Making zucchini noodles is simple, easy and only takes minutes!
I don’t do many product reviews simply because I don’t often find a product worth shouting about. In this over commercialized world, where everything is made as cheaply as possible, it’s hard to get excited about most things as far as I’m concerned. But every once in a while, some new little kitchen gadget comes along that totally knocks my socks off. And since this little contraption got Mini Chef to eat an entire bowl of zucchini without batting an eye lash, I’d have to say that this particular product is definitely worth shouting about.
KIDS MAKING PASTA
The best thing about this little contraption, is that Mini Chef was able to make these noodles himself! (With a little supervision…. he’s only 5)
I really believe that a huge part of the whole “vegetable/kid” equation is their participation in getting the food from the garden or kitchen to their plates. They are far more interested in eating something they made or grew themselves than if you simply put a plate of food in front of them. Kids are doers. They are active, inquisitive and curious by nature. So if you give them a gadget that is relatively safe for them to use AND allows them to make their own noodles, I guarantee you they will be far more likely to eat those noodles. Even if they are made out of zucchini.
ZUCCHINI NOODLES VEGETABLE SPIRALIZER
I love this spiralizer simply because the force used pushed down instead of to the side. All the other spiralizers I’ve seen so far use a sideways force and motion, making it a little awkward to use, in my opinion. However, this particular spiralizer doesn’t do that. It’s so easy to use, cleans up easily and comes with a few different blades so you can choose which type of pasta you want to make. This is easy enough to use for kids, and cleans up in minutes. And with the holidays coming up, this makes a really fun gift!
Click here to get the Benriner Cook Helper Slicer on Amazon.com.
ZOODLE RECIPE:
Need a zucchini noodle recipe to try out? This shiitaki mushroom zoodle recipe is so crazy delicious!
Disclaimer: I was not paid to promote this product. The views and opinions posted here are my own. I purchased this product myself.
Lavendr4me says
November 28, 2012 at 10:31 amVery Cool! my kids love to help cook in the kitchen. Can’t wait to try making zucchini noodles!
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:41 amThe strands on these are very long. Often twice the length of regular spaghetti pasta.
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:42 amThe box says that it will handle all sorts of veggies. I haven’t tried anything other than zucchini yet, but I’m willing to bet it does what it says it does. It’s a good little gadget.
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:44 amIf you peel the zucchini first, it will be much more like the consistency of cooked pasta. If you don’t peel it first, it’s more like a pasta that is cooked aldente. There is a slight crunch to it. You can bring a pot of water to boil and quickly dunk these in the pot after turning off the flame. But don’t leave them in there. Dunk them and immediately pull them out.
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:45 amOh, and I served these raw. They were yummy!
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:45 amI did not cook them. But you could bring a pot of water to boil and quickly dunk these in the pot after turning off the flame. But don’t leave them in there. Dunk them and immediately pull them out.
graciouspantry says
November 28, 2012 at 10:46 amI ate them raw. They were delicious!
Amyd says
November 28, 2012 at 11:47 amah yes i have one of these, LOVE this product!!! my son (now 13 and the worlds pickiest eater and pasta lover) ate a whole bowl also when i first made it and said it tasted pretty much just like pasta! i bought this while doing a fruit and veggie only cleanse and was dying for “real food” so i tricked myself, make this zuchinni pasta and a very fresh home made pasta sause.. i felt like i was eating a bowl of spagetti… so good! i left them a little al dente so if it wasnt for the green skin it would have looked just like pasta. I made mine a little thicker spiral pieces and kept them long so i could be a kid and slurp them up haha
SarahK says
November 30, 2012 at 10:36 amWOW! Ok, I really appreciate the fact that you do not use your blog to push products. If you did, I’d start to wonder if you were for real or not and question your ability to put out a really objective opinion. I also really appreciate the fact that you’ve just shown me something that I’ve never seen before. Honestly! I’ve never seen this product, and if I did … I’d probably assume that your “review” was paid. But since I’ve read this blog and know that is not what you are all about … I am extremely interested in this. The potential to use more veggies is huge. Now, will you do some receipes using this item? I hope so! I’m looking to try some out.
Allisonmae says
December 4, 2012 at 5:26 pmI LOVE THIS IDEA!!!
I usually use the Organic Broccoli Slaw from Trader Joes, so now I have this as another alternate idea to pasta!! THANK YOU 🙂
Danyalle Friday says
December 5, 2012 at 7:59 amAwesome!! We have a garden every year and it keeps growing. We will have zucchini in our garden next year and this is a great way to get my wee ones and hubby to eat it. So fun. I know what I just added to my Christmas wish list. 😉
Leo says
September 4, 2014 at 1:43 pmHi Tiffany,
What other tools can you use to make the zucchini noodles? Will a box grater work?
Love all this advice!!!
Thanks,
Leo
The Gracious Pantry says
September 4, 2014 at 7:16 pmLeo – No, I’m afraid a box grater would not do the trick. You have to have a spiralizer of some kind. There are many different ones at various prices, so you might want to look around and see if you can find a cheaper one just to try it out.
Julie says
October 7, 2014 at 6:30 amHi Tiffany,
The product looks big in the image but your kid can make zucchini noodles without your supervision. This must be a great product. Did you pick the product up or have this delivered then, you assembled it?
The Gracious Pantry says
October 7, 2014 at 9:29 amJulie – It’ not overly large. It’s one piece, so no assembly required. I got mine at Sur La Table, but you can order them online as well.