Abstract: A light weight hand holdable appliance having a plurality of blade-like components for slicing peeling and the like. The appliance preferably is cordless and rechargeable and has a handle assembly within which is a high speed motor, a reciprocating mechanism and an interconnecting gear reduction and cam means for translating the high speed rotation of the motor to a powerful reciprocating stroke of the mechanism. The blade-like components include a knife having a thin single blade, particularly suitable for slicing, and a peeler having a thin single peeling blade and a guide spaced therefrom to facilitate peeling.