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How to use a herb stripper

Updated: 21.10.2026

The risk is a snapped stem or leaves that never left the sprig. A herb stripper here is a flat plate, not a cup, so the leaves fall where you aim them. Dry the herb, pick the tightest hole the stem will enter, and stop when the stem breaks. Which plants are a fair job is on [herb stripper for thyme, rosemary and kale](/hub/garden-tools/leaf-separator/sub/leaf-separator-herbs-and-kale). Washing is on [wooden or stainless steel herb stripper](/hub/garden-tools/leaf-separator/sub/leaf-separator-wood-or-steel). Prices stay on the [Leaf separator](/hub/garden-tools/leaf-separator) comparison. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The risk is a snapped stem or leaves that never left the sprig. A herb stripper here is a flat plate, not a cup, so the leaves fall where you aim them.

Our top picks

YOUDALIS YOUDALIS 9-hole steel herb stripper

Best overall

YOUDALIS YOUDALIS 9-hole steel herb stripper
7.5/10about £4.99
View offer
FooYee FooYee 2-piece wooden herb stripper

Best value

FooYee FooYee 2-piece wooden herb stripper
5.6/10about £1.89
View offer
VZU VZU 9-hole steel herb stripper

Alternative

VZU VZU 9-hole steel herb stripper
5.6/10about £3.72
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you pull
  2. 2.Choose the hole and pull
  3. 3.When the pull goes wrong
  4. 4.After the herbs are off

Before you pull

Pat the sprigs dry. A wet stem folds instead of feeding through. Snap off side shoots so one stem meets one hole. Hold the plate over a bowl. These tools have no cup, and thyme bounces off a bare board. A FooYee reviewer got thyme off on the first pull once the stem was in the right hole, and still needed the bowl. Leave a steel cover on until you pull. VZU and YOUDALIS describe a curve that can cut. A FooYee reviewer thought the wooden scallop was a finger grip. Hold the solid rim, not a fingertip through a hole.

Choose the hole and pull

Start with the smallest hole the stem will enter. Move up if it will not start, and down if it rattles. A roomy hole lets leaves follow the stem through. YOUDALIS prints 1 mm to 15 mm. Thyme belongs at the small end. A kale rib belongs at the large end only if it enters. FooYee’s seven holes are not printed. Pull in one stroke over the bowl, from the cut base. If the leaves stay on, pull from the tip toward the base. Epicurious found that direction better for rosemary on a Chef’n zipper with a cup. Try it here. It is not a guarantee. Yanking snaps thyme tips. VZU’s UK reviewer kept the plate for stripping and said the edge would not chop.
YOUDALIS YOUDALIS 9-hole steel herb stripper

Testsieger

YOUDALIS YOUDALIS 9-hole steel herb stripper
7.5/10about £4.99
View offer

When the pull goes wrong

Clumps usually mean the hole is too large or the stroke was too fast. A UK review of Xiciki still got rosemary clumps, or a broken stem, after measuring roughly 3–16 mm. Those sizes are not in the table. After a tighter hole and a reversed pull, use a knife, your fingers, or a fork. A snap means change hole, not pull harder. Parsley, coriander and mint often collapse. Zipper tests found those tender stems broke while product notes still claimed them. Coriander stems are edible chopped. Kale fails when the rib will not enter the largest hole. Food Republic uses a knife for a thick stem, including lacinato. YOUDALIS prints 15 mm as its largest hole.

After the herbs are off

Tip the bowl and pick out stems that came through. A tight hole reduces that. It does not remove it. Rocking a steel curve, as one YOUDALIS note describes, is a cut, not a strip. Put the cover back on YOUDALIS or VZU before the drawer. Wooden plates here have no cover. Which? says hand-wash wood, do not soak it, and do not dishwasher it, because heat splits it. Ignore a totnwrooye tick that says dishwasher safe on wood. If the steel edge cuts you and you cannot manage the bleeding, see a pharmacist or urgent care. For an ordinary failed sprig, use a knife.

Common questions

Which hole do I start with?
Start with the smallest hole the stem will enter without a shove. If the leaves follow the stem through, the hole is too big, so move down. If the stem will not start, move up one size. On a plate that prints 1 mm to 15 mm, thyme sits at the small end and a kale rib only uses the large end when it actually fits. On a seven-hole wooden plate with no millimetres, you find that fit by trying two holes, not by trusting the title.
Do I pull from the tip or the base?
Try the cut base first, in one smooth pull over a bowl, so the leaves meet the rim. If they stay on, reverse the sprig and pull from the tip toward the base, against the lie of the leaves. Epicurious found that second direction better for rosemary on a zipper with a cup. Use it as a second attempt on a flat plate. It does not promise the same result on parsley or on every rosemary bunch.
What if the stem snaps?
Stop pulling. A snap means the hole is tight on a thin tip, the sprig is forked, or the herb is too soft for the rim. Cut back to a thicker, single stem and try the next hole once. If it snaps again, use a knife or your fingers for the rest of that bunch. Pulling harder is how you get a mouthful of broken stem in the bowl and no leaves.
What if the leaves stay in clumps?
The hole is probably too large, or the stroke was too fast. Move to a tighter hole and pull more slowly, then try the reverse direction. A UK review of a two-piece wooden set still saw rosemary clumps and broken stems, so clumps are a known limit even when several holes are present. After two honest attempts, chop the rest. The plate has done what it will do on that sprig.
When should I stop and use a knife?
Stop when the stem snaps twice, when the leaves stay in clumps after a tighter hole and a reversed pull, or when a kale rib will not enter the largest hole. Lacinato and any rib thicker than 15 mm, on the one plate that prints sizes, are knife jobs. Tender parsley, coriander and mint often belong there from the start. Fit a steel cover back on before the plate goes in the drawer, and hand-wash wood without soaking it.

Related pages

Herb stripper buying guide

Leaf separator

Best herb stripper: open the 55-review plate first

Herb stripper for thyme, rosemary and kale bunches

Wooden or stainless steel herb stripper: wash rules

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. legislation.gov.uk — SI 2012/2619, food-contact materials in England (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. Food Standards Agency — food contact materials regulations (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Food Standards Agency — food contact materials authorisation (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. Which? — items you can and cannot put in the dishwasher (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. Which? — how to clean wooden spoons and other wooden kitchen tools (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. Epicurious — Chef'n herb zipper (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. Food Republic — how to destem kale (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. legislation.gov.uk — Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19.10.2026)