Japanese Turning Vegetable Slicer

I bought a turning slicer about a month ago and use it at least a couple of times a week. Most recently, I used it to make crispy potato curls for a breakfast side dish (about 4 minutes from whole potato to golden brown curls). My favorite thus far is making zucchini or summer squash "spaghetti", so I can enjoy a whole variety of sauces on fresh vegetables, without any flour-based pasta at all.On a technical level, it took a little experimenting to figure out how to use it. The instructions are fine for changing the blades and showing different food you can slice (with and without the serrated blades), but they're pretty useless as operating instructions. The operation sounds complicated, but is actually very straight-forward -- once you've done it 2 or 3 times, it becomes second nature. So, here are the steps:1. Insert the serrated blade of your choice (I like the coarsest one - slicing is fastest and the width of the resulting pieces is still very narrow) and screw in the the tightening screw2. Put the turning slicer on a counter, with the moveable end closer to you and the blades at the further end3. Notice the little "legs" at the end near you and pull the turning slicer toward you until the "legs" drop over the edge of the counter. This is the ONLY way to keep the slicer stable4. Check to see that the vegetable will fit between the "pipe blade" (just what it sounds like and located at the blade end) and the rotator disk. Cut it to length if necessary. Also, if the ends are at a sharp angle, cut them so they're more or less flat5. Push one end of your vegetable onto the pipe blade6. With your left hand (if you're right-handed), push the base of the moveable piece away from you until the rotator disk is pushing slightly on the near end of the vegetable. With your right hand, take hold of the crank handle7. Turn the crank clockwise with your right hand while keeping pressure on the vegetable by continuing to push the base of the moveable piece with your left hand. A word to the wise: Maintaining this slight pressure was the one thing I kept forgetting when I first used the turning slicer, and, since that's what keeps the vegetable in contact with the slicing blades, no slicing happens without that slight pressure!One small issue some have had with these horizontal slicers is that the pipe blade, while doing an excellent job of stablizing the vegetable, does extrude a small core of the vegetable out. It's less than 1/2" in diameter. For myself, I usually chop this leftover bit up and add it to what I'm making. It does, however, make this slicer less useful for small diameter vegetables. A smallish zucchini is about the lower limit. So, if you really only want it for small diameter veggies, you might do better with one of the vertical spiral slicers, even though you'll have a harder time keeping it from sliding around your counter.Finally, it's rare to find a kitchen gadget like the turning slicer that increases the fun, speed, AND aesthetics of food preparation. Just in case I wasn't clear on how much I love this device, I just bought one for my sister for Christmas!

I did my research on this product and noticed a small handful of very poor feedbacks on the slicer. But since the majority of the users seem to like it and I really need an alternative to my "rice flour-heavy" gluten free diet, I decided to give it a try. This is the cheapest version that is made in Taiwan instead of supposedly Japan.The first time I tried it, I thought I was doomed. No matter what I used, whether it is summer squash, daikon or turnip, they all got crushed and broken. It was a complete disaster! Then for some reasons, threads started to get churned out. I really don't know why it all of a sudden works. The next few times, same thing. I have to fight with it for at least 5 minutes and destroyed a squash before threads would come out. Honestly, I really don't mind because my dogs love squash and vegetables. As long as nice noodles come out that can substitute from times the rice vermicelli and "rice-a-roni" I use for pasta, I am satisfied.Finally, I think I figured out what the problem was - I did not check to make sure the arrow on the blade is pointing upward! After that, I think I can say that the gadget works like a charm and I am glad that I got a big discount by buying Taiwan!

The only thing I bought this is because it could make real thin strands like like 1mm on all sides. It works but it doesn't have suction cup stands like others so you gotta hold it well well while spinning. 4 stars for just that. I gave 3 starsbecause I probably received a returned product. The blades were dirty and greasy. They didn't even clean those to resell. I expect more 45 dollars

This little device is amazing! There's a "learning curve" of about 1 minute. NOT difficult to use if you follow the instructions, making sure to place the arrows in the up position. I went to my favorite Thai restaurant and discovered the key to perfect strings of carrots...A FAT CARROT!!!! I bought some fat carrots on the way home from the restaurant and the first time out, I had lovely long, very thin strings of carrots. If this "dies" within 6 months, I will repurchase it. I absolutely love the thin strands of cucumbers for my Thai salad (which are so long I have to snip them with scissors!). Now on to trying potatoes, radishes, and any other vegetable I can get my hands on! HAVE FUN WITH THIS!!!

I bought this item thinking it was the same as the Benriner turning spiral slicer. I suppose it is. This device is not as great and easy to use as I thought. So you prep your vegetable (peel, cut off ends) then you fit onto device. In order to have your vegetable turn into noodles you must push the base of crank handle while turning crank handle while you also hold your slicer in place (*note: it does include 2 suction cup feet, if you have a counter this can work on). So basically its a pain in the a** to use. Secondly it was WAY over priced for what it is, I payed over $50, and feel totally ripped off. Its probably worth spending $20 on.

This "rouet" works quite well -- it comes with three different blades corresponding to three different widths of vegetable threads, depending on your needs, or you can use it without the optional blades to make a continuous helix ribbon. It seems pretty well make although I've only been using it for a week or so -- it has feet on the bottom that allow you to brace it against the edge of a table while you apply force and turn the crank. If its not obvious, I would suggest keeping all the metal blades very dry and clean between uses, and it should last forever! It also comes with a fairly hilarious manual, translated I guess from the original, which only adds to the value of this great kitchen tool!

We have not yet figures out how to make this work as it should and have not yet had the incentive to work harder at it.

Slices well, but overall structure would preferably be a bit more strong/solid. Also I feel overpriced.