Pitting cherries by hand looks like a small job until you are standing at the counter with two pounds of fruit and a bowl that keeps filling with juice. The best cherry pitters for baking turn that chore into a few minutes of press, drop, repeat. The one we would buy first is the OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter, and the one to upgrade to once your pie habit outgrows it is the OXO Quick Release Multi Pitter.
We put ten well-reviewed pitters that keep showing up in recommendations through their paces on firm Bing and Rainier cherries, small tart pie fruit and soft overripe seconds. We weighed the things that matter when fruit is going into a pie rather than a bowl of yogurt: does the pit come out on the first press, does the cherry still look like a cherry afterwards, and how much counter does it cover in juice. We also did the boring part, washing every tool after a full batch.
The biggest surprise is how little separates the cheap tools from the expensive ones on raw pitting performance. What actually differs is batch size, mess control, and how the tool fits the size of cherry you are buying. If the rest of the bake is on your list, our bakeware set guide and stand mixer picks cover the other tools that earn drawer space.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Cherry Pitters for Baking (September 2026)
OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter
- Zinc body and blade
- Removable splatter shield
- Handles lock shut
- Dishwasher safe
Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter
- Stainless steel and silicone
- Rebound design cuts hand fatigue
- Locks for storage
All 10 Cherry Pitters Compared Side by Side
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Westmark Kernex Cherry Stoner |
|
Check Latest Price |
 OXO Quick Release Multi Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 EddHomes 7-in-1 Cherry Pitter Tool |
|
Check Latest Price |
 ProTensils Zinc Alloy Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Feed Tray |
|
Check Latest Price |
 KITCHENDAO Cherry Pitter Tool |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Chef’n QuickPit Cherry and Olive Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Deluxe Cherry Pitter |
|
Check Latest Price |
How We Picked: What We Actually Tested For?
Most roundups in this category rank tools by brand reputation. We ranked them on six things we could measure or watch happen on the counter.
First, first-pass pit removal, because a pitter that takes two or three presses per cherry is slower than it claims. Second, shape: does the fruit come out recognisably round, or torn and leaking pulp. Third, mess containment over a mixing bowl. Fourth, cleaning burden, since a tool that comes apart into six pieces after a two-pound batch is a tool you will start avoiding.
Fifth, fit across cherry sizes. Sixth, storage footprint. We could not standardise ripeness, so we noted separately how each tool behaved on soft, fully ripe fruit. A growingfruit.org thread on 2026 pie cherries made the same observation, reporting a hopper pitter that was strong on firm large sweet cherries and weaker on fully ripe smaller sour ones.
1. OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter – The One to Buy First
- Comfortable contoured grip
- Handles both large Bing and small tart cherries
- Removable splatter shield catches most juice
- Handles lock shut so it stores flat
- Dishwasher safe
- Juice still gets past the shield on very ripe fruit
- Pit occasionally sticks or shoots sideways
- Very large cherries can need coaxing into the cup
This is the pitter that shows up in almost every recommendation thread we read, and after putting it through a full pie batch we understand why. The cup is generous enough for a Bing without crowding, and the recessed position under the lower handle gives you a second spot for smaller fruit when you are working through a pound of tart pie cherries.
At 5.9 inches long and 152 grams, it disappears into a drawer and stays comfortable through a long session. The handles lock closed, which is a small thing that matters more than it sounds, because a spring-loaded pitter left open in a drawer ends up with dried juice in the mechanism.
The removable splatter shield is the part reviewers mention most and the part we would keep on. It clips over the working end and takes the worst of the spray, though it is not a seal, so on soft overripe fruit we still put a board under the bowl.
Where it falls short is precision on the hardest cases. Very large cherries sometimes need a second press or a nudge to seat properly, and if you press on a seam the pit can shoot sideways across the counter instead of dropping into the catcher.
Who this pitter suits?
Anyone making one to three pies a season who wants one tool that never surprises them. It is also the safest recommendation to give someone who has never owned a pitter, because the geometry is intuitive and the learning curve is measured in a couple of cherries.
Who should buy something else?
If you are pitting more than about four pounds at a time, a single-cup handheld means a lot of repetitive squeezing. Move up to the multi-cup model, and if the fruit is soft enough to squish, expect a little more mess than the shield suggests.
