus-countertop question. The high vacuum suction base locks the unit to a smooth counter, which means you can load fruit and press with one hand instead of holding the tool steady with the other. On a flat worktop that genuinely changes how a session feels.
The 1.75 inch automatic feed tray is sized for variety. Owners use it on small tart cherries and large Bing types without changing anything, and the chute sits between the two extremes rather than at either end.
Throughput is the strongest claim here, with owner reports of about 4 pounds in 15 minutes and 5 gallons in 4 hours, and a pit cup that holds roughly three pounds of pits before emptying. That is a real batch tool, not a step up from a handheld.
It disassembles for cleaning and storage, and the spring-loaded stainless steel plunger removes pits without bruising or crushing the fruit in most runs.
Best for Home Canners With Smooth Counters
Pick this for preserving work on a flat counter where the suction cup can do its job. The freed hand goes into feeding fruit, and the large pit cup means you are not stopping every few dozen to empty it.
It is the tool we would suggest for someone with mixed fruit, since the chute is not sized for only large sweet cherries or only small tart ones.
Where It Falls Short
The suction base is the first limitation. On a textured, laminate or stone counter it slips, and the workaround is to hold the hopper with one hand, which removes the main advantage of the design.
Cherries also spear and stick on the plunger and need manual clearing, and riper soft fruit can ride up the shaft and jam the mechanism. Keep a bowl under the chute because it sits low, and expect some spray on nearby surfaces.
11. SCHVUBENR 7-in-1 Large Cherry Pitter – Best Mess Containment
SCHVUBENR 7-IN-1 Large Cherry Pitter Tool – Portable Cherry Corer Pitter with Ergonomic Push Design – Easy to Use for Making Cherry Jam – Pit 7 Cherries at Once, Saving Time & Effort – Red
Transparent container catches pits and juice
Springs up to 7 cherries at once
Non-slip base
Splits into three pieces and is dishwasher safe
2-year warranty
Pros
- Built-in transparent container catches pits and juice
- About 2 pounds of cherries in roughly 5 to 15 minutes
- Three simple pieces and dishwasher safe
- Non-slip base keeps it steady while pressing
- Compact and stores easily
Cons
- Requires a lot of force and some users need both hands
- Seven cherries at once is hard in practice and four works better
- All-plastic ABS prongs raise durability questions
- Occasionally a pit does not pop out
Mess containment is the whole design here. Fruit is pressed into a built-in transparent container that catches both pits and juice, so the counter underneath stays dry. If your main objection to pitting cherries is the aftermath, this is the one that answers it directly.
The spring-loaded retractive mechanism pops pits out without crushing the fruit, and the non-slip base keeps the unit steady while you press. Owners report roughly 2 pounds of cherries handled in 5 to 15 minutes, which is a good pace for a compact unit.
It comes apart into three pieces, a lid, a cherry tray and the base container, and all of it survives the dishwasher. Assembly is simple enough that it reassembles correctly on the second try.
The transparent container has a second benefit people do not expect. You can see the pit level building up and empty it before it blocks the openings, which removes the most common complaint we found on other multi-cup presses.
Best for Keeping Juice Off the Counter
This suits a kitchen where stain removal is the deciding factor, a small apartment counter, or anyone who would rather press downward than hold a tool over a bowl. The contained workflow is cleaner than any handheld on this list.
It also works on grapes, olives, red dates and hawthorn, and the 2-year warranty with a 720-day money-back guarantee is solid coverage for a compact tool.
Where It Falls Short
Seven cherries at once is a stretch. It takes a lot of force, and several users need both hands to press a full load; four cherries is the number owners converge on as workable. Treat the headlined capacity as a maximum, not a target.
The prongs are all-plastic ABS, which raises fair questions about long-term durability under heavy use. A pit also occasionally fails to pop out, so check the fruit even though it stays contained.
12. Fanlory Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter – Best Portable Single-Cherry Press
Cherry Pitter Tool, Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Pitting Tool, Portable Cherries Corer Stoner Seed Tool with Lock Design, Fruit Pit Remover for Cherry Jam(Black)
Push-tab unlock then cup placement and press down
Dishwasher safe
Stainless steel and food-grade silicone
8 inch and portable
Pros
- Lowest cost in the category and still works on standard cherries
- Unlocking tab and cup design is simple enough for children
- Dishwasher safe and compact enough to pack
- Owners with arthritis report several cherries per press
- Pits come out cleanly most of the time
Cons
- Pitting spikes are plastic rather than metal
- Selling images suggest metal spikes
- Some pits stay attached and need spotting
- Handles one cherry at a time
This is the cheapest functioning pitter in the group, and the reason it earns a place is that buyers who already own several tools tend to keep coming back to it. The push-tab unlock, cup placement, press down sequence is the simplest workflow here, with nothing to coordinate.
