Mandolines

[scubadoo97]

I have the Bron and the regular Benriner. For slicing a lot of cabbage I opt for the Bron because it is wider. If you get a Benriner go for the wider one. If I had that I don't know if I would have ever needed the Bron. I also was able to pull the blade out and quickly sharpen on my EdgePro so now it works as good as when it was new. No way to sharpen the blade on a Bron.

[EdS]

I like the Benriner. I have the regular size but if I had to do it over again, I would buy the wider Super Benriner. The regular one is too narrow to slice a full-sized round onion, for example. The handy Benriners are found in professional kitchens and are often preferred over the more complex European mandolines though the latter can do some things the Benriner cannot.

I've never cut myself in the kitchen but the closest I've come to doing serious damage is with a mandoline. Be careful.

[andiesenji]

I've had a Bron for many years. I have replaced the blades about 10 years ago, but it took a long time and lots of use for them to dull. If you have to slice a tub full of potatoes, carrots, etc., make a bucket of coleslaw or want to make "waffle" potato chips or matchstick vegetables, this does the job well. Get one with the holder or guard or use a blade-proof glove.

Fantes has the Bron "Du Chef" for 99.00 and the Professional for 109.00. Best price I can find and they also carry the spare parts.

and the instructions.

I have tried just about every other type and I always go back to the Bron. I recommend the Professional.

Edited April 11, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[KitchenQueen]

Okay, I think I've made my decision on a gift for a special person.

What is the best mandoline made, what is the approximate price, and who has the best price on it? I live in the US.

This is for a serious knowledgeable cook.

Please help, I do not want to purchase anything less than the best, I don't own one and know nothing about what constitutes real quality.

I'm still puttering along with my chef's knife..

Your comments are WAY more than appreciated.

Thanks

[Waterzoy]

Mine is a Bron Coucke and it is superb. They are expensive in the UK but I had a look on Froogle and the US prices seem to be a lot lower. Have a look here

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=mandol...=Search+Froogle

Edited November 11, 2006 by Rachellindsay (log)

[KitchenQueen]

Mine is a Bron Coucke and it is superb. They are expensive in the UK but I had a look on Froogle and the US prices seem to be a lot lower. Have a look here

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=mandol...=Search+Froogle

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Looks nice.

I'll check out all replies.

Do some mandolines have features others don't?

Am I correct in thinking the quality of the blades is the most important feature?

[Waterzoy]

There is more information on mandolines in the thread below. Gifted Gournet in post no. 5 has included links to more threads. Hope this helps.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=85964&hl=bron

Edited November 11, 2006 by Rachellindsay (log)

[Jay Francis]

You can spend a lot of money, or not very much. I have been very pleased with my Borner brand V-Slicer. It doesn't have the infinite settings of a classic mandoline, but the V-shape of the blade works really great.

I also recommend buying one of those knife protection gloves. I like to do my slicing by hand instead of with the safety device and the knife glove keeps me from having a catastrophic accidente.

[lnr2001]

Beriner makes a japanese style that is very efficient and has a very low cost. You can also remove the blade for sharpening which is helpful for high usage. The Bron is also very good but much more pricey. Each has its own uses. Good Luck.

[KitchenQueen]

Cost isn't really important. I just want the best. This person is worth it.

And I need to know why it's the best. Features others don't have?

[Marlene]

I have This one plus I got all the various blades and attachements. The long pusher attachment is really handy for doing french fries and the rouet is great for spiral slicing. There's also an accessory pack which gives you even more blade options.

I've been really really pleased with this one.

[KitchenQueen]

Lots of good info so far. Most appreciated !

How about changing blades,etc? I assume that's easy for all?

[deltadoc]

What is the best mandoline made, what is the approximate price, and who has the best price on it?  I live in the US.

This is for a serious knowledgeable cook.

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I've got one from William Sonoma. I wish I never got it. Doesn't cut well, the blade is chewed up from very little use and has only been used with potatos.

If this is for a serious knowledgeable cook, I'd buy a nice chef's knife rather than a mandoline.

Just my opinion.

doc

[cdh]

I got a Bron mandoline on deep discount a while back and am quite happy with it. Blades (both straight and wavy) are dangerously sharp, as missing pieces of my fingernails will attest to. The adjustability is great, the construction is like a tank.

The swappable blade inserts, however, are difficult to remove once inserted... they fit snugly under the metal retaining bar, and I find I need to bust out a screwdriver or other prying device to get the bar to move out of the way when I want to remove the insert. Probably could be fixed with a little sandpaper on the blade insert's back, but I've not gotten around to doing that.

