Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought a WonderVeg first and returned it , so I have something with which to compare this product. PROS: The suction works well... I have a SEALED GRANITE counter, so if you don't have granite or marble it may not work properly, according to many reviewers. But see below for possible solution to this. The unit is sturdy and made of heavier plastic than many of the cheaper ones. Not worried about it breaking. I've used for hard vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes without a problem. It's attractive, and with the different colored blade units you can identify which is which at a glance. With a little practice, I've managed to get pretty uniform long strips with most vegetables. Zucchini is a BREEZE. CONS: I don't think any of these are perfect. It still takes some effort with harder veggies, but I wasn't willing to spend the money for an electric one, and reviewers have issues with those too. No receptacle to catch the food. I personally could care less... my counters are clean. But it apparently bugs some people. Handle... People complain it came off. You need to push it in with a little force when assembling the first time and it will snap into place and not come off. I wish so much of the veggie wasn't "wasted". You'll have the long core and about a 1/4 inch at the end. Yes you can use it in salads and fortunately my Golden loves carrots, but still. Keep this in mind and buy more vegetables than you think you'll need. They shrink a lot when cooked, too. This is the day and age of cheaply made crap. It COULD be more solid and well made for the price, but the "special people" can't just make a healthy profit, they have to make a killing. This is true of everything, including this. So we deal with it. SOME TIPS FOR SPIRALIZING BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCES: I'm a mechanical idiot, so I figure maybe some of you are too and I can save you some hassles. 1. SUCTION ISSUES... Make sure your surface is CLEAN and DRY. Don't just plop it down and expect it to stay. Use the gray lever...from its starting point, push it all the way over and down. This provides the suction. Mine stays like a rock, but it apparently it doesn't work on some counter surfaces. If you still have problems with suction, you won't get anywhere with ANY spiralizer, so either return it promptly OR, it was suggested by one reviewer, get a non slip mat (non slip on both sides) and set it on that. I don't know if that works. You may just have to put up with the handheld or upgrade to an electric spiralizer. NOTE: YOU CAN RETURN IT WITHOUT SHIPPING CHARGES if it is SOLD by Amazon not a third party. So pick one of those. Not being able to use it for its intended purpose makes it "defective" for return purposes. 2. PUSHING THE SIDE HANDLE. You need to push this firmly to the left while you crank. I saw the instruction "Turn the rotating handle" and immediately blew off the rest of that step, because what idiot can't turn a handle? :) But if you don't push as you turn, it will spin uselessly because the vegetable wont be snugged up to the blade. With firmer vegetables you have to apply more pressure. I found that if you shift your WHOLE body to the left, and LEAN that way, it's a lot less work than if you are just using your hand to push. We upgraded from handheld so it would be less work! 3. CENTERING THE VEGETABLE ON THE CORING BLADE. Easier said than done for people like me. I peered at the veggie, then the little round thingy from every angle and was soon tired of futzing around. If you look at a carrot it handily has a darker core, so you can just line it right up. But for other veggies that don't, just scrape a small hole right in the center of that end, then you can stick it right in place. 4. GET USED TO IT. Be prepared when you get it, to play with it using different vegetables. If it really doesn't work for you, you'll soon know it and can return it. But for the mechanically impaired like me, it often just takes a little time to get better at it. HOPE THIS HELPS!