Konrad, many years ago I used a crank cherry pitter which worked well. It did miss an occasional pit, but a simple inspection would get these. It tended to rip up the cherries a bit more than with hand pitting. Thats one reason why the misses were easier to find, the cherries were ripped open. Anyway, overall I found it very easy to use.

Google turned up the model below which is something like what I remember using.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: crank cherry pitter

Thank you Scott!
That's a interesting pitter!
I think for pies we like the cherries more in one piece, it looks like I have to buy another single pitter, then
my wife and me can work as team LOL.
Konrad

That makes sense. I usually made jam and I actually preferred the ripped open ones becuase they would lie flat on my toast and not be these big balls sitting on it.

Scott

Check out the web site for Lehamns hardware (www.lehmans.com). They are in Kidron Ohio but ship any where. They sell alot of things to the Amish and Mennonites in that area and have an a lot of kitchen ware and non-electric items. I believe the last time we were there they had 3 or 4 different types of pitters.
Woody.

Thank you all!
Scott, you're so right! This makes sense and one could spot a pit too if it happens.

Woody
I haven't spotted any, perhaps I haven't looked hard enough.
Konrad

Konrad:

1. The original plunger type cherry stoner is a German design, made by the Glass Company of Germany, of tough, orange-colored plastic. We have two of them, and have been using them for over 20 years. As they say in Germany, they are "Automatischer Kirschentkerner, fur frische Kirschen, konservierte und tiefgefrorene Kirschen". I don't have the two little dots for the "fur". The Italians make multiple-cherry machines that are quite expensive, but the Glass design is the best pitter for the money on the market today.

2. A little more than 15 years ago, knockoffs began to appear from Taiwan, and now they are more likely from mainland China like nearly everything else. The Taiwanese and the Chinese are very good at copying things, and I assume their pitters, which are dead ringers for the Glass design, (although they are usually white instead of orange plastic), are pretty good too, although when I can get a good German product at not too much of a premium price, I usually buy it. I feel the same way about Felco pruners, built like a Swiss watch.

3. I know you are a skilled craftsman, and have a lot of experience working with machinery, but I think you might give your plunger-type pitter another chance. We usually pit and freeze over 25 quarts of sour cherries every spring, and there are a few things we have learned about using these pitters. First, do not overload the little hopper with cherries and expect them to roll singly into the pitting chamber. They will not. Place a maximum of 8-10 cherries in the hopper, and guide them to the guillotine. This slows the operation a little, but not much. The cherries are always trying to hop over one another to get to the bowl without being pitted, and when you get a cherry jam in the pitting chamber this is what can happen. Adjust your pressure on the plunger so it is just enough to pit the cherry; not too much or too little. Keep the knob on the plunger screwed tight so you do not lose spring tension. Do not allow the pit bin to become overfilled, and rinse the entire pitter every so often when it becomes sticky. Be alert for black frass in the pitting area which indicates the presence of cherry fruit fly larvae, and stop operations when you see it for a complete rinse. Made sure the rubber insert that grabs the pit is always in the right place, kept there by the pit bin.

4. My mother-in-law used the little hand-held pitter, so I have seen those used, and they are many times slower than the plunger types, though effective. I have also seen the crank-type pitters in action, and, in addition to crushing the cherries, they pass many more pits than a plunger type carefully used. However, plunger-type pitters are designed for use on full-size cherries, such as Montmorency or Northstar, (or any of the sweet cherries), with a stone that is small relative to the size of the cherry. I saw your beautiful photos of Nanking cherries not long ago, but these thin-walled bush cherries with large stones will not work well in any pitter, except possibly the hand-held types, if that is what you are trying to pit.

5. If I have any problem with the pitter you purchased, it is the suction-cup base, which is not an improvement over the clamp base and would quickly loosen and have to be reset frequently. A clamp-type base will hold to the table much better, and I modify mine by placing a 3/4 piece of wood beneath to raise the discharge point and permit use of a more spacious receiving bowl. I checked out the Lehman's website provided by Woody, and see that they have a deluxe model, actually made in Germany, for $32.95. I am sure their cheaper model is Chinese. The German machine would be my choice, hands down. A little pricey, but a stainless steel plunger is worth a lot. I know it is not so simple for you to order merchandise from USA sources, given exchange difficulties etc., but if you have a lot of cherries to pit, the best is none too good. Finally, give your Chinese machine another chance (though not with bush type cherries), and you might begin to like it if you can figure out how to get rid of that suction cup and install a clamp.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Wow...thank you so much Don for this long post!

>>If I have any problem with the pitter you purchased, it is the suction-cup base, which is not an improvement over the clamp base and would quickly loosen and have to be reset frequently.Actually, I was very impressed with the base!...It held very sturdy on the countertop and never got loose.
One other problem it had, the pluncher was off center, so when the pluncher came down, it was about 1/8"
off to the bottom hole. This pitter is made in Taiwan.
I'm still thinking what my next step would be, the thing what bothers me is, I don't want the odd
misses, heaving only one pit hidden in a pie can result of expensive Dental visit.
Konrad

Konrad:

If the plunger is off-center by 1/8 inch, that certainly justifies its return and replacement with one that is properly centered. That much misalignment can affect operation, and you paid enough for it to get one that works as designed.

I am happy to hear that the suction cup holds well for you. I have never had much luck with suction cups holding things under stress, but maybe they are making them better now.

It is a standing joke in our household that I am the one who always gets the single rogue pit in a pie. I chew thoughtfully, since my dental work is worth more than the entire rest of my body.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA