From early European settlements, Apples have often been a staple in the kitchens of North Americans. In the 18th and 19th century, many homeowners grew their own apple trees, and families processed these apples into a variety of products. The best-looking apples would be put into the cellar, while blemished apples would be pressed and sliced into cider, applesauce, or apple butter. Peeling, coring, and slicing enough apples for winter was difficult and time consuming, however, so soon many different inventions began to appear to aid in this work.

The apple peeler was one of the first of these inventions, with some of the first versions appearing in the 1700s. Even the simplest early devices made short work of the fruit: Just poke it onto the prongs, twirl the crank and, within seconds, a spring-loaded peeler strips off long ribbons of rind. These inventions rose steadily in popularity, and from 1803 to 1910, about 250 apple-peeler designs were patented.