Spiralizer Pros And Cons

I discovered this nifty gadget called a spiralizer while looking for recipes during my Whole30 reset.  I kept seeing “zoodles” and got intrigued enough to do some investigating into what a spiralizer is and why I might need one.  I put it on my wish list as soon as I saw how minimal the cost of a spiralizer was.  Lucky for me, my birthday came around, and my boyfriend bought me one to test out.  This post is for those of you who haven’t used a spiralizer before and for those of you wondering if you should invest in one.

I told my boyfriend not to get a super expensive one, because it was a “trial”.  I figured I could always upgrade if I liked it, but if I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to feel guilty about spending a lot of money.  Based on my research, I knew I wanted one with the handle on top, rather than the side.  I imagined that it would be hard to hold the spiralizer in place if I was pushing on it sideways to do the cutting.  Frankly, I feared that would be enough of a deterrent to keep me from using the spiralizer, so top handle, please!

TJ got me the Mueller Spiralizer that holds about 4 cups of vegetables and has grippy feet on the bottom.  It came with several attachments – different sized zoodle makers, a mandolin, and a juicer.  I’ve only tried the zoodle makers so far, but have plans for both the mandolin and juicer attachments. Once I had the spiralizer put together, I found it very intuitive to use.  I cut the ends of the vegetable or fruit to make it flat.  One flat end goes onto the prongs at the end of the holder, and the other flat end revolves around the cutting area.  Spin the handle, and voila! Zoodles galore!  I immediately made Zoodle With Broccoli and Parmesan, which was a hit in this house!

Cons

I found storing my spiralizer awkward.  The cup is too small to hold all the attachments, so I have a large baggie that sits nearby the spiralizer in my cabinet.  Also, since I am perpetually scared of shaving off bits of my fingers, washing the noodle cutters is a little intimidating to me (but hey, I’m a weirdo like that!). Finally, I have difficulty place the cup into the spiralizer and removing it.  I am thinking this is user error, and there must be some little trick that I’m missing.  I’m hoping with more use, I will figure that one out, but would love any tips you have.

Pros

I felt the the price of this particular spiralizer was very modest, and well worth the investment.  I am actually looking forward to trying the mandolin attachment, because it has a special produce holder that keeps your fingers away from the blade (told you I was a weirdo).  I know a lot of people don’t want to add more items into their kitchen, but since this also juices, I look at it as a three in one bonus.

I fell in love with this tool the moment I tried it.  So much so, that TJ asked me nearly immediately if I wanted to upgrade it.  But no, I’m sticking with the Mueller.  It gets the job done well.  Here are two recipes that are on my list to try soon:

• Apple Caramel Dessert: Spiralize an apple, and drizzle with caramel.
• Sweet Potato Fries:  Spiralize a sweet potato, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast in the oven (guessing about 20 minutes on 400 degrees, but not sure yet – will keep you updated!)

Do you have a spiralizer? Do you use it? What have you made with it?  What kind of recipes would you like to try with it?  Leave a comment below the related posts listed below or send me an email.  I’m looking forward to your thoughts!

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Stacie

Learning about mindful, healthy food choices that keep your family healthy and free from disease. Sharing info about food, what's in it, organic eating, and recipes. I believe we can change our lives and prevent or reverse disease by changing the way we eat. Sound like something you want to explore more? Then I will meet YOU in my kitchen! Get my FREE One Week Meal Plan Using Real, Whole Foods and updates to my blog by clicking here!