Mandolines

[cdh]

Got the one I ordered as well. From a cursory one over, it feels no less sturdy than my Bron... since it is a gift, I'm not going to try it out... but it doesn't look or feel cheap.

[judiu]

Got the e-mailed credit yesterday, right after Charlie Fix-It put the leg back on and stabilized the other two for me. (He's a friend's son and does things like change bulbs in my ceiling fixtures [too high to reach w/o a chair or ladder] and repairs things that need more strength than I've got any more.) I love this kid...!

[Porthos]

I didn't actually say I wanted one, but the thought crossed my mind that, if this was a good deal and a quality product, it might be worth trying eo see if I liked it and how much use it got.

My DW bought be a sturdy Cuisinart mandoline several years ago. I tried to use it a couple or three times and just couldn't get the hang of it. When I tried to use it on potatoes it just plain sucked. My DW now uses it to very thinly slice cucumbers for teas sandwiches and other than that it sits in its box. Just my data point.

[Shel_B]

My DW bought be a sturdy Cuisinart mandoline several years ago. I tried to use it a couple or three times and just couldn't get the hang of it. When I tried to use it on potatoes it just plain sucked. My DW now uses it to very thinly slice cucumbers for teas sandwiches and other than that it sits in its box. Just my data point.

Yeah, I, too, wonder how much I'd use it and what I could use in it's place for whatever I might use it for.

[Smithy]

My DW bought be a sturdy Cuisinart mandoline several years ago. I tried to use it a couple or three times and just couldn't get the hang of it. When I tried to use it on potatoes it just plain sucked. My DW now uses it to very thinly slice cucumbers for teas sandwiches and other than that it sits in its box. Just my data point.

Yeah, I, too, wonder how much I'd use it and what I could use in it's place for whatever I might use it for.

I bought a cheapo plastic mandoline at some grocery store, for about $8, to see whether I'd use it enough to justify a better one. So far, this one has done well enough: for the occasional gratin or other times when I want very uniform slices, it's good. I might someday spend $40 on a good one, but not until this one dies.

[Porthos]

... So far, this one has done well enough: for the occasional gratin or other times when I want very uniform slices, it's good...

I'm guessing that there must be some technique to be mastered.

We went over to my FIL's house last Saturday evening. She asked my to bring the mandoline along with which to slice up red potatoes (she roasted red potato slices with garlic-infused EVOO and fresh rosemary for this meal). I wasn't needed in the kitchen to begin with, and suddenly heard her ask I if I had my knife roll with me. I went into the kitchen and found she had abandoned the mandoline and was using a dull knife to try and slice the potatoes. I fetched in my roll and gave her a 10" forschner to finish the job. She was happy with that.

[Shel_B]

[...] I went into the kitchen and found she had abandoned the mandoline and was using a dull knife to try and slice the potatoes. I fetched in my roll and gave her a 10" forschner to finish the job. She was happy with that.

And that brings me to a question. One of the reasons I'm considering a mandoline is for slicing potatoes. When I slice raw potatoes with a knife, the slices often stick to the blade, and that is very annoying and slows my slicing considerably. How does one prevent the potato slices from sticking to a knife blade? It doesn't seem that potato slices would stick to a mandoline blade ...

[Smithy]

[...] I went into the kitchen and found she had abandoned the mandoline and was using a dull knife to try and slice the potatoes. I fetched in my roll and gave her a 10" forschner to finish the job. She was happy with that.

And that brings me to a question. One of the reasons I'm considering a mandoline is for slicing potatoes. When I slice raw potatoes with a knife, the slices often stick to the blade, and that is very annoying and slows my slicing considerably. How does one prevent the potato slices from sticking to a knife blade? It doesn't seem that potato slices would stick to a mandoline blade ...

My knives that have small concavities along the blade do the best job of releasing the potato slices. But I still have to break the suction, so to speak, of a large potato slice against the large blade. I agree that the mandoline works well for this task. But perhaps the pros here can give a hint on knife technique?

[gfweb]

The thing with using a mandoline is you have to slice vigorously. If you do it carefully, as seems sensible, it is difficult to use. And therein lies the problem. If you whip that potato through the blade it is easy to cut the potato and to cut yourself.

So some use a towel to grasp the veg... or a holder (which I find awkward and wasteful) or a kevlar glove (my choice). You can cut a big baking dish of just right sliced potatoes for au gratin in a minute or two.

[Martin Fisher]

[...] I went into the kitchen and found she had abandoned the mandoline and was using a dull knife to try and slice the potatoes. I fetched in my roll and gave her a 10" forschner to finish the job. She was happy with that.

And that brings me to a question. One of the reasons I'm considering a mandoline is for slicing potatoes. When I slice raw potatoes with a knife, the slices often stick to the blade, and that is very annoying and slows my slicing considerably. How does one prevent the potato slices from sticking to a knife blade? It doesn't seem that potato slices would stick to a mandoline blade ...

With a knife you can rapidly flick your wrist to the side and the slice will usually pop off.

I like to use a Chinese cleaver because it's easy to prevent sticking by cutting with the tip.

Martin Yan demonstrates in the following video starting at about 3:25......

Edited December 10, 2013 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[Martin Fisher]

I don't use any special protection when using a mandoline and I've never...."knock on wood".... had a serious cut and rarely a minor nick.

Just pay close attention to what you're doing, keep your palm convex and SLOW DONE when whatever you're slicing reaches 3/4" or less in thickness.

I use a mandoline almost every day.