2. Ordekcity Stainless Steel Cherry Pitter – Best Budget Pick
- Low-cost entry option for casual home pitting
- Stainless steel and silicone parts
- Rebound spring action reduces hand fatigue
- Locks tight so it stores flat
- Dishwasher safe
- Only clears the pit if the cherry is loaded stem side up
- Silicone insert can wear with heavy use
- Angled presses can damage the silicone ring
At the budget end of this roundup, and holding the largest review count here, this is our value pick. The rebound design does something genuinely useful: it pushes the cherry back up toward your hand after each press, so your wrist is not doing all the lifting over a long batch.
Technique is the whole story here. The pit only clears reliably when the cherry is seated the right way round, and a press at an angle can work the silicone insert loose. Get that right and the speed is competitive with the tools above it.
At 8.07 inches it is longer than the other handheld piters in the group, which makes it less pocketable but gives the plunger a long straight travel. The stainless steel and silicone construction is the part we like best, because plastic prongs are the usual failure point on budget piters and this one has none.
It locks tightly for storage, which solves the drawer problem, and it goes in the dishwasher without disassembly. The stated warranty is less reassuring than the five-year guarantee on the Westmark, but at this tier most people simply replace the tool when the insert wears.
Who this pitter suits?
Bakers on a tight budget, first-time buyers, and anyone pitting a few pounds of fruit once a season. It is also a good second pitter, since its rebound action tires hands far less than a plain squeeze tool.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone who wants an olive, date or hawthorn tool in the same device, and anyone impatient with technique. There is no splash shield here, so a bowl and a cutting board under it are part of the setup.
3. Westmark Kernex Cherry Stoner – Best Metal Handheld
- Heavy-duty cast aluminum
- German manufacturing and 5 year guarantee
- Press is smooth and controlled
- Makes very little splatter
- Dishwasher safe
- Heavier than the plastic and zinc tools
- Aluminum is a softer metal than stainless
- No pit catcher so you need a bowl underneath
The Westmark Kernex is the one we reach for when a batch matters more than a budget. Cast aluminum with a powder-coated finish, made in Germany, backed by a five-year guarantee, and the press action is noticeably more controlled than the springy plastic tools. It keeps the cherry intact and pushes the pit straight down.
At 1.6 ounces and 6.5 inches long it is short and dense in the hand, and reviewers single out the minimal splatter. With no built-in catcher you work over a bowl, which in practice is a smaller problem than it sounds because the fruit is aimed downward.
The real argument for this tool is durability. Aluminum will not rust, it will not flex, and the guarantee means a cracked handle is a long-term problem rather than a one-season one. The trade-off is that aluminum is a softer metal than stainless, so treating it as a prying tool is a bad idea.
Over a jam batch of four to six pounds, the weight becomes noticeable in a way it never does during a pie. It is a pressure tool first, so your hand supplies the force and the frame supplies the alignment, and that combination is why the fruit comes out round.
Who this pitter suits?
Bakers who pit regularly, anyone who wants a frame that survives years of use, and people who like a firm, deliberate press more than a fast one. The five-year guarantee also makes it a low-risk first purchase.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone with limited hand strength, and anyone pitting very large soft cherries where a fixed aluminium cup is less forgiving than a wider plastic chamber. The red finish also shows juice staining over time.
4. OXO Quick Release Multi Cherry Pitter – Best for Batch Baking
- Six cherries per press cuts a pie batch to minutes
- Pit tray holds up to 1 lb before emptying
- Adjustable base fits most bowl sizes
- You can see whether pits cleared
- Dishwasher safe and BPA free
- Pits sometimes lodge in the catch tray
- Fruit can stick to the prongs and need pulling free
- Takes practice to load all six holes evenly
If you make pie more than once a month, this is the tool that changes your prep time. Six cherries go in on the tray and six come out in the bowl on one press, and the quick release means you are not handling the fruit twice per cycle. For a nine-inch pie needing roughly two cups of pitted cherries, the difference is a twenty-minute job becoming a five-minute one.
The adjustable base extends to fit a range of bowl sizes, so it is not welded to one piece of glassware. The pit tray is easy to reach and holds up to a pound of pits at a time, which means you empty it once rather than every twenty cherries.
What we appreciate is that you can see the result. The prongs hold the fruit in view as the press completes, so a missed pit is obvious instead of ending up in your filling. That single feature removes most of the fear that comes with a pitter, because you can check as you go.
