Spiralizers
Spiral vegetable cutters, or spiralizers, cut fruits and vegetables into long noodles and ribbons for “pastas,” salads, and side dishes.
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What We Learned
Spiral vegetable cutters, or spiralizers, cut fruits and vegetables into long noodles and ribbons for “pastas,” salads, and side dishes. Since we last tested these devices, many more models have come on the market, and the manufacturer of our favorite machine released a more advanced version. Deciding that it was time to revisit these gadgets, we tested six countertop models (handheld models tanked in our previous testing) priced from $24.99 to $48.46, plus a spiralizing attachment for KitchenAid stand mixers ($99.95).
The countertop spiralizers are constructed like old-fashioned apple peelers: one end has a vertical slot to hold the blade, and the other has a pronged food holder with a crank handle. With one hand you turn the crank to feed the produce through the blade while you push a lever to exert pressure on the produce with your other hand. Every machine comes with blades to make 1/4-inch-thick noodles, 1/8-inch-thick noodles, and accordion-pleated “ribbon slices.” Some of the machines had additional blades for grating or for making even thinner noodles, which we appreciated but found inessential.
We knew we wanted a spiralizer that could accommodate fruits and vegetables of different sizes, shapes, and densities and that would be stable and easy to set up, use, and clean. A good spiralizer should also create long, unbroken noodles and generate little waste. We spiralized zucchini, apples, beets, potatoes, and butternut squash, weighing each item before and after spiralizing to calculate how much was wasted and how much was turned into long noodles.
None of these machines worked perfectly. A few of them mashed softer apples into pulp, and most of them struggled to cut the butternut squash; for those that could produce noodles from the hard squash, we had to choke up on the turning handle to muster the requisite power. After three rounds of cutting squash, even our top model developed a stress fracture on its handle from the extra exertion. Although none of the manufacturers say to avoid winter squash, we recommend caution when attempting to spiralize hard, dense vegetables.
With the zucchini, beets, and potatoes, only one machine consistently produced long, even noodles and ribbons. The reason for its success: stability. The base of the machine had a low profile, keeping it relatively grounded over the suction cups that anchored it to the table and preventing it from slipping forward quite as frequently as with other models. More important, it had a large food holder that allowed us to attach the produce more securely and a long pusher handle that let us provide the steady, constant pressure necessary t...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
Simple, intuitive, inexpensive, and stable, the winner of our previous test easily spiralized apples, beets, potatoes, and zucchini with relatively little waste. Better yet, the Paderno Tri-Blade was able to turn almost all of the produce into even, consistent noodles and ribbons. It was one of the only machines capable of spiralizing butternut squash into long, regular strands—although the stress of this endeavor caused the handle to crack on its last round of testing.
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
Nearly identical to the Paderno Tri-Blade in both appearance and performance, the Spiralizer Tri-Blade was just a bit more awkward and less secure; its vegetable holder rocked from side to side slightly during use. It was also prone to staining from vegetable juices. Although the noodles weren’t always pretty, it did manage to process all of the produce we threw at it, and it produced little waste.
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
This upgraded version of the Paderno Tri-Blade is ambidextrous, similarly efficient, and more compact. But the design changes—including a smaller vegetable holder and pusher handle—introduced new problems that made the machine fussier, less stable, and more awkward to use. The machine also took some experience to set up. Still, the Paderno 4-Blade was able to cut all of the produce we put in it, and it includes a handy angel-hair slicer blade and a skewer for making accordion cuts.
Recommended with reservations
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
This lefty-friendly KitchenAid attachment lets the stand mixer’s motor do the hard work, effortlessly making long noodles out of zucchini, beets, apples, and potatoes. It was the easiest machine to clean, and its extra blades were handy. But it was fussy to use and generated a lot of waste. With butternut squash, the machine’s powerful motor was all for naught since the tiny vegetable holder couldn’t stabilize the squash enough to produce even a single noodle.
Not Recommended
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
Stabilized by a single large suction cup with a release valve, the Veggetti Pro was surprisingly secure on the countertop. But produce larger than 6¾ inches had to be cut to fit inside the holders, increasing waste. This model couldn’t handle butternut squash at all and made somewhat uneven noodles with the other produce.
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
The Müeller Spiral-Ultra claimed to make spiral cuts, grate, slice like a mandoline, and even juice citrus. Unfortunately, it didn’t perform any of these functions well. Poor design made setup and use tricky. The vertical handle made the Spiral-Ultra ambidextrous but was awkward for both lefties and righties. A collection bin under the blades seemed handy but was badly positioned, catching only one-third of all spiralized produce. Worst, the two suction cups did not fully stabilize the machine, which rocked back and forth dangerously while spiralizing.
- Waste
- Design
- Footprint
- Stability
- Ease of Use
- Versatility
- Ease of Setup
- Noodle Quality
- Ease of Cleanup
The simple, supersharp Benriner makes noodles and ribbons, but they’re fine and paper-thin—better suited for garnishes than for the pasta-like noodles and side dishes most people expect to generate from a spiralizer. It’s got a small capacity—produce must be under 4 inches long to fit under the handle, thus generating a lot of waste. And with no suction cups or clamps to secure it to the counter, it’s highly unstable, rocking back and forth on its plastic feet while in use.
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Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
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