Spaetzle maker (sometimes spelled as spatzle maker) is a kitchen utensil designed for making German-style spaetzle noodles. It is actually a vital tool if you want to make this food, as making them by hand requires a lot of practice.
Two Different Types Of Spaetzle Makers
There are actually two different types of spaetzle noodles, so to find the best spaetzle maker first you need to know what kind of pasta you want to make.
- Larger, thinner noodles are usually called Spätzle in German, and you need a potato ricer-like utensil for making them.
- Thicker, gnocchi-like noodles are called Knöpfle in German, Nokedli or Gauska in Hungarian. They require a utensil that you can put on top of your pot.
Pot Top Spaetzle Makers
Even in this category you have two options. One is to use a lid-like spaetzle maker with a scraper. The other one (what I use personally) is to use a utensil that resembles a grater, with a pusher on top that you can move back and forth to make your noodles.
What I recommend you is to buy a stainless steel noodle maker, as you need a very sturdy material for this job. For the pusher though, I prefer plastic as this material is more flexible and will stand the back and forth movements over boiling water, but you can use the stainless steel versions as well.
To tell you the truth, I never tried the lid-like spaetzle makers. But here again you need a sturdy material like stainless steel.
Potato Ricer-like Spaetzle Makers
Thin spaetzle noodles are made with the same technique that you use with a potato ricer. Therefore any kind of potato ricer can be good for this task. Or choose one of these heavy-duty utensils, specifically designed for making spaetzle.