An Easy, Mess-Free Way To Cut Kernels Off Corn Cobs

When it’s time for a summer BBQ, it’s time for hamburgers, hotdogs and corn on the cob. Although corn can be a lot of fun to eat while it’s still on the cob, it’s not the most practical way to eat it unless you like having corn stuck in your teeth until you can find dental floss or a tooth pick.

Have you ever tried to cut corn kernels off the cob? You might think that getting corn stuck in your teeth is better than dealing with the mess that comes along with cutting the kernels off the cob. We’ve wasted our fair share of time chasing kernels around our kitchen counters, and when you’re prepping quickly for a cook-out, nobody has time for that.

Don’t resort to buying canned or frozen corn for recipes that require corn kernels. America’s Test Kitchen is here to help. It turns out that it’s actually surprisingly easy to cut corn kernels off the cob without making a mess.

What have we been doing wrong all these years? We’ve been cutting corn on a cutting board. While it might seem like a cutting board is the perfect place to cut pretty much anything (it’s in the name, after all), when it comes to corn kernels, it’s a bad (read: messy) idea.

For a much neater and easier way to keep corn kernels from flying across the kitchen, set that cutting board to the side and grab two bowls instead. Watch the video below to learn a smart way to use these bowls to corral those kernels while making cutting corn simpler and neater than ever.

Have you ever tried using two bowls instead of a cutting board to cut corn off the cob? Several viewers have tried another similar trick that they say works just as well. One viewer wrote, “Even easier – use a bundt pan.” Another viewer commented, “I just use a bundt pan or an angel food pan!”

When you think about it, a bundt pan or an angel food cake pan is pretty much like the two bowls idea since there is already a built-in raised section in both of these types of cake pans. While not everyone has a bundt pan or an angel food cake pan, if you do, perhaps that’s worth trying too.

Are you going to try the two bowls method, the bundt pan method or the angel food cake pan method? What’s your favorite recipe that involves sweet corn?