Is a Spaetzle Maker a Lever? The Science Behind Noodle Extrusion

[Geeki]

My son and I were arguing about whether or not a particular noodle maker called a Spaetzle Maker is a lever. I say it is, and he says it isn't. Basically, one uses it to extrude raw noodle batter (eggs and semolina flour) over a pot of boiling water. It looks like a flat cheese grater with a chimney on top to hold the batter. The "chimney" is held to the grater in tracks on either side and can be moved back and forth over the grater without coming loose. I say the tool helps to mash and push the batter through the holes and uses wedge/lever principles. My son says it's simply extrusion/force, no lever involved.

Below is the address for a picture of this critter.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...T88w9hPoBV3uymdtPZIxDIy5LOYVi8khwAaAshL8P8HAQ

 

[mfb]

Where do you see any lever process?

You can use every solid object as a lever, but in making Spätzle, I don't see how there would be any lever process.

 

[etudiant]

Seems to me to be a pure extrusion process, the spaetzle can be long or short depending on how fast you move the grater.
So no lever, just a shearing action.
It is a nice gizmo though, the old method required real skill with a knife to cut the spaetzle uniformly into the boiling water.

 

[Geeki]

My obsession with the lever in this process comes from the fact that we don't actually own a spaetzle maker and are always trying to make do with a spaghetti strainer and a pancake flipper. I turn the metal strainer upside down over the pot of boiling water, so I have a flat surface covered with holes on top of the pot, then deposit a glop of noodle batter on the bottom of the strainer, and push it around quickly with a pancake flipper to shear off the spaetzle. I hold the pancake flipper at an angle to the strainer and the force I put on it is both vertical and horizontal, so it feels like there's some wedge action going on there. But that's inclined plane, right? I can't see a fulcrum anywhere in this process, so it makes sense now.. No lever.

Thanks!

 

[fresh_42]

This is the correct way to do it: (no lever to see)
(Don't bother the language, it's not needed to understand it and even some native speakers won't understand her.)

 

[Geeki]

Danke!

 

[fresh_42]

You're welcome!