This makes pitting cherries so much easier and saves a ton of time. My only complaint is that sometimes the pits get through because 2 cherries pass through on a single push or because the pit hangs on. You just need to watch the cherries coming out to make sure all of the pits are out. Even with this additional check, you still save a ton of time from the hand held pitters. The unit comes apart quite easily and I haven't had any problems cleaning it.