The Best Way To Cut Corn Off The Cob

Whether you're grilling sweet corn for your next corn dip or for incorporating into a salad, you're going to have to face the pesky task of cutting the kernels off the cob. This can be quite tedious, considering the cob doesn't have a flat  surface on the bottom for stability (though you could cut one), leading it to fall over or slip when cutting around it. It's also common for corn kernels to fly everywhere when stripping the cob, leading to an unnecessary cooking mess. This method is not only inefficient, but it carries the risk of cutting yourself. In order to remove the kernels quickly, safely, and (relatively) mess-free, it requires a couple of extra dishes — but, trust us, it's totally worth it.

When the corn is done cooking, wait until it's cool enough to the touch, then assemble yourself a little station with a large bowl, a small bowl, and a razor-sharp chef's knife.

According to Food Network's Tyler Florence, the key to collecting all those airborne kernels is creating a vessel for them to fall into, or in this case, a large bowl. Place your large bowl on your workstation, add the smaller bowl upside down inside the large one, and prop your corn upright on the smaller bowl's bottom. This will allow the kernels to fall into one place, reducing your time chasing the stragglers.(Pro tip: if you have a small bowl with a raised anti-slip ring, it will prevent your cob's end from sliding around.)Similarly, if your large bowl has a smooth bottom, you can make this setup one degree safer by placing a damp paper towel underneath to prevent slippage when cutting. 

If your mixing bowls are dirty or you don't have any on hand, a lower-tech option to stabilize the cob is by using a standard kitchen towel. The towel's fabric will catch the kernels and prevent them from bouncing to the far ends of the kitchen.