It is also 8 inches and light, so it packs for travel, a rental kitchen or an office kitchen. Several owners with arthritis report being able to do several cherries per press comfortably, because the tab opens the action without a tight squeeze.
The stainless steel and food-grade silicone construction rinses clean under the tap and is dishwasher safe, so cleanup after a bowl of fruit takes seconds. It also works on jujube and red dates, which is useful if you want more than cherries from it.
The honest catch is the material. Reviewers consistently note that the pitting spikes are plastic rather than metal, and that the product photographs imply otherwise. Treat it as a lightweight convenience tool, not a durable investment.
Best for Arthritis-Friendly Pressing
The unlocking tab is the feature to buy this for. It removes the need to squeeze a spring closed against resistance, so buyers with limited grip report a much easier session than with a fixed-lever press.
It is also the pick for a travel bag, a picnic, or a kitchen where a full-size pitter is overkill for a bowl of fruit.
Where It Falls Short
The plastic spikes are the main issue, both for reliability and for expectations. Photos that suggest metal spikes create a mismatch with what arrives, and some pits stay attached and need to be spotted by hand.
It also handles exactly one cherry per press, and the marketing language about pitting several at once does not match the product. For anything beyond a small batch, choose one of the multi-cup presses instead.
Handheld vs Countertop Cherry Pitters: How Each Type Works
Every cherry pitter in this roundup does the same job with a punch, a plunger or a press. The differences are how many cherries move per stroke, where the pit goes and how much counter space the tool claims.
Handheld Press: One Cherry, One Squeeze
You place one cherry stem-side down in a cup or bowl, close the tool, and a pointed punch passes through the fruit and pushes the pit out the bottom. Tools like the OXO Olive and Cherry Pitter, the Westmark Kernex and the ProTensils all work this way, and they run at roughly one cherry per second with a light hand.
Handhelds win on mess containment, storage and price. They lose on volume, because a five-pound batch means thousands of individual presses.
Multi-Cherry Press: Filling Six Cups
A multi-cup press uses the same punch idea, multiplied. The OXO Quick Release takes six cherries per press and the SCHVUBENR takes up to seven into a container, with fruit dropping straight down into a bowl underneath so your hands never touch the juice.
The catch is loading. You still place each cherry by hand, so the speedup is real but not unlimited, and buyers generally report four cherries works more smoothly than a full load on the seven-cup model.
Plunger Stoner and Hopper Feed: Countertop Workflow
Plunger stoners sit on the counter. The Westmark Kirschomat and the Norpro Deluxe use a spring-loaded stainless steel plunger driven by a press, with a chute or feed tray that takes fruit one piece at a time. The Norpro adds a vacuum suction base so you can feed with one hand on a smooth counter.
This is the tier for real batch work. Manufacturer and owner throughput claims range from about 4 pounds in 15 minutes on the Norpro up to 33 and 44 pounds per hour on the two larger Westmark units. The trade-off is counter space, cleanup and a larger up-front cost for a seasonal tool.
Is There a Trick to Pitting Lots of Cherries Fast?
The trick is workflow, not a faster tool. Five steps cut the time of a big batch substantially.
1. Chill the fruit first. Cold, firm cherries press cleanly and stay whole, while warm fruit tears and sprays. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator is enough.
2. Set up over a bowl, not on a cutting board. Every pitter ejects juice somewhere, and a bowl catches it while your hands stay clean.
3. Match the tool to the batch. A handful of fruit needs a handheld. Several pounds need a six-cup press or a plunger stoner, and the speed difference shows up within the first hundred cherries.
4. Empty pit trays on a schedule. The most common slowdown is a tray packed with pits blocking the openings, so check the tray each time you fill a bowl.
5. Freeze in batches as you go. Pitted cherries freeze well, and a bag in the freezer means you are not doing the whole harvest in one sitting.
What to Look for Before You Buy a Cherry Pitter
The four things that actually change your experience are mess control, cherry size fit, cleaning and durability. Everything else is preference.
Mess Control and Splatter Protection
A splatter shield or a built-in catch container is the feature that keeps your counter usable. The OXO Olive and Cherry Pitter has a removable shield, and the SCHVUBENR traps pits and juice in a transparent base. Tools without either will spray, so a deep bowl matters more than most buyers expect.
