Manual and electric fish cleaner, how to make it yourself, tips for cleaning fish

The benefits of fish are great. This is not only a tasty delicacy, but also a source of large amounts of vitamins and microelements. Cleaning fish from scales is considered one of the unpleasant processes in cooking, since during cleaning small scales scatter throughout the kitchen.

It is because of this process that many housewives refuse to cook fish. And male fishermen prefer to catch rather than clean it. Now, in order to facilitate the process, there are a large number of methods and devices that will simplify cleaning and keep the kitchen free of dirt. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this process; the most important thing is to choose the right device with which you can clean the fish.

Tips on how to clean fish

Remember that fresh fish is much easier to clean, so the entire catch must be cleaned at once and then stored.

How to clean fish?

One of the popular cleaning methods is a knife. But from some types of fish you don’t have to remove scales at all, for example, salmon, gobies. This fish is simply fried in a frying pan. Catfish and burbot are quick and easy to clean; just wash off the mucus from them with water or rub the carcass with salt. The scales can be easily removed from freshly caught crucian carp simply with your fingers. Small fish can be sprinkled with salt and rinsed under water. But, ruff and perch, you will have to sweat over them.

A live fish that moves and constantly beats its tail is very inconvenient to clean, so it must be stunned. Let's start cleaning. The very first and most important step is to rinse the carcass under running cool water. It is necessary to wash the gills and body of the carcass well. You can clean with a regular kitchen knife, a special fish knife, as well as fish scalers and scrapers.

Hand tools

The mechanical cleaning method is the fastest, but not effective. Large fish can be cleaned by hand. Grasp the tail with one hand. The cleaning itself occurs with your free hand, that is, with your thumbnail across the growth of the scales. Use a knife to clean in hard-to-reach places.

An ordinary kitchen knife, not very large and wide. You need to be careful with him. To prevent the scales from scattering, the carcass can be placed in a bag, in which the scales can be removed with gentle movements. If you clean in the sink, do not forget to put a metal or plastic mesh over the drain. The carcass must be held correctly. The head should be positioned towards you, you need to hold it by the tail. The process of removing scales occurs from the tail to the head. Movements are smooth and neat.

The best tools include a brush that visually resembles a hair comb. This is a flat plate with small blunt teeth. Teeth - spikes are the main working part of the tool. This design can handle scales of different sizes without much difficulty.

It is worth noting that sometimes even a vegetable knife will do. It is better to clean under running water or in a bowl of water. Mini grater for chopping vegetables, the edges of which should be sharp. There are species of fish whose scales fit tightly to the skin. Then place the carcass in boiling water for a few seconds.

Electric household fish scaler

One of the best devices that can quickly and easily clean fish scales is an electric fish scaler. Such an electrical device can be found in most fishermen, catering workers and owners of private fish stores.

A fish scaler runs on electricity and is considered the most convenient and easy-to-use tool. Home automatic scale removal machines can operate from several power sources: a household network, a car cigarette lighter, and a built-in battery. Thanks to these power options, you can use the device not only at home, but also while fishing.

Electric household fish scalers are also very popular. The most famous models are RF 01, VesElectric 4000 battery with container. Electric household fish scalers are equipped with a special screen that prevents scales from flying away.

The best electric fish scalers

Electric devices for cleaning fish are used mainly in production and in the kitchens of catering establishments, where it is necessary to clean a large number of carcasses in a short time.

Farmer RF-01, Blue Yellowс

This electric fish scaler is suitable for home and commercial use. With its help, fish can be cleaned much faster than with hand tools, from head to tail, on average - up to a hundred pieces per hour. At the same time, there is no need to hold the carcass with force - the device hooks the scales effortlessly, picking them up into the restrictive casing. The device will help you cope even with fish that are considered “difficult” to clean.

Farmer RF-01 works from an electrical network or a car cigarette lighter, so you can take it with you on fishing or outdoor recreation. The advanced sharp cutter spins at 3500 rpm.

The average price of Farmer RF-01 “Blue Yellowс” is 4,900 rubles.

Advantages

High speed of fish processing;
Careful treatment of scales;
There is no need for strong fixation of the carcass;
Protective cover against flying scales.

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Flaws

High price;
Compliance with safety precautions is required.

Making a device for cleaning fish with your own hands

For effective cleaning, there are various graters that can be purchased at the market or in a store. But you can make the device yourself. To do this, you will need a wooden block and tin with holes, which has sharp jagged edges. This device will clean the fish instantly.

Let's make a grater from a tin can. To do this, make several medium-sized holes in it. Beer cap grater. Take a wooden block, such that it is comfortable to hold in your hand. You need to nail several tin beer caps to it. The device turns out to be simple and effective; scales fly off the fish quickly.

If you don't have a lid or an empty can at home, use a simple fork or spoon. The scales can scatter a lot, so place the fish in a plastic bag.

Tricks for cleaning fish

Any fish will be easy to clean if its tail is pinned to the board. This cleaning method has been used for a long time. By the way, regarding the knife, it is better to clean it with the blunt side rather than the sharp side. But this method is not suitable for beginners.

