Spiral cutter

[greentealady]

Pardon my ignorance with this question :( I am interested in the little gizmo that cuts your zucs and cucumbers so they look like pasta. I can not find what it is called. Do any of you know? Does it have to be a fancy one or is it something you can pick up at a local store? Thanks

[DebB]

I've got 2 gadgets for this.

One is an Asian Spiral Slicer, which does a very (very) fine cut, like angel hair. I ordered mine online - but I think Alissa may carry it in her store? I know she uses it in her DVD.

The other one I've got which I use all the time (I don't care to use the one above so much) is this one I ordered from QVC. (http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.K7702.desc.Fuller-Kitchen-Solutions-Manual-Vegetable-Curler-Slicer). This is a great price, about half of what I've seen it for sale online elsewhere. This one works like a champ, it's the one I use all the time. Has nice suction cups on the feet so it stays in place nicely. There's a video there you can watch a demo. *Ü*

[greentealady]

Thanks for your reply. I am going to check both of them out.

[greentealady]

Hi again, I am trying to find something local if at all possible. I checked with our local kitchen store and they have the saladacco and the benriner (SPelling might be wrong) the saladacco is $24 and the Benrinner is $49. Ouch. I have seen good reviews for an item called the spiralizer on this site. Do you know which one this is? The one on QVC looks good you mentioned. What do you do with yours?

[coco]

the saladacco is sometimes called the spiralizer, i'm pretty sure they are the same. that's the one that i have and it just doesn't hold up in my experience, not even to moderate use and i want to use it a Lot! i'm going to upgrade.

here's a site with a review
http://www.adventuresinrawfood.com/spiral-slicer-reviews-and-the-winner-is

and a page with lots of options
http://www.thefind.com/kitchen/detail-spiral-slicer

best price is $49 but honestly i think it's worth it. i use my crappy one a lot even though it's junk.

[DebB]

If you choose something like they sell on QVC - I'd highly recommend making sure it has suction cups. I've seen folks using more expensive models on YouTube videos with no suction cups and it doesn't stay put very well...

I'll be honest - the only thing I use either of them for is making zucchini or yellow squash pasta. They do have other uses, but that's all I use them for. If I need things sliced for example, I use my food processor. But no gadgets I have do anything like these do for making pasta!

That's a good price you found locally on the saladacco. I was able to buy mine locally years ago and I paid more than that for it. *Ü*

[Veganforlife]

Alissa sells one:

http://www.alissacohen.com/shop/Spiral-Slicer-p-15.html

I started out w/this one and then got the bigger, more expensive one.

[jane b]

Let me tell you what NOT to buy--the Spirooli, which is the horizontal version of the slicer. Worked fine, but the little spiky plastic pad that holds the veggies in place is just not large enough. Maybe 2" diameter if that. I got mine from Amazon and wound up sending it back.

The design of the Saladacco (which is basically what Alissa sells) is much better at handling different sizes of things. For example, I was able to do the long part of a butternut squash with the Spirooli, but there was no way to attach the rest of it. With the Saladacco, I can see how the entire squash can be put thru the slicer.

fwiw, I also have a very nice Mandoline that does a great job but in order to get julienne strips, I have to insert a separate blade along with my regular slicing blade. And then there's the safety factor--hard to get all the zuch done without risking the fingers.

[DuaneE]

The other one I've got which I use all the time (I don't care to use the one above so much) is this one I ordered from QVC (http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.K7702.desc.Fuller-Kitchen-Solutions-Manual-Vegetable-Curler-Slicer). This is a great price, about half of what I've seen it for sale online elsewhere.

DebB isn't lying about the price. I purchased the same exact spiral slicer from amazon for well double the dough :( here (http://www.amazon.com/World-Cuisine-Tri-Blade-Plastic-Vegetable/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249032885&sr=8-1) (pun intended).

I can NOW say with 100% certainty (Thanks to DebB) that that spiral slicer is worth double the money!!!

[WendyLouWho]

I have a benriner cook help (that I picked up for $5 at an estate sale!) and I adore it. It's simple, quick and does the job well. I didn't want another large gadget taking up space or lots of different parts (like a mandoline). This one is perfect for me.

