Hand-held device does job of bigger spiralizer

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

The OXO Good Grips 3 Blade Hand-Held Spiralizer is a compact version of the company’s countertop tool. The gadget produced fettuccinelike strands of beet, left, ribbon curls of carrot and spaghetti spirals of radish.

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As no-carb diets grew more popular, so did spiralizers, because they gave people a substitute for spaghetti and fettuccine. Using the tool, vegetables such as beets, carrots or zucchini could be turned into colorful noodles.

In this column on June 1, I tested OXO’s Spiralizer, admiring its ease of use and the superb results the three blades produced, especially the ribbon blade. One of the downsides was the size of the gadget — at about 10 inches in length, it would take up valuable counter space. The company has solved that problem with its Good Grips 3 Blade Hand-Held Spiralizer.

How it works: As with many hand-held spiralizers, veggies and fruits are pushed against a stainless-steel blade and rotated to produce a variety of spiral cuts, depending on the blade.

Does it work? Yes.

Pros: Small enough to fit in a drawer, blades and cover lock together so pieces don’t get lost, easy to wash, dishwasher safe and a food holder to protect your hand when the produce item wears down close to the blade (I had difficulty using that piece, so I didn’t keep going to the very end, opting to eat the uncut pieces or toss them). The blades replicate the spirals that the bigger version produced: spaghetti, fettuccine and, my favorite, ribbon.

Cons: While OXO’s countertop spiralizer can accommodate larger pieces of produce, the hand-held version can cut only items with a diameter of 2-1/2 inches or less. This is common with many hand-held spiralizers.

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Cost and availability: Oxo.com, surlatable.com, bloomingdales.com and amazon.com list the gadget for $24.99, but for cooks who don’t want all three blades, oxo.com also sells one-blade ($14.99, spaghetti) and two-blade ($19.99, spaghetti and fettuccine) spiralizers. The one-blade item can also be found at target.com, boomingdales.com and bedbathandbeyond.com.

Worth it? A little pricey, but yes.

Got a gadget that you love? Are you curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.