Presto 02970 Professional Salad Shooter Electric Slicer/ Shredder, White

For those who enjoy curling ribbons of shredded food – whether that nutriment takes the form of vegetables, cheese, or whatever – the presto Professional Salad Shooter Electric Slicer/Shredder, with its four different “cutting cones,” is a good choice for quick, effective shredding. Whether you are reducing cabbage to coleslaw, grating a huge pile of cheese for an interesting snack or a recipe, and so on, this device is meant to provide the shredding power needed to slice your food materials efficiently.

Food is placed into the top chute, then pressed down using the included “guide” (basically, a pestle to the chute’s mortar). This forces the food downwards into contact with one of the cutting cones, which you have fastened into the large conical opening in the front of the Salad Shooter. The blades on these cones slice or grate the food rapidly and spray the resulting slices or curling shavings out of the mouth of the cone by centrifugal force.

By holding the handle at the back and pointing the cone where you want it, you can direct the spray of shredded food wherever you want. For example, you can spray an even layer of shredded cheese over a large pizza by “hosing” the cutting cone back and forth, or you can direct the stream to create a pile or fill a bowl. There are four cutting cones, including ones designed for fine “ribbon” grating, ripple cuts, and even thick slices.

The presto Electric Salad Shooter can be cleaned easily after each use thanks to its glossy plastic construction. This can be washed and scrubbed clean with only light effort, once the motor portion of the Salad Shooter has been removed (which it is designed for). The base can also be wiped clean easily as necessary, and the motor itself can be wiped with a slightly dampened cloth if necessary.

The food chamber has a decent capacity – large enough to accommodate chunks of cheese, as well as many kinds of whole fruits and vegetables. Although it can handle many different foods – including cheese, carrots, lettuce for salads, cabbage for coleslaw, radishes, cucumbers, and even yams – there are a few items it balks at. Raw potatoes, for example, are an abysmal failure, and celery, because of its texture, clogs the machine if grated. For the most part, however, the Salad Shooter can handle nearly anything you throw into its hopper.

The plastic of which the Salad Shooter is made is not as long-lasting as a metal arrangement would be, however. It will eventually crack in places or strip in others, but replacement parts are available from a low figure from the manufacturer.