Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I join the enthusiastic reviewers for this product. I did not get mine through Amazon (it was a gift) but I patronize Amazon and often read reviews on the site prior to making purchases. (Much thanks to my fellow reviewers. Mean it.) Two things that seem to keep cropping up for this item are cleaning frustrations and wasted veggie-ends. Hoping to help, I respectfully offer the following: CLEANING: I don't use the end cap at all, so when I've finished using the Veggetti I simply immerse it in a large enough cup of warm water to soak until I'm ready to clean it. I know it's dishwasher safe, but the heat and dishwasher soaps can shorten the life of many items - particularly anything plastic or metal (check on both counts here). Since nothing has dried on it because I've soaked it, I just use a kitchen-designated toothbrush to gently clean around the blades in the warm, soapy dishwater I'm using for wood-handle knives, pots and anything else I don't want to run through the dishwasher. After rinsing, I give it a good shake, dry the outside lightly with a paper towel and let it air-dry. WASTED VEGGIE ENDS: After washing the veg (zucchini mostly) WITHOUT PEELING IT, I cut off the flower (or 'belly button') end, insert that end into the Veggetti and LEAVE THE STEM on the other end. When I get to the point where my fingers might be at risk, I insert the tines of a short dessert fork into the stem and continue turning **slowly and carefully** until I have about a 1-inch cone below the stem. I simply slice the small bit of remaining squash into a few small 'coins' and throw nothing at all away except the stem. (Back on the farm, that stem would've gone on the compost pile or in the slop container for livestock feed...but I'm a long way from the farm now.) Fingers safe; nothing wasted. The end-cap included is suggested for use as a grip when nearing the end of the veg. As thoughtfully well-intended a gesture as that may be, I respectfully submit my input: I found it amusingly useless at best and dag-blamed annoying at worst. 'Nuff said. As far as its efficacy (in my experience), only the larger-bladed side does what I want it to do. It works wonderfully well on zucchini and yellow squash (unless the yellow squash is too big and the seeds impede successful use). I tried it on eggplant and had to restrain myself from using words that got my mouth washed out with soap eons ago. (If you want eggplant noodles, peel the eggplant and cut it into 1-inch 'slabs' then use a vegetable peeler to get long, flat strips...saving your sanity in the process.) I think carrots and potatoes would unnecessarily dull the blades (and shorten the life of the item) and since I can get pre-shredded carrot and frozen shredded potatoes at the grocery store, why re-invent the wheel? Some folks said they had success with cucumbers; I did not. I'm deliriously happy with the zucchini spirals it produces though and use them in Pad Thai, with Bolognese pasta sauce, in cold antipasto salads and I'm still experimenting. (Oh - to cut down on the watery-ness of the zucchini spirals, I lay 2 paper towels in the bottom of the big metal bowl I use and spiral away at least an hour or more before I want to use them, then place the bowl UNCOVERED in the fridge. The zucchini 'weeps' into the paper towels below; the fridge helps that along the dehumidifying process while keeping them crisp. This is especially helpful if I'm serving zoodles with a hot pasta sauce.) A few folks noted the 'corkscrew' that seem to work its way through the hole in the middle of the device. That's the main reason I leave the cap off during use: those 'corkscrews' fall into the bowl I'm using to catch the zoodles instead of building up in the lower compartment. They can even be used as a decorative garnish if one is so inclined. I was saddened to note the number of folks who threw their Veggettis away in frustration. May I politely suggest bequeathing such things to GoodWill or a friend or neighbor? "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is what I heard often as a kid. Just sayin'. (c;