Easy Tip for Getting Corn Off the Cob

Easily get corn kernels off a cob, using a bundt pan to catch the kernels.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 25, 2025
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Key Takeaways

  • The bundt pan holds the cob in place.
  • The kernels fall right in the bundt pan.
  • A good, sharp knife makes this even easier.


Lots of recipes (creamed corn, corn chowder, corn salad) require stripping the corn kernels away from the cob.

In practice, it's a bit tricky as the corn cob can slip from its position, and the kernels can go flying all over the place!

I don't know where I first heard of this trick of using a bundt pan, but it's great for helping to steady the corn cob and to catch the kernels as they come off the cob.

Easy Tip for Getting Corn Off the Cob

Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Yield 1 corn on the cob
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 ear corn

Special Equipment

  • Bundt pan

Method

  1. Place the cob in the pan:

    To remove corn kernels from the cob using a bundt pan, stand the shucked corn cob upright, with the tip of cob placed in the center hole of the bundt pan.

  2. Cut the kernels off the cob:


    Holding the cob steady, use a sharp knife and make long downward strokes on the cob, separating the kernels from the cob.

    Many bundt pans have a stick-free interior. If this is the case with yours, be careful not to scratch the interior of the pan with your knife. If the knife scratches around the edges of the bundt pan hole, that shouldn't be a problem, as when you use a bundt pan baking, this area doesn't usually come in contact with the cake batter.

    Simple Tip!

    Note from the comments: You can tuck a paper towel or dish towel into the hole to protect the pan.

    corn-off-the-cob.jpg
    Elise Bauer