Julienne peeler versus The Spiralizer, which one is the best and wins the battle?

Actually they are both very different utensils with different functions and accompanying result. So lets compare the two bases on function – result – ease-of-use

First up is functionality

The julienne peeler as the word already states is a peeler that makes julienne. The julienne are short and straight an less bendy. The Spiralizer makes long noodles and I call them Vegetable spaghetti. They both use sharp blades that cut into the greens.

With the julienne peeler you can cut most everything that has a quite hard. For example carrots, parsnip, pumpkins, … And size doesn’t matter. But with the spiralizer size does matter. Because you have to put the vegetable inside the device. So you have to pick out cylinder-like greens that are not to big or you have to cut your own cylinders. And that takes up time, while the spiralizer suppose to be a time-saver.

Second, The result

The outcome is very different as you can see for your self. If you won’t fine vegetables for in a salad ore soup or just as a side dish you better go with the julienne peeler. If you are making a healthy spaghetti or a nice stir fry you may prefer the good old spiralizer.

Kitchen Active Spiralizer Spiral Slicer Zucchini Spaghetti Pasta Maker Black

And last, Ease-of-use

They are both very easy to use. But when it comes to cleaning I rather choose the julienne peeler above the other one. I also find the peeler slightly easier to use. Because it’s a simple tool you can’t do much wrong. And I think in the long run the peeler will survive the spiralizer.

Conclusion

I tend to the julienne peeler because of it’s so versatile. And I have simply more experience with the peeler. These are my two favorite julienne peelers on this moment. 

• Zyliss Julienne Peeler
• Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler

Where can I buy a julienne peeler? I had the same question. I didn’t want to buy online. So I searched store after store. It seems that a Julienne peeler is hard to come by if you are searching for it. But eventually I found one. It was the Rösle Julienne peeler. Rather expensive but a very good one.

So I ask myself what are the different options for buying a Julienne Peeler and maybe this will also be interesting for other people. So here we go.

Online buying

Although I was reluctant to buy online, the benefits for buying online change my opinion. The biggest benefit is the easy way to compare different prices in different online stores.

An other great benefit are the reviews of people who actually bought the peeler. Some julienne peelers have over 300 reviews from people who use the kitchen utensil every day. These reviews are golden for a buyers like you and me. Based on these reviews you can decide if the peeler is a perfect match for you.

An other benefit besides to the price comparison and the reviews are the extensive description. If you take the Precision Kitchenware peeler for example you can see that the description is very complete. And certainly more extensive than you would find on a packaging in a department store.

The last benefit I want to mention is the possibility to research the product online. Read reviews, ask questions on forums or watch review videos on Youtube. The possibilities to research the product are endless. Now I think about it, this also good be a disadvantage. Making a decision could be difficult with all that information online.

5 tips for buying online

•  Use Familiar Websites, Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search engines are good for research but when it comes to buying choose one you now. For example Amazon.
• Look for the Lock, the lock is a sign that all transactions are encrypted. With other words, other people can’t see you your payment details and they can’t abuse your information
• Decide if you want to buy one or a set, sometimes it’s cheaper to buy a set. For example, a julienne peeler and a normal vegetable peeler and maybe a kitchen knife. But if you won’t a high standard julienne peeler I recommend to buy it separately.
• Quality and finishing,  ask your self “how many times am I going the use the peeler” and am I going to julienne lots and lots of vegetable all in ones?” Maybe A julienne peeler is not a good fit and a mandolin is better or an kitchen robot with the right blades that can maken julienne cut vegetables.
• Look for promotions, Don’t buy the first one you find, do your research, compare prices, find out if there are extra’s (bundle sales) and last but not least watch out for sales and save money.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373130,00.asp

And than there is traditional brick and mortar store

Many big department stores like

• Walmart
• bed bath and beyond
• Tesco
• Home depot
• Ali Express
• Tylers …

have a kitchen department. Nine out of ten you can find a julienne peeler. The assortment differs between stores. Sometimes you can choose out of ten different peelers. But very often the choose is limited to one or two peelers.

Advantages of a traditional store

• You can hold the peeler in your hand. Feel if it’s a perfect fit
• You can also better judge if the quality is up to standard
• You can easily return or swap the product

Disadvantages

• You can’t compare prices from different stores
• Choose is sometimes limited
• You have to drive to a store.

In this infographic you can see how to make Parsnip julienne. The peeler I used is the Rösle julienne peeler, you can find a review over here.

We have the same question every year “What to give to your loved ones”. Wouldn’t be nice to give something practical that speeds up prepping your food?

1. Julienne peeler

If you have a fixed budget like me this nifty little utensil is the perfect gift. All my sisters and brothers in law have to draw each year names and we buy each other little gifts under 10 dolars. And I know that my sister for whom I have to buy a gift hasn’t a julienne peeler. So the perfect gift I would think. This (Precision Kitchenware) peeler I prefer. It’s stainless steel and it has to functions – peeling and julienning.

2. Noodle maker

 If you are search for an awesome gift for your vegetarian friend. Why not a noodle maker? Not a pasta noodle maker but a vegetable noodle maker. So you can replace your pasta (carbs) with zucchini, cucumber or sweet potato noodles. On Amazon you can find lots of great spiralizers. You can add an extra to your gift, Maybe wrap it separately. It’s always fun to receive many presents. For example a noodle cookbook.

3. Mandoline

It sounds old-fashioned and maybe it is, but it is so versatile. By switching the blades you can change the function of your mandoline. Some have five or more functions – slicer for slicing, grating, shredding, and juicing. If you want to buy one, make sure you buy quality. There are many mandoline’s that are of poor quality.