Mandolines

[ExtraMSG]

Well, the Bron I ordered arrived about 3 months ago and remains untouched in its box in the pantry. (Note to self: curb impulse buying!) If I ever get around to using it, I'll let you know what I think!

Squeat

I got a better idea. Send it to me, and I'll tell you if you should want it back.

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay what's the functional difference between the large and small Benriners? What is one good for that the other is not? There is one on Amazon for 24.99; I have no way of knowing which size it is, but am guessing small.

[gperls]

I've had the wide Benriner for a few years now. I like it. Once I started heeding it's warning to use the plastic guide, I've stopped slicing my fingers off.

Regarding the wide vs. narrow versions, the wide one can cut a wider diametered vegetable without having to narrow it to fit the slide area, like a potato or onion.

The thickness setting is infinitely adjustable within it's range with a turning knob.

And yes, it is dishwasher safe. That's how I've been cleaning it since I bought it.

[ExtraMSG]

Okay, bought a Benriner today. What the hell, $25 for the larger one at a local Japanese grocer. (This is the one I got, even this color: http://www.quickspice.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart...shtml?E+scstore ) Sliced the hell out of stuff this evening in preparation for dinner. It truly is a "fast, cheerful, and beutiful way of cooking." A few negative notes:

* The guard is rather useless, except maybe for the last bits on a potato, but by then you probably don't want those pieces anyway.

* The range of thicknesses is pretty small from about an eigth of an inch to paper thin. I really wish it did thicker slices as well. It'd be more useful for things like zuchini and cucumber.

* It needs rubber feet. The thing slips easily and you really have to stand it almost straight up. It's not a problem for easily sliced items like potatoes, but more difficult items create a likelihood of getting your fingers. Think of flat cheese graters and you'll have an idea of how it works. I have a cuisipro grater with rubber feet and it works much better than my older flat grater without feet.

* The "comb" blades don't seem to work that great except on really easy to cut items.

* It's much more difficult to cut some items than I expected. Potatoes were a breeze. But the brussel sprouts I also did with it often got caught up and snagged creating unsafe slicing. And I couldn't shred these with the "comb" blades at all. I imagine even a carrot would take a decent amount of force. I tried to cut ham with it, just to see, and I couldn't at all (at least I won't take my whole finger off, maybe).

That said, it's cheap and works for the most part. It's very easy to adjust and very easy to change out the blades. It's also very easy to clean and the nylon surface works great without much friction at all.

I think the Bron (this one: http://www.chefdepot.net/mandoline.htm ) is still better overall and maybe even a long term better value. I'd really like the stand and it has a good guard that would be useful for even a whole potato. Also, it has a wider range of thicknesses and is also very easy to adjust. But it would be more of a pain to clean, the metal does create more friction, and it's 4-5 times as much (and actually, it's over $175 at my local Sur La Table). I may get one online if I can find it for less than $100 some time when I have the extra cash, but until I feel like I need it, I'll stick with the Benriner.

[Richard Kilgore]

I know that many people here have recommended the Benriner. In looking through the Amazon offerings, I found at least four models, from about $29 to $60. The lower cost ones are about 12" X 3 5/8 (2 1/2" food channel) and the more expensive ones either have a plastic bin under the frame to catch the food, or are wider, 12" X 5". The bin to catch the food seems to be unnecessary, but is the 5" width with a wider food channel important?

[Jinmyo]

I'd say go for it as I'm getting a new wider one at the beginning of the month.

I have a huge French metal contraption but prefer the Benriner.

[memesuze]

This last Wednesday's food section in the NYTimes had an article about inexpensive mandolines, including all the Benriner models - check it out: for thin vegetables, at a slender price

[ExtraMSG]

I have to say I've been a little disappointed with my Benriner and probably would have bought the Bron if I had the money (and you can find them for almost half what they cost at some places online). I don't think the contraption would be helpful, but the extra width may be. I have the narrower one and it's definitely too narrow for lots of things. The problem is the wide one is too wide, I think. They need something in between. They also need more range in the size of slices and something tacky on the bottom so the mandoline doesn't slip so damned easily. I also don't think it slices easily enough.

[Jinmyo]

ExtraMSG, my French metal contraption has legs to support it.

What I like about the Benriner is the control between left hand holding it and right hand swiping. I can slice right into the bowl.

[Fay Jai]

Saw the new OXO one on the Today show the other day...I'd love to get a mandoline but am frankly kind of confused as to which one would be the best for me and my wife. (Read...Simplest to use and clean).

If anyone gets one, please let us know what you think of it. My wife is dying to get one.

Thanks!

[Richard Kilgore]

EMSG -- Why would the wide one be too wide? It's only 5" wide and the regular one is 3 5/8" wide. What problem would the extra 1 1/2" create?

Anyone else have a problem with the ease of slicing with the Benriner? Jin?

But I am now curious about the new OXO. The best price I could find on the wide Benriner was about $50. What would the extra 20 give me? I'll have to see if I can finds one locally, or are they not out yet at all?

[Richard Kilgore]

Oh, BTW, Jin and anyone else who uses a Benriner -- do you wear a baseball glove when using it or some other protective device? Do you still have finger tips?

