Joyce Chen 51-0662 Saladacco Spiral Slicer, White
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Joyce Chen 51-0662 Saladacco Spiral Slicer, White
Customer Review: Works properly 1 in 10 tries at best.
Summary: 2 Stars
For this gizmo to make thin long strands of zucchini, the following conditions have to all be in place, and even then it doesn't always work. The zucchini:
* has to be straight or have very little curve.
* needs to be cut into pieces 3 1/2 inches long or shorter.
* ends need to be cut perfectly straight.
* has to be perfectly centered in the spiralizer.
The spiralizer:
* needs to be locked into place, which is often a bit of a struggle.
You:
* have to be exerting pressure as you spin the handle clockwise
* have to make sure the lever stays to the left and doesn't slide to the right as sometimes happens.
Even when all these conditions are in place, I can't always get it to work properly. Also, it's a huge struggle to get the top separated from the base when I'm doing using the spiralizer. My pieces usually come out looking like spirals that have been scored, but not cut, by the blades with occasional strands of zucchini pasta mixed in. Maybe the zucchini has to have a water content in a certain range, and Jupiter has to align with Mars?
Just as I wouldn't recommend a car that didn't start 90% of the time, I can't recommend the Joyce Chen spiralizer. The spirooli, another kitchen device which makes vegetable pasta is much more reliable and easier to use, although you need to be more careful with it because the blades are on the outside.
I've added back in one star because if you use the setting to the right for the long flat spirals, the device will work. Although you'll still likely have the struggle to lock the top in place and unlock it after use. Also, I've used friends' spiralizers that have worked fine for angel hair vegetable pasta, so I know there are some out there that work. But based on my experience with my own spiralizer, it's an overpriced piece of plastic junk.
Customer Review: The Infamous Joyce Chen Saladacco
Summary: 3 Stars
I had to give this product two stars for the concept and at least one star because it does exactly what the manufacturer says it does, but nothing more plus not everything you make using this product turns out completely awful. Versatile this tool is not! To start your vegetables must be 1-inch in diameter and 3-1/2 inches in length. After you've finished cutting you are left with at least 1-inch of unuseable vegetable, unless you're willing to do the rest of your creative cutting by hand, not only does this limit you but it also creates a great deal of waste. You have only 2 blade choices which are housed in a poorly constructed plastic contraption that easily separates if pressed on in the wrong spot.
You have your choice of either Spaghetti type strands or spiral slices but don't expect anything pretty with your spaghetti strands because your only option is a very fine tooth edged blade which creates very fine strands of mush depending on what you're cutting. However, this product does have one redeeming trait and that's with the use of the flat edged blade it does create fairly nice looking spiral slices. If you're expecting true versatility than you will have to cough up the dough for "The Benriner Cooks Helper", "Benriner Cook Help" or the "Benriner Asian Sprial Slicer" (they're all the same) which gives you (3) Tooth edged blades (fine, medium and Coarse) as well as (1) flat edged blade, the size of your vegetables do still matter for cutting but you don't throw away nearly as much. Shop around for the best price!
Customer Review: Saladacco does exactly what I want
Summary: 5 Stars
I love my saladacco. I have a spirooli (I think World Cuisine is making them now), but I much prefer the fine angelhair-like strands that the saladacco makes... the raw zucchini "pasta" acts like "cooked" and even tastes different from what I get with the spirooli. This machine makes strands that are pretty much like those daikon strands you get on sushi plates in Japanese restaurants (spirooli just cannot do that)
You do have to cut up the vegetables to spiralize them, but, in comparison, I think the "lost" part is about the same with the saladacco and the spirooli.. (I just chop it and put it in a salad, so it is not really lost).
Although the instructions sound daunting when they say that you cannot use a curved zucchini, by the time you section it, the curve really is not there anymore. You just have to think about where you are going to cut.
I also like that I do not have to really put that much pressure to get the saladacco to work (with the spirooli, I find that I have to use one hand to create pressure on the carriage, while I turn the handle. that is uncomfortable for me). You do have to sort of hold on to the assembly while you are turning the handle of the saladacco, but I did that naturally before I even thought about what procedure I was following. It does have to be turned clockwise, though, which might annoy a left-handed person.
Customer Review: Spiral slicer thin on range of use
Summary: 3 Stars
I think the idea of this product is better than the reality. It DOES do a great job of spiral-cutting hard veggies - zucchini and potatoes, in particular. It does not do well, in my experience, with onions, eggplant, carrots (hard but wrong shape). So, I am disappointed in the range of vegetables with which it can be used. It does clean easily - a definite plus. It also takes a fair amount of "elbow grease" to make it work -- but I rather like that. (Although, if you're doing spiral hash browns for 10 people or more, start early or recruit help!) I am going to try other veggies - raw beets, turnips, sweet potatoes ... those will likely work well. Cucumbers do ok, if they are REALLY fresh .... but be prepared to eat in a day whatever cucumbers you cut this way, as the high degree of exposed flesh of the cukes will have them getting mushy after 24 hours. Also, keep in mind when cooking that things like zucchini, once spiraled, will cook VERY quickly and are much better a bit al dente....otherwise they get soft and you lose the beauty of the spirals. Raw, the zucchini spiraled in a salad is delicious, too.Customer Review: Does a good job, but not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the spiralizer after reading the bad reviews. It works well enough for me! I made lots of zucchini noodles with it just fine. The noodles were not perfect, but my kids and I didn't mind. You only have to do things "perfectly" if you want perfect results.
If the vegetables are a little curved, if the ends are not cut perfectly straight, or the zucchini is not perfectlly centered in the spiralizer, then the "pasta" comes out in various lengths from one inch to twelve inches plus.
Yes, you do have to cut the vegetables to about 3.5 inches or less. Not that hard.
Yes, you do have a 3/16" piece left at the end of every piece -- but it is not wasted if it becomes a nice snack for the cook.
Locking the spiralizer in place is as simple as setting it down and rotating until locked.
You do need to put light pressure on the handle when you are spinning to make the pasta, but is is not tiring.
The lever did flip up once when I had my 3-year-old making pasta for me, so I put it back down and we enjoyed some flat spirals with our "pasta."