The Amazing Drosselmeyer Nutcracker

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide – Day 19

We pride ourselves on having a well equipped kitchen with all the gadgets and gizmos you could ever need, but every once in a while even we are surprised when we find we’ve been Main_4missing something so obvious in our collection.  Recently, we had a Drosselmeyer Nutcracker arrive at our door and I don’t think any of us were prepared for the impact it would have on our kitchen.

While we are always up for some almonds or cashews for a quick snack, until recently we didn’t realize how addictive fresh nuts can be.  Perhaps I should clarify that our well equipped kitchen has actually held plenty of nutcrackers before – beautifully designed nutcrackers and nutcrackers that just beg you to play with them to see how they work – we’ve never had one that actually worked.  While yes, they technically cracked nuts as per their definition, they either required too much effort or left such a mess that we quickly realized they lacked the elegance their design implied, and therefore they never got used.

The Drosselmeyer Nutcracker however, manages to combine form and function so well that since the day it arrived it actually has never been put away.  Since my wife hates a cluttered kitchen, it is the rare gadget that either works or looks good enough to earn a spot out on our countertops, yet this nutcracker has succeeded on both fronts.

In terms of eye catching design, this thing just begs to be picked up.  In fact, at a recent get together, I really think every single guest picked the Drosselmeyer Nutcracker up to check it out IMG_1571at one time or another.  And, once the guests began testing it, a few of them joked about it ending up back at their houses.  These threats of thievery stem from the fact that not only is it very sleek and interesting-looking, but it just works so well. 

In terms of design, it's just about as simple of a nutcrcker as we have ever seen.  The basic shape is that of a heavy-duty funnel-esque cylinder and it has a handle on one side.  To use it, you simply drop in any sized nut, squeeze the handle and that’s it.  The funnel shape means there is no lining up the nut in a specific spot, it just falls in as far as it will go, in whatever direction it fits.  The best part is that the cylinder is closed at the bottom so as you break the nut apart all the pieces are contained within, minimizing any mess.

But, not only is it pretty and practical, it's also incredibly easy to use, too.  The handle on the side is cantilevered against a bar inside the funnel that actually breaks the nut, which means you get extra strength in each squeeze through the magic of science.  In fact, it is so easy that our three year old daughter has mastered it and hasn’t come across a single nut she couldn’t get into.  We find her multiple times a day up at the counter cracking away with a smile on her face, and when she sees us watching she just smiles and says; “I’m good at shells.”

263053_161824207215973_161787570552970_380414_6251660_nAfter seeing how much our whole family has taken to the Drosselmeyer Nutcracker and how big of a hit it was at our last party, we would highly recommend them for gifts for the hard to buy on your list.  Not only are the Drosselmeyer Nutcrackers an interesting conversation pieces, they are also practical, pretty, and fun to use, which makes them one of our favorite new accessories for 2011.  In fact, we have a second Drosselmeyer Nutcracker on our list this year because cracking nuts has become such a family activity that we need a second!

For more info, videos, and how to buy, please visit drosselmeyer.com

TylerA big thank you to Drosselmeyer Nutcrackers for sending a sample to try out and for providing the giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

157 thoughts on “The Amazing Drosselmeyer Nutcracker”

  2. So cool! Last year my son broke one of our decorative nutcrackers because he couldn’t find the cruddy metal one we’ve been using for two decades. haha. This would be far superior to that!
    [email protected]

  9. I hate cracking nuts because shells and the nuts go everywhere. It looks like this device would make cracking nuts not as messy.

  19. I learned that Drosselmeyer is the first handheld nutcracker to have a double lever action and a container to collect the shells.
    abfantom at yahoo dot com

  23. A standard nutcracker can sometimes create a time-consuming mess to clean, so the Drosselmeyer Nutcracker would be great time saver if it minimizes or eliminates creation of a mess upon cracking nuts for recipe preparation

  29. Oprah says: “The world’s coolest-looking nutcracker is also the easiest—-no stress, no mess. Too bad it can’t dance.”

  31. Oprah says “The world’s coolest-looking nutcracker is also the easiest-no stress, no mess. Too bad it can’t dance.” And with that recommendation who wouldnt want one. 🙂

  40. I learned that Drosselmeyer is the first handheld nutcracker to have a double lever action and a container to collect the shells.
    This would be great, no mess and no struggling to open stubborn shells.

  50. Hello, having mixed nuts in their shell always remind me of the holiday, but I don’t care for the mess nor the trouble with cracking nuts. The Drosselmeyer nut cracker looks like a true genius nut cracker. Not only making cracking nuts easier but also collecting those messy shells. I want one. Thanks for a great giveaway!

  61. I always make such a mess when I’m opening my nuts and I would love an easier way then squeezing the nut cracker with my eyes closed hoping it wont slip. I would love to try this

  65. I learned it is sold in my area and also on Amazon for $33. I’d love this, my current nut cracker is ab ortho hammer. Can it handle macadamias in shell?

  74. Considering I do not own a nut cracker, this would definitely change the way I crack nuts (with a hammer). I’d love to win this!
    cleaningrhouse at yahoo dot com

  88. I would love to try this nutcracker. We love to sit around eating nuts, but this looks easier and less mess than my normal nut cracker.

  89. uncracked nuts are cheaper here than cracked. i have nothing to crack them with now so im forced buying them already cracked. where is the fun in that?

  94. I visited Drosselmeyer’s site. I’d like to try their nutcracker because I have a black walnut tree on the property and while I’ve mastered the art of getting the green hulls off the nut (no easy task!) I have never been able to crack the shell. This is good for the squirrels but not for me – I love black walnuts!

  96. I learned that DDG, Drosselmeyer Design Group, is a Stockholm-based design firm with a mission to improve everyday products!

  107. I would love this! I bought a bag of mixed nuts for Christmas and I can’t find my nutcracker, this would just be perfect! Thanks so much for the chance.

  110. I like the fact that the Drosselmeyer Nutcracker has an enclosed bottom so that the loose shell pieces don’t go everywhere. Lots less mess!

  113. Drosselmeyer is the first handheld nutcracker to have a double lever action and a container to collect the shells

  114. Mine takes way too much manpower to do and makes things tedious..this would be really helpful! Thanks for the opportunity!!

  115. I have some family members that absolutely refuse to eat nuts on anything. If we had this, maybe they would actually try out some nuts and then learn that they are good!
    pd6914 at gmail dot com

  117. I really like the quote from oprah The world’s coolest-looking nutcracker is also the easiest—-no stress, no mess. Too bad it can’t dance.
    thanks for the chance to win [email protected]

  125. I would love this as I am not very strong myself, and it sounds andlooks so easy to use! It would eliminate myhusband having to crack all the nuts 😛

  127. Visited drosselmeyer….This would change the way i crack nuts because it looks so easy! I have one of the stainless steel crackers that looks like pliers…I don’t even crack nuts anymore because its such a hassle!

  134. I would love to be able to win this, so that my 6 year old son would be able to crack pecans (his favorite) on his own and with much less mess. Thanks!
    Rebecca Niehaus
    imsosweepy at gmail dot com

  148. I’d love this to help change the way I crack nuts forever because I’m tired of nuts falling of the current gadget I’m using.

  157. Every Christmas we buy a huge packet of mixed unshelled nuts. Then every New Year I have to get the hammer out as once again I’ve broken the nutcracker. Then we never buy nuts until the next Christmas as I always seem to break the cracker. This looks perfect for my longlasting needs! And the design – WOW!

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