I sure would like to see the design of the OXO that made the NYTimes writer so carefree in using it.

[ExtraMSG]

EMSG -- Why would the wide one be too wide? It's only 5" wide and the regular one is 3 5/8" wide. What problem would the extra 1 1/2" create?

Anyone else have a problem with the ease of slicing with the Benriner? Jin?

But I am now curious about the new OXO. The best price I could find on the wide Benriner was about $50. What would the extra 20 give me? I'll have to see if I can finds one locally, or are they not out yet at all?

The bulkiness mainly. The smaller one may not be that much smaller, but for some reason when I tried each, the bigger one seemed awkward. When you slide something down it moves from side to side often as it gets sliced.

I really think there are only two important problems with the Benriner:

1) It needs rubber feet or something so it doesn't slide around. And this is a *big* problem, imo.

2) The narrow range of thicknesses for the slices. It's about 1/8" at the widest. Very little use for the shredder blades, too.

I'd really like to get a look at the OXO, too.

The best thing about the Benriner is that it's cheap (at least the small one I got was only $20) and you can just toss it in the dishwasher. Both are actually pretty good things. If they fixed my two complaints above I'd almost never think about switching.

Edited March 21, 2004 by ExtraMSG (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

The NYTimes article said the Jumbo Benriner is 5 1/2 wide and slices (only - no julienne blades) up to 1/3 thick. Same price as the Super. Which might suit your purposes, except for your "too wide" and slips complaints.

Anyone use the Jumbo? Looks good for hard cheeses, which is one of the reasons I was looking at these things in the first place.

[Bux]

I use a microplane for grating parmesan cheese. I've had a Benriner for years. I really find it useful. I've nicked myself once or twice--I've also cut myself with regular knives. On the whole I'm careful and don't use a glove. I coveted a Bron for years, but a couple of people who worked in a top French kitchen in NY asked me why I wanted a Bron when everyone in their kitchen uses Benriners in spite of the fact there's a Bron in the kitchen. So, I bought the Benriner. I don't find sliding to be a great problem. I don't have a problem with it not making thick slices. A knife is fine for thicker slices. I use the julienne blades quite a bit for strips. Long cucumber strips make a nice salad for instance. I will also cross cut the strips by hand to make miniature dice.

[Dahomechef]

I've used the Benrined for a couple of years. It's really handy. Like Jinmyo, I like being able to just stick it on a bowl and slice/shred right into it. Easy to clean, adjustable, cheap. Don't wear a glove, but pay attention. Lotta bang for the buck.

[Bux]

Unlike Jinmy, by the way, I hold the mandoline in my right hand and swipe with my left hand. Lefties take note.

[Richard Kilgore]

Bux, I probably was not clear. I use a microplane for grating Parmesan also. I was referring to making wide, long slices of hard cheese, and 1/8" may be as thick as I was imagining anyway.

And I am interested in using it to julienne vegetables for salads and many other things. A neighborhood Thai place, for example, sometimes juliennes their vegetables and sometimes chops them, I guess depending on who is in the kitchen or what mood they're in (?), and the julienne is the more attractive presentation by far.

[ExtraMSG]

I was watching Iron Chef tonight and the challenger was using a Benriner.

[winesonoma]

Oh, BTW, Jin and anyone else who uses a Benriner -- do you wear a baseball glove when using it or some other protective device? Do you still have finger tips?

I sure would like to see the design of the OXO that made the NYTimes writer so carefree in using it.

I use a kevlar glove. Soft knit very nice. Also good for holding oysters

[BettyK]

Bux, I probably was not clear. I use a microplane for grating Parmesan also. I was referring to making wide, long slices of hard cheese, and 1/8" may be as thick as I was imagining anyway.

And I am interested in using it to julienne vegetables for salads and many other things. A neighborhood Thai place, for example, sometimes juliennes their vegetables and sometimes chops them, I guess depending on who is in the kitchen or what mood they're in (?), and the julienne is the more attractive presentation by far.

Richard, have you ever tried a vegetable peeler for Parmesan? The Benriner does a beautiful job at julienning vegetables but I don't know it would work on cheese.

[Richard Kilgore]

BettyK -- I guess I am a fog of ambiguous obsfucation today. I was not referring to julienning cheese, but rather making WIDE, long slices of cheese...perhaps three inches wide. This was a minor use that I had in mind, but I had a plate of such at a tapas place last year and the presentation appealed to me.

[BettyK]

Not at all. I understand you were referring to cheese slices and not julienning cheese. I meant to say that I don't know if cheese would work on the Benriner but then what do I know. Sorry I wasn't very clear.

[ExtraMSG]

I doubt it will work for cheese very well. The nice thing about a cheese grater, including the Cuisipros and Microplanes, is that the amount of surface area that touches the cheese is greatly reduced decreasing friction. The Benriner is closer to a knife in that regard. It may work okay, but you'd probably be better off spending $10 on a Cuisipro or using a vegetable peeler, which I often use for hard cheeses and chocolate.

[Jinmyo]

I use a yoke peeler for hard cheeses.