I’m back with another round of simple product reviews, and simplicity was the theme this time. After dealing with a much more complicated product in a previous test, I wanted to try a few items that seemed a lot more straightforward. As it turns out, simple doesn’t always mean boring.
Where to Purchase
- Tomato Knife
- Pencil Pouch
- Orange Peeler (Better model on Amazon)
Tomato Knife
First up was the Tomato Knife, and this one ended up being the standout of the bunch. I paid $16.45 for it, and it’s marketed as a dual-serrated, stainless steel knife, specifically designed to cut perfect tomato slices without squashing them. That may sound a little niche, but after trying it, I can certainly see the appeal.
I tested it alongside a few other knives, including an older tomato knife, a bread knife, and even a giant watermelon knife just for fun. Right away, this tomato knife impressed me. It glided through the tomato with almost no pressure at all, and I was able to make very thin slices without feeling like I had to force it. Compared to the older tomato knife and the bread knife, this one felt smoother and more effortless. Even though some of the other knives could still get the job done, this one clearly felt the most precise and easiest to use.
What really sold me on it was how confidently it handled other produce too. Out of curiosity, I tried it on a bell pepper, and it cut through it just as easily. At that point, it stopped feeling like a one-trick knife and started feeling like a genuinely useful kitchen tool for smaller vegetables. If you do a lot of slicing and want something sharp, smooth, and easy to control, I think this knife is a very solid option. The only minor “con” related to this knife is that it isn’t dishwasher safe, so you’ll have to wash it by hand after every use. Not a dealbreaker for me, but worth mentioning.
Boba Tea Pencil Pouch
Next was the Boba Tea Pencil Pouch, which was clearly the cutest product in the lineup. I paid $8.99 for it, and at first glance it’s exactly what it sounds like, which is a pencil case designed to look like a cup of boba tea. The interesting part is that it has a telescoping design, so you can pull it up to expand it or push it down for easier access to whatever you’ve stored inside.
Once I started testing it, I could immediately see why people like it. The capacity is larger than it looks. I loaded it up with regular pencils, mechanical pencils, colored pencils, Sharpies, a highlighter, and even a few random desk items, and it handled all of that better than I expected. There’s also a little pouch inside for extra organization, which is a nice touch. I also liked that it can stand upright on its own, especially when expanded. That feature made it feel more like a desk organizer than just a regular zip pouch.
That said, there were a couple of small drawbacks. Taller pencils can make it a little harder to zip shut, unless they’re angled just right, and the fake straw detail, while cute at first, does kind of get in the way when trying to open and close it. Still, those are pretty minor complaints. Overall, I think this would make a nice little gift for students, artists, coworkers, or anyone who likes cute desk accessories with a bit of personality.
Orange Peeler
Last up was the Orange and Lemon Peeler from Temu. This was, unfortunately, the weakest product of the three. I paid $2.59 for it, so my expectations weren’t necessarily sky-high to begin with, but even with that in mind, it felt very cheap right away. The idea is simple enough, where you use the little blade to cut around the fruit, then use the scoop-shaped part to help peel the sections away.
In practice, it did technically work, but not necessarily very well. I tried it on both an orange and a lemon, and while I was eventually able to peel them, the process felt awkward and a lot less efficient than just using my hands. I had to push harder than expected, the tool didn’t always cut cleanly, and the fruit ended up looking pretty mangled by the end. It also didn’t really save my hands from getting messy, which is one of the few benefits I would have hoped for.
I did get a little better with it as I went, so there’s a learning curve involved with it. However, even after improving my technique, I still didn’t really like the results. When I compared it to peeling an orange mostly by hand, the hand-peeled version looked better and felt more controlled. The peeler may still have some value for people who have trouble gripping or peeling fruit the traditional way, but for me, it just didn’t offer enough of an advantage to be worth recommending.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a pretty interesting trio. The Tomato Knife was the winner by far, and felt like an excellent kitchen tool. The Boba Tea Pencil Pouch was cute, functional, and more versatile than I expected. The Orange Peeler, on the other hand, was one of those products that technically works but doesn’t really improve the experience enough to justify using it. So, while this batch was mixed, at least two of the three ended up being pleasant surprises.
Video Review
Watch the full review below.