Edited December 10, 2013 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[OliverB]

I had a relatively expensive one, it's in the garage now. Never used it much, clean up was a pain. You could slide in 'comb' blades to julienne things, food always got stuck in that slide in support. I bought a simple small handheld single blade 3 step adjustable one from OXO that I use quite a bit, small, easy to clean and store. Also have a Japanese one with ceramic blade (also hand held) that can slice super thin for garnish etc. Both work well and are just the right thing for occasional use.

The food holders/finger protectors are useless on every one I ever owned, gloves are the way to go, though I don't use them on the small handheld ones. I probably should...

They are great tools if you need to slice things thin very often, for julienne I'd also use the food processor though. Or if it's not much, cut it by hand.

[rotuts]

the mandoline does exactly what you want. an advantage of the Benriners is it does not have feet and is easy to store.

i used mine last night on some red onions and realized is was much easier to store, flat in a drawer.

you just have to pay attention when you use it. i do russets w the skin on and have never had a problem.

[andiesenji]

I got in the habit of using a mandolin for "big" slicing jobs about 40 years ago and when I began preparing things in big batches, it never entered my mind to use a knife, which requires a certain amount of skill, which also requires practice.

I used a Bron for many years, replacing the blades as needed and was happy with it until it began to bother my elbow and shoulder so I got the de Buyer and gave the Bron to another eG member. This one is expensive but I use it enough that it has justified the price in making my life easier.

I just made a 12-pound batch of candied ginger and slicing that amount of ginger with a knife would be an impossible task for me nowadays.

I also helped make a huge batch of eggplant lasagna for a friend to take to a potluck party at her work. I used the long pusher for large eggplant and sliced them lengthwise to make thin sheets of eggplant - can't do that with a knife and have even slices.

I also cored then sliced 10 pounds of apples which are now in the dehydrator. Braeburn apples, which have a skin that is tender enough to dry nicely.

I have arthritis and now my knife skills are less than they were, never really impressive.

I like the V-type cutters, or the slant blades much better than the straight. I use the pushers, for my de Buyer I have both the regular and the long holders. I also have a mesh glove for the odd times I might slice something without the holder.

I could get along without my mandolin but I would cease to do some of the things that I have done for years. If you get into a routine of using one, you will not have wasted your money, but if you treat it like a novelty, it will be a waste.

[rotuts]

if you do end up using a mandoline, its that last little bit that for some reason you want to slice that gets you into trouble.

toss it.

[rotuts]

one further though on the mandoline, before i pull a cork, the effort and motion is in the horizontal plane, so to speak.

its not pushing down on the mandoline, its sliding the item along the mandoline w light strokes. you must have a very sharp blade,

personally guess the blades that are at an angle work better, sharpness being equal. but that's a guess.

dont use one if you are afraid of it or haven't seen one properly used.

and yes ive used mine just now. Pre-Cork.

[gfweb]

A little EtOH on board makes it hurt less...

[rotuts]

"" hurt less... "" but bigger wound.

[Recoil Rob]

I received a Bron 20638 Pro model about 20 years ago, it came with the 303000 safety guard.

 

I have never taken it from the box, still wrapped like new. I always enjoyed knife work so never felt a need to go to it.

 

That has changed recently and I see all the recommendations for new Japanese mandolines, Benriner, Kyocera, the Swiss Borner, etc. and I wonder if they are better or just cheaper? If better I can sell my Bron setup and buy a newer style with cash left over.

 

However, if the Bron is still the best it just might be time to take it out of the box and use it.

 

Opinions?

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, Recoil Rob said:

I received a Bron 20638 Pro model about 20 years ago, it came with the 303000 safety guard.

 

I have never taken it from the box, still wrapped like new. I always enjoyed knife work so never felt a need to go to it.

 

That has changed recently and I see all the recommendations for new Japanese mandolines, Benriner, Kyocera, the Swiss Borner, etc. and I wonder if they are better or just cheaper? If better I can sell my Bron setup and buy a newer style with cash left over.

 

However, if the Bron is still the best it just might be time to take it out of the box and use it.

 

Opinions?

Bet you'll make far better and more frequent use of a Benriner.  That is just my opinion. 

[Recoil Rob]

Perhaps, but is the Benriner a better designed and made machine or just more convenient?

[Anna N]

4 minutes ago, Recoil Rob said:

Perhaps, but is the Benriner a better designed and made machine or just more convenient?

More convenient, easy to clean, store and assemble.  But only you can decide what matters.

[gfweb]

If all you are going to do is make a zillion sliced veg (which is my main use of it), a simple V-slicer requires no assembly, stores and cleans easily and is cheap.

[lindag]

I watched a review some time ago of mandolins on America's Test Kitchen.

The results of which were (as I remember) was that the v-blade slicers were infinitely better at cutting cleanly than the straight edge types.

I have a v-slicer that I got a few years ago and I like it a lot.

And I also just got an electric mandoline dicer, slicer, shredder.  Just haven't tried it out yet.

[Anna N]

30 minutes ago, lindag said:

I watched a review some time ago of mandolins on America's Test Kitchen.

The results of which were (as I remember) was that the v-blade slicers were infinitely better at cutting cleanly than the straight edge types.

I have a v-slicer that I got a few years ago and I like it a lot.

And I also just got an electric mandoline dicer, slicer, shredder.  Just haven't tried it out yet.

 I had a V slicer for a short while but it managed to scare me almost twice as much as the straight blade so it went very quickly  to a new home.   Guess it all depends on your comfort level, your dexterity and your ability to pay attention to what you're doing. I might be lacking in all three of these.