Read the reviews on amazon, they are very helpful:
Benriner on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Benriner-Cook-Spiral-Vegatable-Slicer/dp/B00012F3R2)

[greentealady]

$5 is a great deal. I wish I could find such a deal on one of those. I agree on the big equipment. I have so many gadgets that my kitchen looks so crowded. My favorite items that I use all the time are my vita mix and myvidalia onion chopper. I just recently purchased and aero garden and my first salad green bunch is sprouting now. This might make my list soon.

[sprouts2go]

DebB isn't lying about the price. I purchased the same exact spiral slicer from amazon for well double the dough :( here (http://www.amazon.com/World-Cuisine-Tri-Blade-Plastic-Vegetable/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249032885&sr=8-1) (pun intended).

I can NOW say with 100% certainty (Thanks to DebB) that that spiral slicer is worth double the money!!!


I use the QVC one listed above. I have not seen any difference from the same looking machines offered elsewhere. For $24 including shipping I have been very happy.

[Luciano]

do you guys know of any site that ships internationally? ive been looking all around for one of these in argentina...

[Nymue]

Let me tell you what NOT to buy--the Spirooli, which is the horizontal version of the slicer. Worked fine, but the little spiky plastic pad that holds the veggies in place is just not large enough. Maybe 2" diameter if that. I got mine from Amazon and wound up sending it back.

The design of the Saladacco (which is basically what Alissa sells) is much better at handling different sizes of things. For example, I was able to do the long part of a butternut squash with the Spirooli, but there was no way to attach the rest of it. With the Saladacco, I can see how the entire squash can be put thru the slicer.


I have to agree with jane here. I have the Spirooli (also looks like the same one that Deb posted from QVC - great price on that too, btw. Cheaper than what I paid on Amazon.). For zuc. pasta, it works great. But it's very difficult to spiralize smaller items. It's tough to get the little spiky pad to hold certain things. I actually bought this one after researching the saladacco and seeing that it didn't get such great reviews, but now I'm thinking the saladacco might be good for being able to spiralize a wider variety of things than the Spirooli can do. So I guess it really depends what you're planning to use it for. Good luck with whichever one you decide to go with! :)

[Luciano]

I have to agree with jane here. I have the Spirooli (also looks like the same one that Deb posted from QVC - great price on that too, btw. Cheaper than what I paid on Amazon.). For zuc. pasta, it works great. But it's very difficult to spiralize smaller items. It's tough to get the little spiky pad to hold certain things. I actually bought this one after researching the saladacco and seeing that it didn't get such great reviews, but now I'm thinking the saladacco might be good for being able to spiralize a wider variety of things than the Spirooli can do. So I guess it really depends what you're planning to use it for. Good luck with whichever one you decide to go with! :)

could you be more specific on how the spirooli failed you?

im currently looking at this one

http://www.otlink.com.au/veggie-twister.html


but i cant get my hands on it anywhere (most sites that have is are from australia and they dont do shipping)

[Nymue]

could you be more specific on how the spirooli failed you?

im currently looking at this one

http://www.otlink.com.au/veggie-twister.html


but i cant get my hands on it anywhere (most sites that have is are from australia and they dont do shipping)

Hi Luciano, sorry for the slow reply. It's mostly that it has a hard time with any veggie that is either small or inconsistent. I can't imagine being able to spiral slice a carrot for instance. And if you are trying to slice something that is not straight (slightly crooked squash, for instance). The problem is that on one end you have the plastic spikes that you stick the veg. on, and then at the other end you have a hole that needs to line up with the middle of the veg. that you're going to slice. You end up with a core that comes out the other side of the hole after you slice and the rest goes through the spiral slicer. I've had not straight vegetables sort of "fall off", and then it's hard to restart them because what started off as the middle feeding through the hole, is no longer the middle. It is kind of hard to explain if you haven't had the experience!
But it's the hole that the middle of the veg. feeds through that makes it hard to do smaller things like carrots, as most of that would end up being wasted. So it works pretty well for zucchini, that are pretty thick and mostly straight, and the core that comes out the other side are just the seeds that you don't really want in your pasta anyway.

I feel like I did a really bad job at explaining that, but hopefully it makes some kind of sense!

That veggie twister looks really neat btw! I like the curly-cue option!!