Pumpkin Gutter

[GutterGuy]

I edited the original 6 minute video into a quicker 2 minute version. It can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykoMy8K9JzM. Nothing new, but maybe a good video for your friends with short attention spans .

[Crystal]

I used my pumpkin gutter as a hand mixer. I'm so ghetto I know but mine broke and I had a cake baked and did not have a jar of frosting. We used my husbands drill in reverse to keep from hurting my bowl..






I now call the pumpkin gutter a Multi-tool

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Ha! How clever, Crystal. Glad to see you getting the most out of the tool. I guess with a viable speed drill, you can just turn it slowly at first. Also, good idea about spinning it backwards so the blades don't dig into anything. Looks like it served the purpose you needed!

[SuperSonic]

I must agree, I wouldn't have seen the Gutter as a beater in any way, shape or form

[Crystal]

Its pretty sad really but a good story to share.. I'm sure you could mix milk shakes too.

[GUS]

I must admit to thinking that this would work every time we batch bake, i've been tempted to try it but so far resisted.

(& i'd have to start moaning that the kenwood chef KM010 wasn't getting a workout) ....it's a workhorse of a machine.
I'll keep my gutter tidy for when a friends kitchenaid mixer next breaks down!
good to know crystal!

[MooBoo]

Okay so i finally decided to order the Gutter and try it out. Well it came yesterday and while i wanted to wait until closer to Halloween to carve my kins i just had to give it a go. And how amazed was i? It was so quick and easy! I can't believe i waited this long to get it. I was worried about how thin to do the walls, but a simple poke through with a blade told me how much further was needed, and carving was so much better. The gutter did slide out of the drill a couple of times but that was my only real problem. This is going to be my new gutting method. No more scrapping and getting blisters for me! And using power tools after a stessful day at work really does wonders.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Hey, good review MooBoo. Everyone has different preferences, but I'm a fan of the gutter myself, so I'm glad to hear it worked well for you. And that's a good tip you gave... poke the blade through to check the thickness of the pumpkin, so you don't go to far. If you do that, you can get some pretty thin and smooth walls, if that's your aim.

[GUS]

Yup, precisely what I use it for, (though I have also actually started using a scraper too).

I tend now (after 15 kins the other day) to have it in my corded / mains electric drill, which gives better stability for the user & end result for the pumpkin.

I used to have the odd pumpkin gut fly, but it's merely a bit of practise & thus product familiarity...

I'm using a scraping tool merely to cut & instantly lft / remove the main core of guts up & out before geting in with the gutter drill creaming up the remainder (no strings) & thinning my front walls as requireed & smoothing out everywhere else, drop the drill (onto it's 2 hand support arm) whip in the scraper tool & remove the rest of the guts, i've ceased the tip & bash technique as it's slower & involves clearing out debris anyway, overall just as fast & slightly less strenuous over the course of a days gut, stencil, carve process... (mostly done bent double it seems on the floor cross-legged).
just my refined process... I can see why stoney likes a scraper / thinner when you are ploughing through for a deadline..
so i'm now 50 / 50 but wouldn't be without it.. or my latex gloves

[badgers]

Saw the Pumpkin Gutter at Walmart for $5.87.

[Euri]

I saw that too! I was tempted to get another, but then I remembered that my husband only has one drill that he lets me get pumpkin guts on so having two would be kinda pointless for now.

I love love love love my pumpkin gutter! It's so much easier on the hands and time than just using a scoop. And I like feeling like I'm going after my kins with a power tool.

[NikkiRae]

I just bought the one from Walmart last night. It looks almost exactly the same, so I'm hoping it works the same. Won't know until Sunday though

[macntosh]

Ok I tried it last night, not sure what I'm doing wrong, but wasn't that impressed. Guess I should try again this weekend. Any advice?

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

macntosh - You can try watching his demonstration video. The actual gutting part starts at about 1:12 in.

In this demo he goes around in a full circle. Personally, I like to go back and forth on one side at a time. Either way, the trick is to apply a bit of pressure against the inside of the pumpkin as the blades spin against it. And always work your way down, from the top. That's the key. Otherwise you're just stirring strings around, and getting everything tangled. So instead, imagine clearing horizontal row after row of strings/seeds, each with a sideways swath, moving down a couple inches each time - you should get some good results.

[shaft28]

Ok I tried it last night, not sure what I'm doing wrong, but wasn't that impressed. Guess I should try again this weekend. Any advice?

Like Ryan said, just be methodical about it. I usually do one good crazy pass on every surface to loosen it all up, then scoop out the guys. Then a second pass like Ryan described - back and forth up and down to really clean it out plus a good sweep of the base and upper rim which you tend to forget. Clean out again. Then if needed I thin the pumpkin walls a bit. After a bit you can, start to finish, clean out a pumpkin in under 5 minutes with little to no mess. Try it afew times and you'll get it down.