On 2010-08-09, isw > wrote:
>
> So the questions: Am I using the thing wrong (I just filled it up and
> slid it back and forth)? Do I have the wrong batter consistency (like a
> slightly thicker pancake batter)? Is this machine just a piece of junk
> compared to expen$ive ones?

I would think a lot of it has to do with the type/culture of spaetzle
you are making:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A4tzle

The coolest method I've seen was on an old episode of The Great Chefs
where some big ol' fat German lady made it by grabbing up a thick
paste of dough on a wide flat spatula and, with a straight knife in
her other hand, raked/sliced thin noodle pieces of dough off the
spatula into boiling water. Talk about Old World skill!

nb