Any way you slice it, these gadgets help

It was fortuitous that I received the OXO Spiralizer shortly after purchasing the As Seen on TV Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter. And then, by chance, a friend purchased a Wiki Wiki Peeler and received two julienne peelers for free. I had three products that basically do the same thing: turn veggies into long strands that could be substituted for spaghetti noodles; or, with some imagination, create pretty garnishes and attractive salads. Here’s a breakdown of the three gadgets:

OXO Spiralizer

How it works: Unlike the other two gadgets, the OXO Spiralizer has four parts to assemble: a base, handle, food holder (be careful navigating the sharp teeth) and a choice of three blades: spaghetti, fettuccine and ribbon (pictured). It’s easy to put together, and once your veggies are washed and ready to go, it’s just a matter of securing the gadget to your countertop to keep it from wobbling. Push one end of the vegetable into the teeth of the food holder and the other end against the blade. Apply pressure while turning the handle and watch as long strands emerge from the opposite side.

Tips: Long, thin vegetables such as Japanese cucumbers work better if cut in half. Also, if a carrot is beginning to dry out and develop cracks, it might break apart as it is sliced, producing shreds instead of strands.

Cost and availability: About $40 at oxo.com and other sites.

Does it work?: Perfectly.

Pros: Easy to assemble, use and wash (although the blades probably shouldn’t be washed by children, and the suction cup area may have to be hand-wiped to remove all the water); variety of blades, including a ribbon blade that cut my cucumber so thin you could almost see through it, plus a container to store the blades; vegetables can be large and round and still fit on the food holder; dishwasher safe; and with a little guidance, children will have fun cutting their own veggies, which might make them fun to eat.

Cons: Takes up valuable counter space, needs to be assembled, and if you don’t have a smooth countertop the suction cup won’t adhere and someone will have to hold the gadget down while you work.

Worth it?: A little pricey when compared with the Veggetti. But the ribbon blade is pretty cool, and this device is the most efficient of the three tested.

Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter

How it works: It’s pretty straightforward — decide whether you want spaghetti or fettuccine strand widths, stick the vegetable in the appropriate end and turn … and turn … and turn.

Cost and availability: $14.99 at stores that carry As Seen on TV products (I bought mine at Longs Drugs in Ala Moana Center) and several online sites. Get two for $14.99 plus shipping and handling at buyveggetti.com.

Pros: No assembly, easy to use, dishwasher safe, and it’s small enough to be stored in a drawer.

Cons: Sometimes, depending on the vegetable, the strands remained stuck together, so I had to manually separate them; it’s hard to remove excess food in the middle of the slicer; it’s hard to clean and dangerous for children to wash; after one use the orange of the carrot stained the white plastic; and it accommodates only vegetables 2-1/2 inches in diameter or smaller.

Worth it?: Yes, if you enjoy pasta meals and you’re trying to lower your carb intake.

Wiki Wiki

How it works: Lay vegetable horizontally on counter and run either julienne peeler along the surface. Rotate the vegetable after every stroke to get the best strips. The two juliennes (a large and small to make different size strips) are sold with the Wiki Wiki Peeler, touted as being three times faster than regular peelers because the serrated double blade allows for peeling in both directions. It also shreds, slices and creates wide, flat ribbons.

Manufacturer: Pacific Island Products (small Hilo company)

Cost and availability: The $19.95 Wiki Wiki Peeler currently comes with the two juliennes, available at wikiwikipeeler.com and at local venues such as farmers markets and county fairs.

Does it work?: Yes, but out of the three gadgets tested, this takes the most elbow grease. And, it takes practice to produce the items shown in the video (808ne.ws/wikipeeler).

Pros: Easy to clean and store. Ability to produce beautiful garnishes in addition to making spaghetti-style veggies.

Cons: Most difficult and time- consuming to use of the three tested.

Worth it?: Yes, for its versatility.