Cherry Size Fit and Soft Fruit
Fruit size decides whether a tool works. A recessed holder that grips both a large Rainier and a small Montmorency, as the OXO does, handles mixed bags far better than a fixed single-size cup. Soft and fully ripe fruit is the harder case, and it is where plunger and multi-cup designs jam or crush while a simple handheld press still finishes the job.
Cleaning and Dishwasher Safe Design
Check whether the tool disassembles. Countertop presses need it to get into a dishwasher properly, and a tool that rinses clean under a tap saves more time than most buyers expect. The Westmark Kernex and OXO handheld both rinse clean with no disassembly at all.
Durability, Warranty and Storage
Metal bodies outlast plastic ones, and the warranty is a useful proxy. The Westmark Kernex carries a 5-year guarantee and the Ordekcity and SCHVUBENR models carry 2-year warranties with money-back terms, while the cheapest plastic pressers carry nothing. A locking closed design also matters for a seasonal tool, since most pitters sit unused for eleven months.
How to Pit Cherries Without a Cherry Pitter
These methods work for a small batch only, and none of them hold up to a pound of fruit.
A straightened paper clip pushed through the stem end and hooked under the pit works on firm cherries, though it mangles the fruit. A chopstick or skewer pushed through the centre pitting line from one side to the other splits the cherry in half rather than leaving it whole, which is fine if you are about to chop it anyway.
A pastry tip or a melon baller is the neatest improvised option, cutting cleanly through the centre. The knife-and-two-halves method, cut the fruit in half, run a paring knife around each pit, and discard the halves you do not need, is the most reliable but also the slowest.
For the least effort, put cherries in a sealed bag, roll a rolling pin over them, and shake. You get crushed fruit, so it suits cobbler filling and jam rather than whole-fruit toppings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cherry pitter did America’s Test Kitchen recommend?
We did not find a verifiable current America’s Test Kitchen recommendation to report, and we would rather not guess at one. The tool in this roundup that lines up most closely with the criteria such tests usually favour, compact, one-handed and low-mess, is the OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter, which also carries by far the largest owner review base here at more than 16k reviews. Testing methods differ between sources, so treat any single endorsement as one data point rather than a verdict.
What is the best tool to pit cherries?
The best all-round tool is the OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter. Its die-cast zinc body handles firm fruit without wrist strain, the recessed holder grips both large Bing and Rainier cherries and smaller tart fruit, and the removable splatter shield keeps juice off the counter. If you are pitting several pounds at a time, move up to a six-cup press such as the OXO Quick Release instead.
Is it worth buying a cherry pitter?
Yes, once you expect to pit more than about two quarts a year. A knife takes roughly 30 to 60 seconds per cherry including cleanup, while a handheld press manages about one cherry per second and a multi-cup press moves several at once. Below a few dozen cherries, a paper clip and a bowl take five minutes and are not worth buying around.
Is there a trick to pitting lots of cherries fast?
Workflow matters more than the tool. Chill the fruit so it presses cleanly, set up over a bowl instead of a cutting board, match the pitter to your batch size, empty the pit tray on a regular schedule so pits do not block the openings, and freeze the finished fruit in batches as you work. Switching from a handheld to a six-cup press is the single biggest change once you pass a pound or two.
How to pit cherries without cherry pitter?
For a small batch, a straightened paper clip pushed through the stem end works on firm cherries, a pastry tip or melon baller cuts cleanly through the centre, and the knife-and-two-halves method is the most reliable but the slowest. Putting cherries in a sealed bag and rolling a rolling pin over them is the least effort, but it crushes the fruit so it suits cobbler filling and jam rather than whole-fruit toppings.
Which Cherry Pitter Is Right for You?
For most people the answer is the OXO Good Grips Olive and Cherry Pitter. It handled everything in our batches, it took the highest rating in the group, and its owner review base is large enough that the consensus is easy to trust. The Westmark Kernex is the pick if you want a metal body and a 5-year guarantee instead.
If your volume is the reason you are reading this, skip the handheld tier. The OXO Quick Release Multi-Cherry Pitter is the fastest route through a canning batch, and the Westmark Kirschomat or Norpro Deluxe take over when the fruit outnumbers the bowl.
Plum growers should look at the Westmark Steinomat, which stones two cherries and a plum per stroke. For a travel bag, a rental kitchen or a child who wants to help, the compact lock-design pressers are the right size.
Whichever you choose, work over a bowl, check each cherry before it goes in, and expect the first ten minutes to be slower than the rest. That is the best cherry pitter in 2026 for your kitchen, and the one you will reach for every season.