The trade-offs are real. Pits sometimes lodge in the tray rather than dropping clear, and a soft cherry can stay stuck on the prongs until you pull it off. Loading all six holes evenly takes a few batches to learn, and the frame is 13 inches wide so it needs counter space.
Who this pitter suits?
Home bakers working toward a pie for a gathering, holiday baking runs, and anyone who freezes a few pounds of pitted fruit at the end of the season. It is also the design that keeps the least fruit on your hands, since the fruit goes straight into the bowl.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone pitting under about forty cherries a year, because the footprint and learning curve are wasted on a single dessert. Very small sour cherries can sit awkwardly in the holes until you get used to the loading rhythm.
5. EddHomes 7-in-1 Cherry Pitter Tool – Best Multi-Fruit Use
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
- Works on olives
- dates
- hawthorn and more
- Simple squeeze action with no learning curve
- Disassembles completely for cleaning
- Compact and portable
- Rating is among the lowest in this roundup
- Metal type is not clearly specified
- Heavier than most handheld piters here
This is the pitter to buy if your kitchen sees more than cherries. It is sold as a 7-in-1 tool for olives, Chinese dates, hawthorn and similar small fruit, and the same spring action that pits a cherry handles an olive cleanly. The whole thing comes apart for washing, which is the part we care about most in a multi-use tool.
Operation is a plain squeeze with no plunger alignment to think about, and it locks shut for storage. Two thousand-plus reviews at 4.2 stars reflects steady performance with a visible spread of quality complaints, mostly about durability rather than pitting.
This 4.2 rating is among the lowest on our list, and the reason is consistency rather than function. Around nine percent of reviews are one star, and those cluster around cracking handles and the metal type not being identified clearly, so if you want a lifetime tool this is not it.
For pure cherry work the stainless plunger version of this design is fine, but the multi-fruit claim is what earns its slot. Dates, olives and hawthorn all have pits this chamber fits, and a dedicated tool for each would be silly.
Who this pitter suits?
Anyone who pickles olives, makes date or hawthorn desserts, or wants one drawer tool instead of three. It is also a reasonable choice for a first pitter, since the action is the simplest on this list.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone pitting large Bing or Rainier fruit in volume, where a wider cup and a firmer frame work better. Buyers who want a long warranty should pick a tool with a stated guarantee.
6. ProTensils Zinc Alloy Cherry Pitter – Best Compact Storage
- Compact 5 inch body
- Non-slip pressure absorbing handles
- Zinc alloy will not flex under load
- Backed by a 120-day return policy
- Plunger is not always centred and misses some pits
- Can close too far and crush a cherry
- Weakest fit on very large fruit
At 5 inches long this is one of the most compact pitters we tested, and the locking mechanism folds it into a shape that fits the narrow spaces beside a whisk and a peeler. The zinc alloy frame is rigid, which matters more than weight, because a rigid frame keeps the plunger aligned with the cup.
The handles are described as pressure absorbing, and reviewers consistently mention that they reduce hand stress over a long batch. Dishwasher safe with no disassembly, and it handles olives as well as cherries.
The honest drawback is alignment. Reviewers report the plunger pin missing the pit roughly a third of the time on some fruit, which means you check as you go. It also closes further than ideal, so a very ripe cherry can come out compressed rather than round.
Very large sweet cherries and large olives are the weak case for this tool, because the cup is sized for standard fruit. If your pie calls for Rainier cherries in quantity, test a few before committing to a full batch.
Who this pitter suits?
Kitchens with genuinely small drawer space, and bakers who pit in short sessions rather than marathon batches. The return policy also makes it a low-risk first purchase.
Who should buy something else?
Large-batch bakers, because the miss rate doubles the time on a jam day. Anyone decorating a pie with whole cherries also wants a tool that keeps the fruit shape, and this one compresses soft fruit.
7. Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Feed Tray – Best for High-Volume Batches
Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter Automatic Feed Tray, 1.75in/4.5cm, As Shown
- Feed tray suits steady high-volume pitting
- Suction base holds the unit in place
- Container holds about 3 lb before emptying
- Disassembles for cleaning
- Suction base slips on textured counters
- Cherries can stick to the spring plunger
- Plastic body is less durable than metal
This is the tool for the end of cherry season, when you have a laundry basket of fruit and a jar of preserves to make. The automatic feed tray lets you keep cherries moving without positioning each one by hand, and the pit container holds roughly three pounds before it needs emptying.
The stainless steel plunger is spring loaded and the high vacuum suction base keeps the unit from walking across the counter. Reviewers who work through large batches report processing far more fruit in an afternoon than they could by hand in days.
Set it on a smooth, dry surface. The suction base is strong but it can release on textured or laminate counters, and a station that shifts mid-press is how juice ends up on your shirt. The frame is 12.25 inches long and weighs 1.2 pounds, so it holds its position well once seated.
Misses are reported at around ten percent, which is normal for a feed tray design where alignment is less precise than a handheld cup. You still check, and soft fruit can cling to the plunger on the way up.
Who this pitter suits?
Home canners, jam makers, dehydrator users, and anyone processing five pounds or more in a session. The three-pound capacity is what makes it a session tool rather than a dessert tool.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone with a single pie on the plan, because it takes up counter and cupboard space for a job that lasts ten minutes. A textured counter is also a poor match for the suction base.
8. KITCHENDAO Cherry Pitter – Best for Large Cherries
- Highest-rated pitter in this roundup
- Working panel sits 5mm higher for large fruit
- Cross head pulls more core with less pulp loss
- Soft-touch TPE handle stays secure when wet
- Juice splatter is the most reported complaint
- Smaller review base than the established brands
- Newer design with a shorter track record
This is the highest rated pitter in our roundup, and the design reason is clear once you look at it. The working panel sits 5mm higher than a standard head, which gives a large Bing or Rainier room to sit without being crushed against the blade, and the cross-shaped head removes the core with noticeably less pulp coming with it.
That combination is why it suits decorative pie work, where you want whole fruit on top of the filling. The zinc alloy needle is stiff enough not to flex, and the soft-touch TPE handle stays grippy with wet fingers.
Mess is the problem here. With no shield over the working end, the 4.8 rating comes with repeated reports of splatter, and on a ripe cherry the juice goes further than the bowl. Work over a wide bowl with a board underneath and it is manageable.
The 613 reviews behind that rating are a much smaller base than the four-thousand-plus numbers behind the OXO and Westmark picks. High ratings on a smaller sample can move a lot, so we would not build a season of canning on it without testing first.
Who this pitter suits?
Bakers using large sweet cherries, especially anyone arranging whole fruit on a pie or cake. The taller chamber also handles mixed sizes without swapping tools mid-batch.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone who prioritises a clean counter, since there is no shield here. It is also a less settled choice for a canning-only setup where a big review base matters more than peak rating.
9. Chef’n QuickPit Cherry and Olive Pitter – Best for Small Batches
- Trigger action is far less tiring than squeezing
- Fully one-handed
- No sharp blades so it suits a family kitchen
- Very effective on small sour cherries
- Larger sweet cherry pits can struggle
- Juice spray is common with no shield
- All plastic build
Most of the other piters here are squeeze tools. This one is a trigger, and that single design choice changes how your hand feels. You pull with one finger while the frame holds position, so pitting two pounds of fruit is less tiring than a press design, which is why reviewers with grip problems single it out.
It is 4.7 inches, 1.44 ounces, and it works one-handed over a bowl. There are no sharp blades anywhere in the mechanism, which makes it the easiest of the roundup to leave out within reach of small children.
On small sour and tart cherries this is the tool we found least fussy, with users reporting working through gallons in hours rather than days. The one-handed action means your other hand can hold the bowl steady, which is exactly what you want with slippery fruit.
Large sweet cherries are the limit. The chamber and punch are sized for smaller fruit, and a firm Bing can refuse to clear without a second pull. The plastic body is also the least durable material here, so treat it as the small-batch tool rather than the heirloom one.
Who this pitter suits?
Anyone pitting under a pound at a time, people who pit tart pie cherries, and households with children. It is also our pick for one-handed use and for grip that fades over a long session.
Who should buy something else?
Bakers working with large Bing or Rainier fruit, and anyone wanting a long-term tool. If your batches run past a few pounds, the savings in hand fatigue do not offset the slower pace.
10. Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Deluxe Cherry Pitter – Best for Canning and Preserving
Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Suction Base, BPA Free, 11-Inches x 7.5-Inches x 4.5-Inches
- Automatic feed tray and spring plunger for volume work
- Pit catch bin keeps the counter clear
- Powerful suction base on smooth surfaces
- Assembles from six parts with clear instructions
- Suction base can release when juice gets involved
- Misses a noticeable share of pits on some fruit
- Plastic body and small pit reservoir
This is a countertop station rather than a handheld, and it is aimed at preserving: canning, dehydrating, freezing and baking in the quantities those projects demand. The automatic feed tray and spring-loaded plunger do the work, and a catch bin below collects pits so the counter stays clear through a long session.
Reviewers who run it through a full afternoon of fruit report processing 16 to 20 pounds in one to two hours. The body is BPA free and rubber-footed for grip, and it assembles from six parts with printed instructions.
The suction base is the weak point. It holds well on a smooth clean counter and can release once juice gets involved, so wipe the surface between batches rather than once at the start. The overall footprint is 11 by 7.5 by 4.5 inches, so it needs a clear corner of the kitchen.
Missed pits are reported anywhere from five to twenty-five percent depending on the reviewer and the fruit, and the small pit reservoir means emptying it more often than the Norpro, and the 4.2 rating across 150 reviews is a thinner sample than we would like, so treat it as a specialist pick rather than a default.
Who this pitter suits?
Home canners and dehydrator users working through a real harvest, and anyone who would rather set a tool up on the counter than press cherries one at a time. The catch bin suits anyone who dreads a counter full of pits.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone baking one pie, and anyone on a textured counter where suction will not hold. If accuracy matters more than speed for a decorative topping, a handheld preserves the fruit better.
How to Choose a Cherry Pitter for Baking?
Start with the size of the batch, not the tool type
Most buying guides start with handheld versus countertop. Batch volume is the more useful question, because it decides everything else. A nine-inch cherry pie needs roughly two cups of pitted cherries. Cherry jam runs four to six pounds, and canning or freezing a season pushes past ten.
Under two pounds, any of the handheld tools in this roundup will do the job, and the pie will come out the same. Between two and six pounds, a multi-cup pitter like the OXO Quick Release is where you start to feel the time saving. Past six pounds, a feed tray or countertop station is the honest answer, because single-cherry pressing stops being a pleasant task.
Handheld or countertop, and what changes
Handheld pitters pit one cherry per press, fit in a drawer, and give you the most control over whether a pit actually cleared. They cost you time. Countertop units trade that control for volume: a feed tray or multi-cup design clears a pound of fruit in a fraction of the time, at the cost of counter space, a cleaning job and a little precision.
Cherry pitter, cherry stoner and cherry seed remover are the same object. Cherry huller is different: that term normally means removing the leafy top from a strawberry or the calyx from a tomato, so a pitter will not do that job.
Splatter shield, splash guard and pit catcher are three different things
These get used interchangeably, and they solve different problems. A splatter shield is the cover over the working end. A splash guard is the same idea in a larger countertop design, usually a chute that directs juice downward. A pit catcher is a container that collects the pits. Only the OXO Cherry and Olive Pitter among our handheld picks has a shield built in.
Cleaning and dishwasher reality
Every tool here is listed dishwasher safe, but that phrase means different things. The single-piece handheld tools go straight in; the countertop stations need disassembly, and the Mrs. Anderson’s model comes apart into six pieces. Rinse as you go rather than letting a jam batch dry overnight.
Cherry size and ripeness change the result
Large sweet Bing and Rainier fruit need a wider chamber and more clearance, which is what the KITCHENDAO’s taller working panel gives you. Small tart pie cherries and sour fruit suit a narrower cup or a trigger design like the Chef’n. The failure mode nobody warns you about is ripeness: a growingfruit.org thread on 2026 pie cherries reported a hopper pitter performing well on firm large sweet fruit and struggling on fully ripe, smaller, softer sour cherries. If your fruit is soft enough to dent under a fingertip, expect slower pitting and more juice regardless of which tool you own.
Grip and hand fatigue over a long session
Two designs reduce fatigue more than the others here. The Ordekcity uses a rebound action that returns the cherry toward your hand after each press, and the Chef’n QuickPit uses a finger trigger instead of a squeeze. The trigger design is our pick for limited grip strength, and it is also the one with no sharp blades, which matters in a house with small children. Cherry pits are a choking hazard, so a tool that cannot shoot one across the room is worth thinking about.
What actually costs more, and what does not?
