If you’re trying to cut the carbs, or following a Paleo, vegan, raw or gluten-free diet, a spiralizer can you help you cook up meals in a flash. From courgetti and coleslaw to sweet potato fries and salad garnishes, there’s not much you can’t make with a good spiralizer. Once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever threw together healthy mid-week meals without it and you’ll be well-equipped to impress dinner guests with a culinary work of art that looks like it took hours – when in fact it took just minutes.
Before you can start creating the dishes of your dreams, however, it pays to pick the spiralizer that suits the cooking and recipes you want to do. As well as rounding up the best spiralizers to buy right now, we’ve put together a short guide on the features to look out for. We’ve also included links to a few of the best cookbooks for recipe inspiration to get you started, so you can put your new kitchen gadget to use straight away.
How to choose a spiralizer
Although you can pick one up for around £15, doubling your budget will bag you some extra features and a more robust machine, which can potentially save significant time and effort down the line. The exception to this is handheld spiralizers, which cost a little less - and have fewer features to reflect this - but we’ll come back to that later.
However much you decide to spend on your spiralizer, these are the key features you’ll want to look for.
Number of blades
Most spiralizers come with changeable blades for everything from thin curls to chunky ribbons, so you can create more than just spaghetti-like vegetables. If you want to experiment with different vegetables and shapes or make salads with intricate garnishes, those extra blades will come in handy.
Ease of cleaning
While most models come with removable blades that won’t add much time to your washing up routine, some are quicker and easier to clean than others. Most spiralizer blades can be rinsed under the tap, but sometimes they will require a bit more graft, especially with softer vegetables like courgettes and cucumbers. That said, many spiralizers are now dishwasher safe, so if you own a dishwasher it’s worth keeping an eye out for one with parts that you can throw in with the rest of the dishes.
Other features to look for
Whatever you’re going to spiralize, choosing a machine with good suction pads on the bottom will help keep it in place while you work – and avoid any nasty accidents. The general robustness is, of course, something to consider too if you want a spiralizer that can handle the firmest of vegetables and slice them neatly for years to come, as some of the cheaper models may struggle with harder veg like sweet potatoes and carrots.
The best spiralizers to buy
Müeller Spiral-Pro Professional 4-Blade Spiralizer: The best spiralizer you can buy
Price (at time of review): £29.99
For such a compact kitchen tool, the Spiral-Pro really packs in the features. At first glance, there’s not much to set it apart from the pack, but the Müeller offers just a little bit more for your money with a covered storage area to protect unused blades from juices and the option to use the machine both left-handed and right-handed. It also has one of the narrowest corers, using as much of the vegetable as possible to minimise waste.
With four changeable blades for creating flat ribbons and spirals of all sizes, as well as a heavy duty body with break-resistant parts, the Spiral-Pro also strikes a balance between reliability and versatility. Considering the attention to detail elsewhere, it’s surprising that the instructions aren’t as thorough as you might hope, but there are plenty of videos online to help with that.
Cuisique Premium Spiralizer: Best all-in-one spiralizer
Price (at time of review): £22.97
If you’re worried you’ll soon get bored of your new kitchen gadget, look no further than Cuisique’s Premium Spiralizer. Its patented design gives you more options than any other spiralizer on the market, with an impressive total of eight different blades and accessories. It’s slightly larger than many standard spiralizers, but considering you get a spiralizer, grater, mandolin and even a juicer included, it will probably save space overall as you clear out all of the fiddly tools lying around in your drawers and cupboards.
The Cuisique’s multifunctionality isn’t without its flaws: the Cuisique spiralizer is noticeably flimsier compared to other spiralizers of a similar size – especially when dealing with larger veg – and isn’t the easiest to use. Its vertical design is still a winning feature, though – letting gravity do the work – and includes a bowl to catch everything, so you won’t have any accidental mess to clean up.
Morphy Richards 432020 Spiralizer: Best electric spiralizer
Price (at time of review): £32.98
As the only electric spiralizer to make it into our top five, the most surprising thing about the Morphy Richards spiralizer is how compact it is. Of all the options in this list, it’s the one that will look most pleasing on a kitchen counter thanks to its sleek vertical design, detachable bowl and the option to store the power cord inside the base and completely out of sight.
With just two blades – one for spaghetti and one for ribbons – the Morphy Richards comes with fewer options than other spiralizers. It also leaves more waste than others, so you’ll need to use a little more veg to get the same amount of spaghetti, and larger vegetables will need to be cut to fit into the tube. That said, it’s a great option if you’d rather save your arms and swap the work of manually turning a handle for chopping a few vegetables. It can also be used with the Morphy Richards Cook and Create app, which is a useful added touch if you have other Morphy Richards products.
OXO Good Grips Handheld Spiralizer: Best handheld spiralizer
Price (at time of review): £12
For occasional spiralizer users and those who don’t want to sacrifice kitchen space for yet another gadget, a handheld device won’t take up room in the kitchen cupboard. OXO’s Good Grips spiralizer is our top pick and, while it won’t win any prizes for added features, its simplicity is what makes it stand out as an easy-to-use everyday tool. It’s perfect for beginner cooks or those who lack confidence in the kitchen but still want to have a few healthy recipes on hand.
The non-slip grip means it’s comfortable to hold and fairly easy to use, although you’ll need to use a bit more manpower for harder vegetables like carrots. Its single blade, while limiting, can handle most vegetables as long as they’ve come directly from the fridge. While the OXO handheld spiralizer isn’t for anyone who wants to spiralize daily – it’s not a timesaver and you won’t be able to use it for long without getting a sore wrist – it’s a good introduction to spiralizing and will expand your dinner options.
Lurch Super Vegetable Spiralizer: Best for enthusiasts
Price (at time of review): £41.90
If you’re serious about spiralizing, you can’t go wrong with a spiralizer by Lurch. The brand has been making spiralizers for just short of 20 years, since its original spiral cutter launched in 1996 – long before the vegetable spaghetti trend crept into our kitchens. The newest addition to the family is the best one yet, with an added vegetable tornado function (yes, this really is a thing) and adjustable blades so you can even even choose your tornado thickness (no, we’re not making it up).
Even though the Lurch Super Spiralizer is a lot more pleasing on the eye – and the kitchen counter – than many of its solid-white rivals, it does come at a higher price. Its three stainless steel blades are as sharp as they come, but that’s not to say you won’t find a £30 model that will do just as good a job. That said, if you’re serious about spiralizing, want a model that won’t let you down and like to keep in on the counter so it’s ready to go as soon as you get in, you’ll easily get your money’s worth.
