Stainless Steel Coconut Meat Removal Knife

**FULL DISCLOSURE** I get compensated with free coconut tool for writing a review.So how can you trust my review? Couple things to consider.1) I have never written a review for any other products on Amazon because I am just too lazy. So if getting a second coconut tool is enough to get me to write a review that should speak for itself.2) I am uploading 2 pictures worth more than any review I could ever write. The pictures show a half coconut shell with coconut meat removed fully intact! Take a look at the pictures (in the user uploaded area) as they say all that needs to be said concerning if the tool works or not.After using this tool the first time I realized if I did not try to "cut" the meat out but instead pry it out it worked beautifully! The meat would come out whole rather than in pieces. It does take a lot more strength in the hands and wrist to pry it out whole...You have to stick the tool deeper down between the shell and the meat and then twist it a couple times. Then remove the tool (which will also take some effort because it is now wedged way down between the meat and the shell) and do it again as you work your way around the coconut. After doing this a couple times I came to my senses and realized why do I really care if the coconut comes out whole? It looks cool but it always gets shredded up anyways! With that in mind I am now able to get the meat out of a coconut in very little time. It takes about 2 minutes start to finish. Wow is all I can say about it. Why don't they sell these thing in the grocery store right beside the coconuts? They would sell a lot more coconuts if they did!The knife itself is not sharp but there is still the fear I am going to ram it into my other hand that is holding the coconut. Again...after a couple uses I realized this is not likely to happen. The knife is not sharp enough to go through the coconut shell and should be used more for prying than cutting.The tool itself is very sturdy and seems well built. I was surprised by the quality and the design as it seems to be a heavy gauge stainless steel (which I am doubting they would use/sell at this price) but only time will tell if it truly is stainless steal. Also the handle fits very nicely into the hand and has a comfortable grip. I can not tell if the blade goes all the way through the handle. If it does this is an unbeatable deal but I'm not willing to destroy my tool by cracking open the handle to find out. The handle is very thick which allows you to feel more in control when sticking it between the coconut and the shell as well as when you are trying to pry the meat out.Now I am able to enjoy fresh coconut whenever I desire it. No more hassle trying to use a butter knife...no more letting the coconut go bad in my fridge because I dread the thought of trying to get the coconut meat out of the shell (like I said earlier I can be pretty lazy...and a battle with a coconut is a pretty good reason to find something else to eat...)

I was skeptical of this knife's strength but it turned out to be very beefy and functional. I've used it across a range of coconut size and meat maturity (hardness) and it really works. On some bigger ones it can be a struggle for a minute or two, and my wife has given up on a few after struggling for a few minutes, but I haven't had any problems myself. I do have rather large and strong hands, and of course this task varies in difficulty for different people. On most coconuts it's a breeze to pop out the whole hemisphere of meat in one piece after about one minute of shimmying around the shell, while in larger ones sometimes I wind up taking the meat out in 3 or 4 pieces because the blade isn't quite long enough to reach the center. The handle is thick and solid. It's a simple, perfect tool.My previous technique was to make a grid of cuts in the meat with any ordinary paring knife--even a ceramic knife won't be damaged if used strictly for making cuts without any prying motions--and then pop each rectangular piece out with a flat-head screwdriver. Actually, that system works great and you can buy perfectly strong screwdrivers for about a dollar, so if someone's on a very tight budget or doesn't eat coconuts very often, I would recommend it.I also have several tools for grating coconuts, and while grated coconut is ideal for salads, there's nothing to compare to the texture and flavor of fresh coconut milk, and I find that it's much easier and more effective to make coconut milk by taking the meat out with this tool, cutting into chunks and putting in a blender instead of using grated coconut. Needless to say, in either case it's optimal to use hot water before squeezing out the milk. And cheesecloth made from hemp is vastly better than cotton because hemp gets stronger when it's wet. I'm going to start using a masticating juicer for making coconut milk soon, so this tool is also the best method to generate the small chunks for feeding the juicer.One advantage of taking out the meat in one piece is that you can slice it into nice long strips that are perfect for stir-frying and eating with chopsticks. Medium-age slightly soft coconut meat strips mixed with, say, long okra pieces, julienned carrot, strips of bulb onion, and strips of beef, sauteed in coconut oil, is a wonderful way to use coconut.

I like to make homemade coconut milk from whole coconuts from time to time and am always looking for the best way to get out the coconut meat without hurting myself or others and decided to take a chance on this gadget. It isn't perfect, you do still have some struggle, but is a lot better than a butter knife!