Westmark Olivus olive stoner, aluminium, also for cherries

The Westmark Olivus olive stoner is an aluminium plier-style tool that removes the olive stone in a single squeeze and leaves the olive whole, ready for stuffing, chopping or serving. It measures 169 × 105 × 27 mm, is made in Germany and can also be used to stone cherries.

We have been selling it since 2016 to customers who make stuffed olives, tapenade or nibbles at home, and it is the sturdiest hand-operated olive stoner in our range: a single piece of cast aluminium with a spring, with no plastic parts to break.

Specifications

How it works and what it is not for

Place the olive in the cup, with the stone upright, and squeeze the handles: the curved plunger, longer than usual, pushes the stone out through the hole underneath without tearing the flesh. The cup is cone-shaped, so it holds a small olive just as firmly as a large gordal. It is best to work over a bowl or a deep plate, because the stones drop out below.

It is a hand tool, one olive per squeeze: more than enough for a bowl of nibbles, a jar of stuffed olives or the quantity a recipe calls for, but it is not a machine for pitting olives by the kilo. Nor does it slit or split olives: the devices for cracking green olives before curing are a different thing. It works best with firm-fleshed olives (manzanilla, gordal, verdial, cacereña); very soft or very ripe ones may fall apart. For plums, take a look at the Westmark Steinex-combi, which takes fruit up to 4 cm.

Frequently asked questions

Does it leave the olive whole?

Yes: the plunger only pushes the stone out through one end and the olive keeps its shape, with a hole through which it can be stuffed with pepper, anchovy or almond.

Does it work for cherries?

Yes, Westmark specifies it for olives and cherries. If you only want it for cherries, the Westmark Kernex is smaller and lets you stone them even with the stalk still on.

Can it go in the dishwasher?

Yes. The aluminium may lose a little of its shine with washing, but this does not affect how it works. After use, it is worth rinsing the cup so the olive juice doesn’t dry on it.

How does it differ from the Lacor plier-type stoner?

The Lacor olive and cherry pitter is made of chrome-plated zamak and has a locking clip to store it closed. The Olivus is aluminium, with a longer curved plunger and a cone-shaped cup that adapts to the size of the olive. Both work the same way: one olive per squeeze.

Related products

• Lacor plier-type olive and cherry pitter, chrome-plated zamak and folding
• Ibili cherry and olive pitter, the simplest model for home use
• Westmark Kernex cherry stoner, aluminium
• Westmark Steinex-combi cherry and plum stoner
• All our pitters and corers and all Westmark products