This might seem lame, but how is this different from using a food processor or a Mandolin? Thanks!
249425
I've only used a few times for zucchini. I think a food processor would chop it more. I think of a mandolin for slices. This spiralizer give you noodles, long noodles. Really cool. Kind of vague, hope this helps.
249426
With the different blades, you get different types of cuts- also I think it's much safer than my mandolin. With a food processor, you don't get the long noodle like cuts as you do with the spirializer. I have all three but am using the spirializer most often.
249427
It us much easier than a mandolin for making zucchini pasta...takes less time and less bloody knuckles too. We use it 3 or 4 times a week for 4 zucchini at a time.
249428
A mandolin or processor will not cut in long singular piece "pasta" style shape or spiral cut.You can make veggies into "pasta" and have a healthier alternative to carbs,also you don't have to worry about slicing your fingers off bc you just push the handle as you crank away which is sooo much better. than a mandolin.
249429
It cuts differently. I make spaghetti zucchini and other unique spaghetti shaped veggies the j cook in coconut oil or olive oil with a few more spices to add flavor topped with lemon juice. Kids like it because it looks like spaghetti
249430
It turns vegetables like zucchini and squash into noodles, like spaghetti noodles. It's fast and easy and a great substitute for pasta. My kids love the veggie noodles.
249431
This vegetable slicer is small, very portable and very easy to use and clean. The Mandolin slices vegetables in flat, thin wide slices, which the Tri-blade does too, but I love the spaghetti shape noodles that it makes. We now eat more zucchini because it just so much fun. I don't have a Mandolin so I can't compare. But I use The Tri-blade a lot .
1689709
The blade for cutting is attached to the mandolin itself and very, very sharp. Then there are 3 triangular shaped black plastic things that attach to the mandolin. They are marked "thin slices, medium slices and thick slices". It is hard to read as it is "black on black". But you insert one of your choice and use the food holder and slice away! :) I just love mine! Have been married 57 years and don't know how I ever got along without it! Hope this is helpful to you....
1458855
I agree with the previous poster, that it will blend to a mush-like consistency, but not a juice. And for others who need it to chop and dice it does this well and we often use it for that purpose instead of using the food processor.
331405
I use it only to slice apples for pie. Probably a big potato would fit on the points and spiral out nicely. The slicing part clings to the outside of the apple (or potato) and peels away all the outside rind or coat. You can chop up the little core that is removed. How hard is that? Since I got this gadget I make a LOT more pies. L.
949296
I do my onions and potatoes by hand. I'm pretty fast so I don't bother using this. I have another toy for that if I want.
1462785
It's for dough, not chopping. The edge is pretty blunt. I didn't read closely and thought I was purchasing a chopper. Caveat emptor, I guess..
2018738
I don't know about the accessories but when I was shopping around for my mandoline, I came across a video that showed how to use the different blades. With the french fry blade, you can slide down half way and then turn at a 90 degree angle to finish cutting it. It resulted in cubes. Check out videos if you can use your basic blades for anything else. Maybe you can discover new slicing techniques and save a few bucks :)
843995
You do not have to make any knife cuts. I put a detailed "how to dice" in my review, I'll copy it over here: It seems some folks haven't figured out how to dice with it. I make Indian food and the curry sauce takes lots and lots of onions. I can dice an onion in 30 seconds with this (safely and not hurrying). Cut the top off of the onion. Peel off the outer layers that you don't want. Push the bottom of the onion into the holder. The bottom is the part with the roots - you can't slice the last little bit in the holder, so don't cut the bottom off the onion during prep. It will end up being left in the holder and you can just throw it away. That way you don't have to worry about the last bit left in the holder. Lay the julienne blade flat on your counter all by itself, not in the slicer. The blades will be facing up. Slide the onion, in the holder, across the julienne blade - this is the prep slice. Put the julienne blade in the slicer. Turn the onion 45 degrees and slice it - it will come out diced, then turn it a 1/4 turn and slice, turn and slice, turn and slice - the whole onion comes out diced beautifully. The same can be done with potatoes and tomatoes. I seriously can dice up 6 onions in 3-4 minutes (after I peel the top layer and chop the ends off). There isn't any time for tears to even start. The holder looks like it is designed to only go down to the blade one way - with the wide part running down the rails but it doesn't catch even if you have the narrow sides parallel with the rails. So just switch back and forth for dices. No need to make knife cuts in the veggies.
1055160
I just pres it down. If the product (veggies etc) is too awkward in shape I just cut in half and press the top into it and move it. Seems to work fine for me. I love this item. People unfamiliar with a mandolin may have a difficult time. A little practice helps. I had to myself.
112611
There is a video on YouTube comparing both of the mandolines. Very informative. Just search for Mandoline Reviews.
353541
My personal experience, the motor gets gummed up and breaks way too easily as it cannot handle much other than squishy vegetables and fruits. I would save your money and go for a food processor that has a better motor and blade mechanic.
441121
It was likely overloading the motor, I love my Kitchen Aid mixer but I have been beyond disappointed in the food processor. I tried to make peanut butter and it couldn't hack it the motor kept stopping. I had a cheapy $40 food processor before this one and it was better than this. Good luck, have you had any luck trying to slice veggies without them all getting stuck up in the lid?
1848441
The tool is much easier to handle and with no handles I think it is much easier to control the thickness of the dough. I have used both and still own both but I prefer no handles over handles. It is really a matter of preference and really makes no difference. It is the ability of the cook that makes the difference I believe.
79299
I have cut apple 'spaghetti' to put in a dehydrator for little sticks - it is so sharp that they come out perfectly. I don't see why the mandoline would not be sharp enough to work the same magic on zuccini!
2078096
Well, I also own the Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus mandoline. That particular model of Swissmar does not do the paper thin slices. It does several thicknesses and has different blades for crinkle cut and so forth, but not paper thin. The nice thing about the Swissmar is that it comes with a stand so you can keep it handily on your countertop at all times. After use, I just wash it quickly and place it right in the stand, where it dries well. As far as the quality of the mandolins, I'd say they are both about equal, so if either of the features above appeal to you, go for that one.
2204241
What I bought was a combination offer; it came with the food grinder, slicer/shredder, and also the fruit/veggie strainer. The strainer attachment can be purchased separately but I believe you need the grinder attachment to make the strainer attachment work, so I got them both. Since we do a lot of home canning and freezing of garden produce, I bought the strainer attachment because it would be the most used of the whole combination, as well as the most useful. The strainer removes the skins, seeds etc. from the produce (like tomatoes) and expels it out one end into a bowl and the juice is excreted out the back sloped 'runway' into another bowl. Haven't used the slicer/grinder/shredder attachment yet, since I don't do much with slicing cheese/meat etc., nor do I do much home grinding of meat to make my own hamburger mix. If I were going to make lots of sliced cheese, meat, etc. I'd use the shredder attachment, but for now my food processor does what little slicing, etc. I do. If you go to the KitchenAid site there are a number of videos showing the strainer in action. Just googling how the strainer attachment works got me to other videos as well.
1325190
Absolutely! Just be careful. The slicing blade is so sharp and effortless to use, you will be through a potato before you realize it. You'll have the potatoes sliced and frying in half the time than if you used a knife.