Mandolines

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

 

I'd add don't use a mandoline while another person is jabbering at you

 

This is why mine gets little use! Of course I learned the lesson the hard way. Wine may also have played a role in the lesson. 

[scubadoo97]

4 hours ago, joancassell said:

I just gave away my Borner mandoline, I found it too complex and intimidating and always used my antique Cuisinart instead. Just bought myself one of those lovely simple Benriners that I think I'll use more frequently, with my non-cut glove. (My old Oxo worked perfectly for about 15 years but the blade loss its sharpness and they changed the design so I couldn't get a new blade, sigh....)

 

The Benriners are my go to  as well.   I think I put my big stainless steal device in an out of the way cupboard 

Edited July 21, 2019 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Kim Shook]

I have one similar to this.  I like it just fine and have, so far, used it safely (touch wood).  It has a nice storage case and I get it out when I've got a LOT of slicing to do or when it is imperative that I slice very finely and evenly.  What I'd love to find is something that I keep hearing I should be able to find in any Asian shop that sells kitchen supplies and haven't yet - I want a small, fixed blade slicer that would slice very, very thin slices of things about as wide as a cucumber and radish.  I slice both of them almost daily and I especially love paper thin radish slices.   

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@Kim Shook I'm not a mandolin person and I have all my toes.  But I do own a Cuisipro box grater with a fixed blade that I find works well for cucumber.  Possibly not as thin as you might like.  Then again I have several slicing blades for my Cuisinart, starting I believe as small as 1 mm.  But as I get older using the Cuisinart for slicing scares me more and more.  And invariably the Cuisinart slices are uneven.

 

I'm still searching for a method of slicing Spanish chorizo that does not involve the emergency room.

 

[Kim Shook]

2 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

@Kim Shook I'm not a mandolin person and I have all my toes.  But I do own a Cuisipro box grater with a fixed blade that I find works well for cucumber.  Possibly not as thin as you might like.  Then again I have several slicing blades for my Cuisinart, starting I believe as small as 1 mm.  But as I get older using the Cuisinart for slicing scares me more and more.  And invariably the Cuisinart slices are uneven.

 

I'm still searching for a method of slicing Spanish chorizo that does not involve the emergency room.

 

I've decided that I might be too old for my Cuisinart.  It is SO freaking heavy.  And I don't have any where to store it but the attic.  So most of the time, I just use something else.  I only use it when Mr. Kim can get it for me.  If that man leaves me, I'll never cook again - too much of my crap is inaccessible in the attic.  😉

[JoNorvelleWalker]

26 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I've decided that I might be too old for my Cuisinart.  It is SO freaking heavy.  And I don't have any where to store it but the attic.  So most of the time, I just use something else.  I only use it when Mr. Kim can get it for me.  If that man leaves me, I'll never cook again - too much of my crap is inaccessible in the attic.  😉

 

My Cuisinart still has a place on the counter but I'm not sure how much longer I can justify it.  The last time I used the Cuisinart I wish I hadn't.

 

I don't have an attic.

 

[weinoo]

On 7/21/2019 at 7:25 AM, weinoo said:

I have a real, heavy duty French one.

It's somewhere buried deep in a closet.

 

After returning from a week in Paris, and after never using my inexpensive Japanese/Swiss/Swedish et al. "mandolines" (because not a one of them does a great job), look what finally came out of the closet! 

 

You know what? It's staying out of the closet, because it works, it's designed wonderfully (all sorts of different cuts can be made without changing a blade), and it rinses off just as easily as the cheapo ones.

 

Look at those beautiful shreds.

 

 

And it found a new home in Julia's corner, on the pegboard...

 

 

No need for a glove; the guard works fine.

Edited February 24, 2020 by weinoo (log)

[gfweb]

I love my slicer. Its a simple model that can only adjust the thickness of the cut, but I use it at least weekly.

 

What brand is that @weinoo ?

[adey73]

looks like the classic Bron Coucke French one.

 

Perfect for dauphinoise and precise slithers of human knuckle. 

 

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

I love my slicer. Its a simple model that can only adjust the thickness of the cut, but I use it at least weekly.

 

What brand is that @weinoo ?

 

It's a BRON.

[weinoo]

8 minutes ago, adey73 said:

looks like the classic Bron Coucke French one.

 

Perfect for dauphinoise and precise slithers of human knuckle. 

 

 

I don't understand how knuckles are a problem - always use the guard!

[adey73]

I just use a  kitchen towel, i have never cut myself with it, though it does exude a seriousness of intent that the plastic or ceramic ones,  do not.   

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by adey73 (log)

[chromedome]

33 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

I don't understand how knuckles are a problem - always use the guard!

