how to use a spiralizer?

[Angie]

i have 7 raw cookbooks which call for a spiralizer and show photos of zucchini or daikon that look like spaghetti noodles; I'm not very mechanical but somehow I'm not using mine right, my noodles are fan's of zucchini that are wide. Like, the zucchini is simply spiraled.
the directions say to make 3 cuts in the zucchini (length wise?) but when i do this, the middle portion is on the peg of the spiralizer and the side parts don't go into the blade right, the whole zucchini collapses after 2 turns.
what am i doing wrong?

[Rawkinlocs]

No cuts should be made in the zucchini for the "angel hair" style you are going for. You should just cut the ends off of the zucchini, make sure the setting (are you using the spiral slicer - that makes angel hair strands or the spirooli - that makes thick, spaghetti-like strands)?) with the "teeth" up (if using the spiral slicer) and then place the zucchini (I usually have to cut it in half as it's too long for the dome cover to fit over the top securely) and then turn it applying a gentle yet firm pressure on the handle and then cranking it.

If you're using the spirooli then it's a matter of using the correct plate in it.

But yeah, no cuts for the angel hair or spaghetti pasta...a cut about half way into the zucchini and the other setting makes thin slices like for chips or rawvioli casings.

[Angie]

THanks!, i think i am using the wrong blade, i'll try the other ones with teeth.:p

[sport]

Tell me how you get on because even using the one with teeth I find it very hit and miss.

[Diana Cda]

Resurrecting this old thread because I came looking to see if anyone else had had the same intermittent problem with the JC Saladacco.

I bought mine a couple years back but because I totally misunderstood how to use it and I didn't like the results, I put it away. However, once I realized that all along it could make VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY LONG, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY THIN noodles, that was when I realized a couple weeks back that I had all along what I had been looking for forever! (Thank you Cherie Soria for your video on making raw pasta and demonstrating all the gadgets including the JC one!).

I've never been a great zucchini fan but I know that as we eat things, we become used to them if we didn't like them to begin with. But I'm still at the stage where if the zucchini is too thick, it just doesn't go down well. I hate to say it but I still get a bit of a gag reflex even though angel hair zughetti I'm starting to like quite well.

All the threads in the forum talk about the spirooli not making as thin a pasta as angel hair because I'd be tempted to get one of those. It seems in the online vids to be more consistent in its output but if it doesn't do as thin an angel hair, not interested, really.

But the trouble with the JC that I've run into is that sometimes, for seemingly no rhyme or reason, even though blade is facing up completely, the zucchini comes out scored but not cut into strands. That's the most common. But other issue is that sometimes I don't get strands at all. I'm cutting the same way always and the blades are facing up as much as they can go and which work other times, but out comes the yucky spiral strip! This has happened since the beginning. Sometimes, the large peels come out no matter what I do. I've only been using it for a couple of weeks and have made only about half a dozen pasta meals so I'm stumped ...

I watch very closely now each time and do everything I can to minimize but it's not like the blades all of a sudden get turned down or something and I spiralize in the same direction and everything, yet this happens ... <scratching head>.

Has anyone run into this? It feels like the blades might have become dull except that then the next time, I'll get perfect pasta!?!

Any thoughts welcome. One never tires of pizza and pasta and esp. with the wide variety of sauces one can make, zughetti is a really fast and delicious meal every time. If only I didn't have this extra little niggle to worry about. :)

[Diana Cda]

This actually looks very strong and durable: http://www.surlatable.com/product/vertical+spiral+slicer.do?keyword=spiral&sortby=ourPicks

When I clicked on the ZOOM / ADDITIONAL VIEWS button and then clicked to zoom into the blades, it shows them in good closeup view. It seems very good quality, by the looks of it. Certainly JC's "blade" system is very, very flimsy in comparison. The zoom closeup of the blades show the one on the very left might make very thin noodles while the other two sizes mean to me that every thickness anyone could want are covered.

If anyone has this model, pls comment on it. I checked around Alissa's store but couldn't find it, or indeed, any kitchen appliances. Great T-Shirts, and the book and DVD but no appliances. Anyway, I welcome any comments about this product.

[DebB]

I'm not sure that the one above will give you angel hair size pasta?

Here's one that John Kohler carries (http://discountjuicers.com/tsumapuro.html). You might like watching his demo video on this page as well.

I love kitchen gadgets!!! Love 'm! *Ü*

[June1803]

The green vertical slicer in the link above it what I have. A benriner Cooks Helper. It works great, makes normal or very thin spagetti noodles. I was looking for one that had thin noodles as well as thick, and its a great slicer. It comes with other things too, making different shapes but I just use it for the pasta. I got it off amazon too for like 40 bucks.:D