There more time that passes there more there seems to be a never ending number of gadgets, gizmos, machines and mechanisms we can equip our kitchens with. Sometimes, the utensils and appliances that come available to us end up being less useful than innovative and that’s a question a lot of home cooks have about the newly popular spiralizer. Are spiralizers worth the investment or are they just another kitchen dust collector?

First of all, spiralizing fruits and vegetables isn’t actually a new thing! What is new, however, are the tools that are now so readily available. We certainly can’t argue with how wonderfully spiralizers make noodles out of vegetables or how they can make our dinner plates beautiful. They make dishes texturally interesting and decrease the carbohydrates of a meal if you’re using the nutrient packed spirals to replace regular wheat noodles. Though there are some immediate benefits to spiralizing, it is possible to find already spiralized packaged vegetables in stores and cleaning a spiralizer can end up feeling like an ordeal after being in the kitchen all day so why make the mess when we can just buy them?

That’s what we’re here to talk about!

There are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that can be spiralized but in order to be successful, the fruits and vegetables need to be somewhat firm, without too hard of a core and they don’t work if they are soft or juicy and seeded – for instance, a tomato will absolutely not spiralize well. Veggies and fruits that spiralize best tend to be somewhat narrow and a good length helps but isn’t necessary.

Butternut squash and zucchini spiralize considerably well and are often used as a substitute for noodles but stopping there is nearly disgraceful when you begin to understand the wonderful things a spiralizer can do. Because there are different kinds of spiralizers, your options will depend on what tool you have to work with. Manual hand held spiralizers act somewhat like a pencil sharpener and do take a considerable amount more physical effort but are convenient for storage purposes. These ones are a lot more limited than the table top spiralizers. The table top tools usually have suction cups on the bottom to grip the counter and the vegetable sits gripped inside the tool and spiralizes into long strips as your turn the crank. These table top spiralizers take up more room from a storage standpoint but they also tend to come with more blade options for unmatched versatility.

The versatility of different blade options becomes apparent with the ability to spiralize cucumber ribbons as a simple and beautiful addition to a dish and broccoli stems as an interesting way to use them up – toss the noodles into a stir-fry to soak up all of the flavors of your sauce and add some texture. Spiralized carrots are a fun addition to a salad and realistically, all root vegetables love to be spiralized! The ground dwellers are so ideal because they are somewhat starchy and somewhat meaty – root vegetables really hold their shape and texture well. While vegetables are often the main focus, there is no need to limit spiralizing to just vegetables – spiralized apples make a wonderful addition to a slaw or on top of a salad or a simple healthy dessert noodle! I love spiralizing apples and sprinkling them with a few drops of lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. As far as other fruits go, these tools usually work well on firmer melons like cantaloupe and are really fun for forming strips of a citrus peel for a unique and fancy looking garnish.

Spiralizing your own fruits and vegetables rather than purchasing them in store tends to be more economical as you’re not paying someone else for the labor and it’s also more environmentally friendly – why use additional packaging when you don’t have to? When we start looking beyond the zoodle (zucchini noodle), investing in a spiralizer tends to be worthwhile splurge because of the variety they can add to your meal plans and the unique way they make eating healthy fun again. Spiralizers may only spiralize but spiralizing can add a variation in texture to your dishes and boost both nutrients and creativity all while eating a little cleaner.