The Healthy Spiralizer Cookbook (4 page)

With the growing popularity of spiralizers, there are many different brands and types to choose from. They range in price from around $10 to more than $50, and they all have different features. Before you choose your spiralizer, consider how often you think you will use it, how much you want to spend, how important it is to you to make different types of noodles, and how much storage space you can give it.

HAND-CRANK SPIRALIZERS

These spiralizers take up a bit of storage space, but they tend to be very easy to use. Many come with interchangeable blades, allowing you to transform your produce into pasta strands in at least three different widths:

Spaghetti

Fettuccine

Wide-ribboned noodles

Others may have additional blades that allow you to cut angel hair noodles and other shapes, as well.

Popular Brands

There are several popular and well-rated brands of the hand-crank spiralizers, including the following:

Paderno spiralizers
come in three- and four-blade versions. Each model has convenient suction cups to hold it in place on the counter.

Inspiralizer
has four cutting blades and uses clamps to stay in place on the countertop. There is also a suction base.

GEFU Spirafix
is a top-crank, handheld spiralizer. It has two blades that can cut four different widths of noodles.

How It Works

These spiralizers are fairly straightforward, with a blade and a pusher or crank. You attach the vegetable (with the ends trimmed flat) to the pronged holder and push it until it is even with the blade. Then you turn the crank. The spiralizer rotates the vegetable or fruit through the blade, cutting it into the desired shape. The interchangeable blades store and switch easily with a simple snap-in mechanism.

Pros and Cons

Pros:
These spiralizers are easy to use and to secure to your countertop (except for the handheld model). They also make the best-looking spiral
pasta, giving you long, twisty noodles that are beautiful to behold. The interchangeable blades give you more zoodle choices.

Cons:
These spiralizers take up some counter and storage space, and they tend to be more expensive than their hourglass counterparts. If the suction cups don’t hold the tool securely, the spiralizer will slide around on your counter, making it difficult to get the job done. In addition, it may take some elbow-grease to attach the fruit or vegetable to the pronged holder.

Ideal Vegetables for Use

These spiralizers will handle pretty much any suitable fruit or veggie like a champ. However, some produce is ideally suited for hand-crank spiralizers, such as beets, zucchini, sweet potatoes, summer squash, and russet or white potatoes.

HOURGLASS MODELS

These spiralizers are handheld and small. They typically allow you to cut your veggies into thin spaghetti-like or thick fettuccine-like shapes. Most of them come with a pronged vegetable holder/pusher, as well as a brush for cleaning.

Popular Brands

Many manufacturers make the hourglass models of spiralizers, including:

Vegetti

Kitchen Supreme

Zoodle Slicer