The sliding pusher thing inside the hand guard/ food holder thingy broke leaving it much less useful... the only cheap plastic involved in this device. I should get one of those knife gloves and just do away with it, rather than using the broken guard.

[alligande]

I also have a Bron Coucke, I dont use it often but I do enjoy having it when the need arises ( I would describe myself as a serious cook)It was a present which I was thrilled with.

I also recommend buying one of those knife protection gloves.  I like to do my slicing by hand instead of with the safety device and the knife glove keeps me from having a catastrophic accidente.

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This is a great idea I have sacrificed many a fingernail.

[Kayakado]

I have a deBuyer and a Matfer and prefer the Matfer. I also recomend buying a cut proof glove as an accessory for your gift.

[percyn]

They say that Japanese mandolines are the best. I have a cheap Beriner (under $50), but you can get a more expensive one.

[beccaboo]

I have a Matfer that I like, but when the reviews of the new Oxo mandoline came out I wished I'd waited annd gotten it. It's lots cheaper, and supposed to be pretty nice.

[andiesenji]

I posted this last April

I've had a Bron for many years. I have replaced the blades about 10 years ago, but it took a long time and lots of use for them to dull. If you have to slice a tub full of potatoes, carrots, etc., make a bucket of coleslaw or want to make "waffle" potato chips or matchstick vegetables, this does the job well. Get one with the holder or guard or use a blade-proof glove.

Fantes has the Bron "Du Chef" for 99.00 and the Professional for 109.00. Best price I can find and they also carry the spare parts.Fantes, one of my favorite on-lin vendors.

and the instructions. Bron instructions

I have tried just about every other type and I always go back to the Bron. I recommend the Professional.

That being said, I recently had a chance to try the new DeBuyer V-Pro and am intrigued by the way it is positioned.

However, unlike the Bron, which has the blade built in and levers to move them into place or drop them out of the cutting line, this one requires changing the blades. Maybe I am just old-fashioned and set in my ways and used to the way the Bron works.

I use it for slicing big batches of ginger for preparing candied or crystallized ginger. This root is really tough on slicers and the reason I got it so many years ago was just because I had ruined two other slicers.

Edited November 14, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[phatj]

I have a Matfer that I like, but when the reviews of the new Oxo mandoline came out I wished I'd waited annd gotten it.  It's lots cheaper, and supposed to be pretty nice.

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I bought a $20 no-name mandoline several years ago. It's mostly plastic, with inserts for slicing, french fries, and julienne. There is no thickness adjustment.

A year ago, I was given the Oxo mandoline for Christmas. It is of much more substantial construction, and includes a reversible flat/crinkle blade, and a rotating cylinder with different width julienne blades. It's adjustable for thickness.

But on the infrequent occasions when I have use for a mandoline (slicing beaucoup onions for confit, for instance), I always reach first for the cheapie. The reason? Well, its relatively simple construction makes for easier cleaning, but mostly I think it's because it cuts better. I believe this to be largely because its blade is slanted, rather than perpendicular to the "sled" (if that's the right word).

[enurmi]

I really need some advice, quickly if possible, about buying mandolines. I've pretty much narrowed it down to either the Super Benriner ($50) or the adjustable Kyocera ($30). I think it may be worth it to get the Benriner and have the julienne blade, but I'm not positive... Does anyone have experience with both brands? Thanks!

[scubadoo97]

Think about what you will be slicing the most. The Kyocera has a ceramic blade so will stay very sharp for years but you will not be able to resharpen it yourself. I have a regular Benriner mandoline with the 3 sets of julienne blades and I use it more than my stainless steel Bron. The fact that the Benriner is so easy to pull out and wash makes it my first choice for most things but for shredding cabbage or other larger items the Bron is a better choice because it's wider. The super Benriner is 1 1/2" wider than the regular and at 5" wide makes it a great choice for general use.

[Chris Amirault]

Is anyone else having problems with the OXO set to julienne? I'm finding that the julienned pieces don't get cut all the way through at the end, which is a big pita.

[snowangel]

Is anyone else having problems with the OXO set to julienne? I'm finding that the julienned pieces don't get cut all the way through at the end, which is a big pita.

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Funny that you mention this, as a friend got so pissed off about it that she pitched the thing. She got a Benriner and has been much, much happier with it.

I'm about to get a Benriner, I think. I have one of the cheapo plastic ones, and I hate it.

[enurmi]

Well, I bought the Benriner! I love it, but I still have to get used to the julienne settings, definitely-- I don't quite have them figured out yet.