Sadly, some guards - to misappropriate Orwell - are more equal than others.

Edited February 24, 2020 by chromedome
typo (log)

[andiesenji]

I used a Bron for 30+ years, replaced the blade a couple of times.  Then I passed it on to another eG member when I bought a new de Buyer that was easier on my aging joints with the horizontal action.

Now I don't use it all because I no longer make candied ginger in 15 pound batches or slice the big bags of Costco onion to make onion confit in huge batches.

And I haven't made pickles in 20 quart batches and etc., etc., etc. 

It lives in its own hard case that holds the extra blades and the regular guard in a large storage bag with an extra long guard, hanging in my storeroom.

I keep meaning to put it on ebay but never seem to get around to it.

 

Found this. I have more photos but not sure where right now.

Edited February 25, 2020 by andiesenji (log)

[lindag]

I have a couple different mandolines.  I get the best results with the v-slicer that I bought on QVC.  

I also use the no-cut glove (which is not foolproof).

[gfweb]

I go bare handed unless there is a pest in the kitchen to distract me, then its a kevlar glove.

[scubadoo97]

On 2/24/2020 at 10:40 AM, gfweb said:

I go bare handed unless there is a pest in the kitchen to distract me, then its a kevlar glove.

I use to do the same but after nearly removing the tip of my right index finger slicing cooked beets 🙄 I now wear a glove.   

[scubadoo97]

I had to complete the dish in my head a week or two later 

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

While a guard is the way to go, I have good karma by using my palm to guide product across the blade.    Somehow, it allows better control of how close you are to the blade.     So far, 10 finger tips.    But I am VERY aware and careful.   

[chord]

I've had a yellow Kyocera ceramic slicer/mandoline for many years. Unfortunately it just broke. This model seems to be the closest replacement, although mine wasn't adjustable. I don't need anything fancy with a lot of parts I need to keep track of. I just want a simple slicer that will make the kind of thin cuts that I can't easily do by hand with my barely adequate knife skills.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Kyocera versus one of the similar models from Oxo, Prepworks, etc?

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, chord said:

I've had a yellow Kyocera ceramic slicer/mandoline for many years. Unfortunately it just broke. This model seems to be the closest replacement, although mine wasn't adjustable. I don't need anything fancy with a lot of parts I need to keep track of. I just want a simple slicer that will make the kind of thin cuts that I can't easily do by hand with my barely adequate knife skills.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Kyocera versus one of the similar models from Oxo, Prepworks, etc?

 

I can't compare them, but I can say that I have the Kyocera in your link and have been happy with it. 

[chord]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

 

I can't compare them, but I can say that I have the Kyocera in your link and have been happy with it. 

 

Thanks. I was happy with my 10 year old version, so I'll probably just get another Kyocera.

[Miriravan]

On 6/14/2020 at 11:02 AM, chord said:

I've had a yellow Kyocera ceramic slicer/mandoline for many years. Unfortunately it just broke. This model seems to be the closest replacement, although mine wasn't adjustable. I don't need anything fancy with a lot of parts I need to keep track of. I just want a simple slicer that will make the kind of thin cuts that I can't easily do by hand with my barely adequate knife skills.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Kyocera versus one of the similar models from Oxo, Prepworks, etc?

I have the OXO and have used it without issue for many years, though I notice the blade is starting to dull.  The blade is not replaceable, so it may be time to bite the bullet and get a new one.  It's good for basic coins or long flat slices, but the width limits the size of vegetables you can get complete slices with.  It also does this thing where unless you keep turning the vegetable around, the slices get progressively more oblique.    I also have a fancy Pampered Chef one in my pantry.  It was given to me and I have literally never used it.  The OXO is small, easy to clean, and serves my (limited) purposes quite well.

[weinoo]

Buy a new one.

[JAZ]

On 6/14/2020 at 2:02 PM, chord said:

I've had a yellow Kyocera ceramic slicer/mandoline for many years. Unfortunately it just broke. This model seems to be the closest replacement, although mine wasn't adjustable. I don't need anything fancy with a lot of parts I need to keep track of. I just want a simple slicer that will make the kind of thin cuts that I can't easily do by hand with my barely adequate knife skills.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Kyocera versus one of the similar models from Oxo, Prepworks, etc?

 

We have both the adjustable and fixed Kyocera slicers. I started out using the fixed version, and at first I didn't like the adjustable one (which you link to) as well because the blade only cuts in one direction. But once I got used to it, I came to appreciate the fact that it's adjustable. (We have a traditional mandoline as well, but I only use it for onion rings or fancy waffle cuts.)