Electric fish scalers do their job very quickly; the only drawback is that they are expensive. If your husband brings back several crucian carp from fishing, it is better to use the old grandfather’s method. Using beer caps and parkas is a method used by fishermen.

But it is worth noting that the plugs, which are currently not suitable for cleaning, are weak and with a large number of fish, the wavy teeth will bend.

It is better to clean only fresh fish. If you buy it at the market, pay attention to the gills, they must be red, without mucus and mud. The smell should be fishy, without foreign aromas, there should be no mucus present, and the scales should adhere tightly to the skin.

Don't be afraid of Chinese purges; they do their job well. The simplest and easiest way to clean fish is with a knife and the experienced hands of a fisherman. As you can see, cleaning fish is easy; you just need to have certain skills and a special cleaning device.

Remember that it is best to clean only fresh fish. If you want to freeze a product, you must clean it, wash it, and only then freeze it. Choose for yourself the cleaning method that will cope with the task perfectly.

Varieties

The type of device you choose primarily depends on the type of fish. Skilled fishermen remove the scales of fish such as carp and the like directly with their bare hands. On the one hand, this is correct - in general, it is better to clean fish immediately, near the place of catching and as soon as possible. But a modern housewife who bought fish in a store, or a person encountering this for the first time, is unlikely to cope with cleaning scales so deftly.

In this case, you just need to use your accumulated experience or resort to modern devices.

Manual

In the absence of special tools, you can take a regular kitchen knife. Just use the blunt side rather than the sharp side. And it is better to separate the scales against the direction of their growth. In addition to a knife, you can use a regular tablespoon.
However, there are also special fishing knives (the so-called shkerknives). They are quite wide, thick and heavy. They are used by people who fish professionally. Typically, such a knife comes complete with a fillet knife.

Some models of fishing knives have a hook, with one precise movement it rips open the belly. Thanks to professional skills and good equipment, cutting fish takes a few seconds. There are combined portable models especially for tourists and fishermen.

There are modern special knives with a plastic body and a closing container in which scales accumulate. They just need to be passed over the surface of the fish and periodically empty the container. The instructions indicate that the knife can be moved in both directions. The good idea is a little lacking in execution, as the plastic parts often break. You can use a vegetable peeler instead, but the scattering of scales will be greater.

In addition, there are all kinds of fish scalers with teeth and grooves on sale, some of which vaguely resemble a grater. Their production was established back in Soviet times. That’s why many cooks have gotten so good at removing scales with them that they don’t recognize anything else. The cleaner, which resembles a massager, with multidirectional pins, deserves special attention. She also has her fans.

To make cutting fish less hassle, use some folk tricks.

You can carry out manipulations in a wide plastic bag, then the scales and splashes will remain inside.
An alternative method of keeping things clean is to use a deep basin or sink with water.
It is much easier to clean the fish if it is fixed. To do this, you can simply pin the fish with a fork near the tail to the cutting board. Or purchase a board with a clamp at one end (for the tail). There are also grooves on the board canvas into which liquid flows.
They start cleaning from the tail and move towards the head. Small scales can be removed with salt.

Electrical

Modern electric cleaning greatly facilitates the process. They can be used not only at home, but also outdoors, since some models operate both from the mains and from a battery (or a car’s cigarette lighter).

These devices have several common features:

the moving part is made of durable steel, which does not oxidize and in no way affects the taste of the finished fish;
waterproof housing makes the device safe;
it is quite easy to wash and clean;
For cleanliness, many devices have protective screens and containers where debris is collected.

Power, quality of cleaning, noise level and equipment depend on the manufacturer. It would seem that electric cleaning is an excellent solution in the fight against scales. But many are stopped by its price.

If people rarely buy fish, they continue to use manual devices. But there are few such people, since with the use of this device the fish will become cleaner in a minute, and this will be done efficiently, without damaging the carcass itself. In addition, after completing the work, you won’t have to take a long time to clean the kitchen surfaces and wash them yourself.

Since you can find a variety of machines on sale, from household, amateur to industrial, let’s consider the most popular among ordinary fishermen and cooks.

“Farmer RF-01” - consists of a so-called knife and a plastic case with a motor. A special method of sharpening metal allows for careful cleaning. There is a plastic screen above the knife, thanks to which the workplace will remain clean. The power and number of engine revolutions are small, however, so is the price - from 2.5 thousand rubles. Light weight will prevent your hands from getting tired quickly even with a large volume of catch. According to reviews, the machine copes well with its tasks.

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Electric Scaler Fishman is no less in demand. You can find other names for this device. In appearance it is similar to the previous one, as well as in the number of revolutions. But the power is a little more, and the weight is heavier. However, it is difficult to find any complaints about the work. Its price is a little more than 4 thousand rubles.

Ves 4000 – superior in parameters to previous options. The manufacturer recommends this device as a cordless food processor. There is a charging light. The moving blades are covered with a plastic container for collecting scales. The case fits comfortably in the hand, bright design. It will cost 4.5 thousand rubles.