What it was made for: Getting the core out of an apple while sacrificing the least amount of fruit. A built-in blade that swings out from the handle is handy for peeling or cutting slices for pies, cobblers, etc.

What you can also use it for: Preparing pears and other fruits with seeds in the middle; or, for preparing plum tomatoes (when they're not at their peak, the cores can be hard and tasteless).