Spending more does not buy better pitting. Our budget stainless tool matched the OXO on first-pass removal for a fraction of the outlay. What higher prices buy you is capacity, a frame rigid enough to keep the plunger aligned, a stated warranty, and splash control. If your batches are small, buy the cheapest tool that suits your fruit size. If you are processing a harvest, the money goes on capacity and a catch tray. A cheap model that lives in a drawer and gets used is a better investment than a good one that ends up in a cupboard.
For the rest of the bake, our baking sheet picks and silicone mat guide cover the two surfaces most of this fruit ends up near.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best tool to pit cherries?
The best tool to pit cherries is a handheld pitter for a single pie and a multi-cup or feed tray model for larger batches. The OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter is our first choice for most home bakers because its cup takes both large sweet and small tart cherries, the handles lock for storage, and it goes in the dishwasher without disassembly.
Is it worth buying a cherry pitter?
Yes, if you are pitting more than about twenty cherries. Pitting by hand runs roughly five to ten seconds per cherry and leaves torn fruit, while a pitter does it in one to two seconds and keeps the cherry round enough to use as a decorative topping. For a two-pound pie batch, a pitter pays for itself in the first bake. Under that, a paper clip and a bowl will do the job.
Is there a trick to pitting lots of cherries fast?
Four things help. Chill or briefly freeze the fruit first so it is firm. Choose a multi-cup or feed tray pitter rather than a single-cup handheld. Work over a wide bowl with a cutting board underneath so splatter is contained. And check every cherry before it goes into the filling, because no pitter clears every pit on the first press.
Which cherry pitter did America’s Test Kitchen recommend?
America’s Test Kitchen has put a multi-cup style pitter forward for its batch capacity, clearing several cherries in one press with a stable base. In our own testing the same reasoning holds: the multi-cup design is the one that changes the timeline on a pie, while the best single tools on the market remain the handheld picks such as the OXO Good Grips.
What is the best cherry pitter tool for large sweet cherries?
For large Bing and Rainier fruit, look for a wider cup or a taller working panel rather than a narrow chamber. The KITCHENDAO sits its working head 5mm higher than standard to give large cherries room, and the OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter has a generous cup with a recessed spot for smaller fruit. Small sour cherries suit a narrower tool such as the Chef’n QuickPit.
Can I use a cherry pitter for other fruit?
Most of them, yes. The OXO Good Grips, Westmark Kernex, Chef’n QuickPit and ProTensils models all handle olives as well as cherries, and the EddHomes 7-in-1 tool is built for dates, hawthorn and similar small fruit. Fruit with pits of a very different size, such as peaches or plums, needs a different tool.
Can I freeze pitted cherries?
Yes, and pitting before freezing is the reason to do it. Pitted cherries freeze in a flat layer on a tray, then move to a bag or box, and they go straight into a filling without any prep. Add a little sugar or lemon juice to stop the fruit browning, and use them within a few months for the best texture.
How do you clean a cherry pitter?
Rinse it under running water straight after use and push a thumb through the chamber to clear any stuck pit. Every model in this roundup is dishwasher safe, but the countertop feed tray designs come apart first, and the handheld tools with a splatter shield unclip so the shield can be washed separately. Drying it properly is what prevents dried juice from stiffening the spring.
The Verdict: Which Cherry Pitter Should You Buy in 2026?
The best cherry pitters for baking fall into two groups, and the honest answer depends on how much fruit you are dealing with. For a pie, a cobbler or a few pounds a season, buy the OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter. It covers more ground than any other pick here: a wide cup that takes large Bing fruit, a recessed spot for small tart cherries, a removable splatter shield, handles that lock shut, and a dishwasher-safe body. It is also the tool we reached for most often across our batches.
The moment you cross roughly four pounds in one go, move up. The OXO Quick Release Multi Pitter handles six cherries per press and drops them straight into the bowl, which turns a twenty-minute job into five. For a full harvest or a canning weekend, the Norpro Deluxe feed tray is the volume answer, and you should accept the ten percent miss rate and check as you go.
For budget buyers, the Ordekcity stainless tool does the same work as the OXO for a fraction of the outlay, and the Westmark Kernex is the one to buy if you want a frame that lasts. Whatever you choose, put a board under the bowl, check each cherry before it reaches the filling, and take the fruit out of the heat when it is firm rather than soft. The best cherry pitters for baking are the ones that match the batch on your counter this week.