I’m writing this post for the benefit of my friend, who shall remain nameless. I recently, as a joke, told her a spiralizer was a new type of sex toy and she believed me and I feel really bad. I know she reads Le Blow, so I’m hoping she’ll see this, the truth will be revealed and we can pretend the whole sorry saga never happened.
Seeing as I’m also in the market for a spiralizer meself, I thought I’d make the most of doing a bit of research because all I really know right now is that you can buy them from Amazon.
So, if you don’t know your courgetti from your canoodles (yup; they’re totally things now), read on – it’s time to give a spiralizer a twirl…
Seriously; WTF is a spiralizer, then?
Step aside juicers, blenders and smoothie makers, there’s a new health gadget in town, and it’s the snazzy spiralizer. It is essentially a souped-up grater that allows you to slice veg into squiggly ribbons, or rather, spirals – DO YOU SEE?
There are different types, from a handheld one that looks like a massive pencil sharpener (the cheapest, fiddliest option) through to horizontal and vertical hold spiralizers – the latter option being the best, as it’s much easier to use (you stick your veg on a spike and apply some pressure as you slowly turn the handle).
It’s bit like the foodie equivalent of the Play-Doh ‘Fun Factory’ toy you no doubt had if, like me, you were a child of the 80s. If you also had an A La Cart Kitchen, I am EXTREMELY JEALOUS, btw.
I’m pretty sure my mum bought something like this from Wembley Market about 25 years ago. Why are spiralizers suddenly so popular now?
They’ve been thrust into the spotlight in the UK via Japan and the US following high praise the new breed of ‘cool’ clean eaters, like Deliciously Ella (my fave) and Vogue contributors the Hemsley sisters.
One of the spiralizer’s main selling points is that you can make sort of substitute spaghetti and noodles, from healthy things like courgettes. All of the pasta-esque fun, with none of the carbs. RESULT.
Factoid:
A 125g portion of raw courgette spaghetti contains 21 calories and less than 4g of carbohydrate, compared with 346 calories and 64g of carbohydrate for normal spaghetti.
Besides, it makes eating raw veg much more fun (yes, I have the mindset of a three-year-old). Also, you can also prepare an Instagram-worthy salad in a matter of minutes, which is important.
So what sort of veg can you put in this thing?
Half of the fun is seeing what works well, but courgette, carrots, cucumber, parsnip, sweet potato, butternut squash and beetroots are said to be the best veg to spiralize the shit out of.
You just wash ‘n’ peel (if needed) your chosen veg, choose which spiral blade you need to use and then whizz each veggie through the spiraliser. Within minutes you have nutrient-dense noodles that can then be added into a number of dishes, varying from salads to stir-fries, soups to sauces. It couldn’t be simpler.
I’m sold! What sort of spiralizer should I get?
The good news is, spiralizers aren’t expensive like, say, a decent blender is. You can get a good one for about £30. Here are some options:
1. Handheld spiralizer
From the reviews I’ve seen, I’d basically avoid going for the cheapy handheld option – ones that look like this:
They might only be about £8 BUT veg comes out in gnarly strands, not in beautiful ribbons like the photo would have you believe. And apparently, even getting them to come out in a mushy mess is a whole world of pain. Spend a little extra on your spiralizer and give these sorts the swerve.
2. Horizontal hold spiralizer
Hemsley + Hemsley spiralizer, £29.95, Amazon.co.uk
I’ve heard that there is more waste from the horizontal hold models than the vertical (it removes a section from the core as it spirals) which can also be a pain if you’re slicing smaller veg. Apparently there’s quite a lot of slippage (oo-er) with this style, too. Bonus: This particular model (above) comes with a recipe card, which is nice.
3. Vertical hold spiralizer
Lurch Spiralo, £24.16, Amazon.co.uk
This is the spiralizer I’m considering getting. Because it operates vertically, it doesn’t need a metal ring on the blades to hold the veg in place, meaning that the whole piece of veg/fruit gets blitzed. I’ve heard good things about the suction pads (shut up) and it’s meant to be super easy to use.
I CAN’T WAIT TO SPIRALIZE UP MY LIFE!
Note: If you’re stuck for spiralizer-spiration, head over to inspiralized.com AKA the Spiralizing Bible, where I found the gif above. Everything you need to know (and didn’t know you needed to know) about the world of spiralling is on there. Go. Read. Now.
All images: Instagram|@inspiralized
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