If you need convincing that spiralizers are worth buying, I’m here for you. I was on the fence too for a long time. Yet another cooking gadget to clog up cupboard space? No thanks. I’ve fallen for too many of them in the past, some of which finished up as eBay listings.
It was really the price of spiralizers that drew me into buying one. We aren’t talking in terms of the $100’s I spent on my Magimix. A good spiralizer is more in the league of $20+, or less if you go for a handheld option.
If you are not sure whether spiralizers are worth buying let me tell you that if you have one you will find yourself eating more fruit and veg almost by accident. Your kids will be more tempted by the pretty swirls you can make with otherwise boring veg. Trick yourself into shedding pounds as you replace calorific pasta with healthier ‘zoodles’.
Let’s look at some reasons why you might choose to buy a spiralizer first. Continue reading to discover why you might NOT wish to buy a spiralizer. Be assured I’m with you all the way on this.
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Seven reasons why spiralizers are worth buying
1. An easy way to increase your veg intake
Once you start spiralizing your fruit and veg it can be hard to stop. Very quickly you have a pile of something ready to put in a salad or to flash cook in a pan as a spaghetti replacement.
Consequently, you will eat more healthily because it is actually quicker and easier to fry some spiralized zucchini in a little olive oil than it is to boil a pan of water, measure out the correct pasta and then keep checking for doneness.
2. It’s easier to get your kids to eat more veg
My kids don’t love salad as a rule. I’ve managed to get them to like Greek salad but that is the sum total of their adventures with salad.
The first dish I made with my spiralizer was one that I created very simply from a few things I had in my fridge (carrot, cucumber, red onion, tomato and a sprinkling of cheese). Both boys (17 and 14) ate the lot with no complaints and no persuasion was needed.
3. You might lose weight
If you replace your pasta intake with spiralized vegetables such as zucchini, butternut squash or sweet potato there is a good chance that you will naturally lose weight almost without realising. Not only that you might well prefer the substitution.
I find spiralized zucchini to be far more flavoursome than a plate of pasta. Zucchini has a mild taste that goes very well with plenty of sauces that you would typically have with pasta. Including, Italian tomato sauce, pesto and spicy sauces like Arrabbiata
4. Great for entertaining
Salads look much prettier than straight-cut salads. They can look as if you spent hours preparing them very precisely, when in fact it took you just minutes.
5. Spiralizers aren’t expensive
Spiralizers are most definitely one of the cheaper gadgets you could want for your kitchen. I spent $100’s on my Magimix food processor and just as much on my electric mixer. Both of those are used far less than my considerably cheaper spiralizer.
I started off with this manual one. It is very good for making spaghetti-like noodles and is best used with something that has hard skin and isn’t too thick like zucchini, carrot and cucumber.
The next step up would be this 4 in 1 version that you twist manually. You can create 4 different sizes by pressing some buttons to select different cutting thicknesses.
The spiralizer I have now is this 5 blade one. You can make more thicknesses including angel hair and curly fries. Also, you can tackle much bigger veg such as white cabbage.
Spiralizers most definitely give food the fun factor. As I said it is possible to trick your kids into eating more veg because they will love the new shapes.
7. Doesn’t take up cupboard space
My spiralizer is one of the smaller gadgets I have purchased. I could easily put it away, but as it is in constant use I tend to keep it on the kitchen top permanently.
If you go for a manual one, or even just a Julienne peeler it is very easy to store.
Five reasons why spiralizers are NOT worth buying
This post would not be complete without stating the reasons why you shouldn’t buy a spiralizer.
1. They can be tricky to clean
I have to say that I wish my spiralizer was a little easier to clean. Veg gets stuck in the blade and I have to use a brush to get it out.
You can usually put spiralizers in the dishwasher, but mine has a lot of bits and pieces and I prefer to use dishwasher space for plates and cutlery.
2. It’s best if you like to eat a variety of vegetables
If you don’t like zucchini, cucumber, sweet potatoes or butternut squashes to name a few, then you are limited to what you can do with a spiralizer.
Check out this post – Which Vegetables Can You Spiralize? If you don’t see many vegetables you like then it is probably not worth buying a spiralizer.
3. You love pasta
If you love pasta so much that you would never swap it out for anything else it’s probably not worth buying a spiralizer.
4. You hate salads
If you don’t like salads as a rule then you won’t get as much benefit from having a spiralizer. If you are buying it just to make zoodles with zucchini you might find a Julienne peeler is sufficient for your needs.
5. Yet another gizmo
Maybe you are tired of falling for over-hyped gadgets. I don’t blame you. Several of my impulse-bought kitchen-gadgetry has finished up as an eBay listing. I wouldn’t want that for you too!
