If you are like me, when you see a new product advertised on television you are skeptical. Does the product work? Or did the inventor have a great financial backer to get them on television and get the product sold?

When I started seeing information on television for a product called The Rotato Express, I was instantly intrigued. I grew up in a household where mom had dinner on the table every night. My mother also made everything from scratch. Growing up religiously on homemade mashed potatoes has made it very hard for me to stomach eating “instant” potatoes when I know that fresh potatoes taste so much better and are so much healthier for you to eat. The time issue seems to be everyone’s biggest complaint when it comes to making such a delectable side dish. That’s where The Rotato Express comes in.

The Rotato Express is a peeling machine. It peels away the skin from a potato without taking the potato...it peels literally, just the skin! And using this machine could not be easier. There are spokes on in that you just press the potato in to and it holds it into place. You then lower a lever on the top that also has a spoke in it to keep the potato securely straight. There is a little cutter arm that you rest on top of the potato that has a razor blade in it. Just hit the red start button and within seconds, your potato is neatly peeled!

You do have to do a little finishing work by peeling the skin off the very ends of each potato, but that is no big deal at all. And there are uses for the potato peels. You can fry them in a deep fryer and season with salt and pepper and make potato skin “curly fries”, you can put them in your composter and feed your compost to make it rich with nitrogen, or you can use them to make soup stock.

It is simple and safe to operate. It has a non-slip base which holds it securely on your countertop or work surface. It also automatically shuts off when the peeling is finished. I kid you not! This makes making mashed potatoes an absoute joy! This kitchen gadget is the one that once you see it and use it you will kick yourself for not thinking of it yourself. Seriously, it is brilliant for foodies who like to cook but could use an extra “hand” in the kitchen.

There is a built in storage unit that holds two spare blades. I prefer to plug the unit in and leave it on the counter, but if you are a battery person, it will run on 4 (AA)batteries also, but they are not included. It is small so it will not take up a lot of counterspace or cabinet space. You can hear the motor running, but it is quiet and not bothersome at all.

Once you get this kitchen helper you will wonder how you lived without it. I scoured the web to find out the prices the product is being offered at across the boards and I encourage you to do the same with any product you are considering to buy. Let’s look at what I found: www.walmart.com for $19.97; www.amazon.com for $17.00; and AsSeenOnTVguys.com for $21.75 and the replacement blades, set of 4 for $4.99.