Handheld or Crank? Our Guide to the Best Cheap Spiralizer

A spiralizer is a simple tool: a blade, something to hold the vegetable against it, and a way to turn one or the other. That is why the cheaper models from each maker can do most of what the expensive ones do. Zucchini, cucumber, carrot and jícama all spiral cleanly through a basic blade. What you pay more for is speed, a heavier frame for hard roots like sweet potato, and more cutting options.

This guide looks only at the entry tier of each maker’s spiralizer range, from OXO, Zyliss, Westmark, Cuisinart, MasterChef and two Amazon-first brands. We do not quote prices, which change daily. Instead, each pick explains what you get, what you give up compared with the models in our main best spiralizer guide, and what the maker says about warranty and cleaning.

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Quick verdict: which cheap spiralizer to buy

The table compares the five standouts, one for each kind of cook. All eight picks are reviewed in full below it.

Five budget spiralizers compared

Type, cuts and the main reason to buy each one, as the maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Blade counts and care instructions are as each maker or listing states them; “Not stated” means the listing does not say.

Our picks for the best cheap spiralizer

These eight cover the ways people save money on a spiralizer: a multi-tool set from a big housewares name, two small handhelds, two countertop models with a crank, a vertical model with built-in blades, an entry electric and a disc kit for one food processor family. Each pick ends with one honest reason to skip it.

How to judge value in a cheap spiralizer

A cheap spiralizer is good value when it makes the cuts you will actually use, cleans up easily and lasts. These are the points worth checking.

Match the type to how much you make

Handhelds, like the Zyliss and Westmark Duolo, are cheapest and smallest, and they are fine for one zucchini or a garnish. Countertop crank models, like the Spiralizer 7-Blade and the Ourokhome, are faster for a family dinner. Electric models cost the most of the three but save your wrists. Buy for the amount you make on a normal night, not the most you might ever make.

Count the cuts you need, not the blades in the box

Most home cooks use two or three cuts: a thin noodle, a thicker noodle and a ribbon or julienne. A seven-blade box is only better value if you use more than that. Built-in blades, as on the Ourokhome, are worth more than loose ones if storage is a worry.

Look at the blade material and the holder

Stainless steel blades are standard. What differs is the part that holds the vegetable: a spiked holder or food pusher keeps fingers away from the blade and lets you use more of each vegetable. Most picks here list one; if a listing does not mention it, check the photos before you buy.

Check the warranty and parts

Warranty is where makers differ most at this price. Westmark’s listing states 5 years, retailers report a 5-year guarantee on the Zyliss, and the Spiralizer brand offers lifetime replacement. Several others do not state a term at all. Brieftons, in our main guide, sells replacement handles and bodies for its spiralizers on Amazon, which is a good sign in any brand.

Think about cleaning before you buy

Spiralizer blades trap vegetable fibers. A dishwasher-safe tool, like the OXO set or the Cuisinart discs, saves time. If the maker says hand wash, as Westmark and Ourokhome do, plan on a small brush and rinse right after use, before starch and juice dry on the blade.

What you give up compared with our top picks

The models in our main guide, such as the Brieftons 10-Blade, the KitchenAid mixer attachment and the Inspiralized Inspiralizer Pro, cost more because of what they add: heavier frames for hard roots, more blades or blades you switch with a knob, catch containers, and in the KitchenAid’s case a motor you already own doing the work. Entry models give up some of that sturdiness and speed.

For zucchini, cucumber and carrots, that rarely matters. It matters more with sweet potato, butternut squash and large jícama, which put real force on a handle. If those are the main vegetables you plan to spiralize, look at the countertop and electric picks here, or at the main guide. For zucchini noodles specifically, our best zucchini spiralizer guide compares tools for that one job.

How we chose these eight spiralizers

We started with the entry spiralizer in each identifiable maker’s range that is sold and in stock on Amazon US, then left out the models already reviewed in our main spiralizer guide and our zucchini spiralizer guide, so this page adds new options. We did not consider products listed as scarce or out of stock, which ruled out entry models from Paderno, Gefu, Starfrit, Norpro and Prepworks when we checked.

Specifications come from the Amazon listings and, where they were thin, from retailers selling the same model, named in our research notes. We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listings for these brands and did not find a recall for any model here. We have not used these spiralizers in our kitchen; recommendations are based on specifications, maker information and what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a prep tool. We do not quote prices, which change daily.

Spiralizer blades are sharp, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled other slicing tools when blades came loose. Use the food holder or pusher every time, and keep loose blades in their case or box.

Budget spiralizer questions, answered

What is the best affordable spiralizer for zucchini?

For one or two zucchini at a time, a handheld like the Zyliss Spiralizer is enough. For a family-sized batch, a countertop crank model like the Spiralizer 7-Blade is faster, because you are not twisting each vegetable by hand.

Is a handheld or a countertop budget spiralizer better?

Handhelds are cheaper, smaller and easier to clean, but slow. Countertop models are faster and handle harder vegetables, but take more storage space. If you will spiralize once a week or more, a countertop model is usually the better value.

Can a cheap spiralizer cut sweet potatoes?

Some can. The Spiralizer 7-Blade listing says its frame is made for harder roots like sweet potatoes and turnips, and the Zyliss handheld is recommended by retailers for sweet potato. Small handhelds take effort with dense roots, and an electric model takes that effort away.

Are inexpensive spiralizers safe to use?

They are as safe as the way you use them. Always use the food holder or pusher instead of your fingers near the end of the vegetable, store loose blades covered, and clean the blades with a brush rather than a sponge.

Which vegetables work best in a spiralizer?

Firm, straight vegetables at least an inch wide: zucchini, cucumber, carrot, sweet potato, beet, jícama and apple. Soft or hollow produce, like tomatoes and peppers, does not hold together. If you want thin slices rather than spirals, a mandoline slicer is the better tool.

Our final pick for a spiralizer on a budget

Buy the OXO Spiralize, Grate & Slice Set if you want a small, dishwasher-safe set that does more than one job. Choose the Zyliss handheld for a drawer-sized tool with two cuts, the Spiralizer 7-Blade for fast countertop batches, the Westmark Tri-Blade for julienne and the longest stated warranty, and the MasterChef if you would rather not crank at all. For the sturdier end of the range, see our best spiralizer guide, and for peeling before you spiralize, our best vegetable peeler picks.

And if you would rather someone else did the chopping tonight, see Julia’s menu or call to order.