Bron mandolin - demo/lesson needed

[Karen Anderson]

I just purchased a Bron mandoline at a yard sale. I've googled, downloaded, and read the instructions and decided that this is not a device to be trifled with. I'm a visual learner, and would like to get a demo of the Bron from someone experience in using it (it's considered to be quite a bit more challenging that other mandolines). Please get in touch with me at mysterioustraveler at gmail.com if you are in the Seattle area and could provide a short lesson at a reasonable price -- your kitchen or mine (I'm in Ballard).

[Really Nice!]

I don't have a Bron but I do have three mandolines. They all function on the same principle. I took a look at several models on Amazon and it appears to have similar functionality. What problems are you having? Why is it more challenging?

[winesonoma]

Instructions. http://fantes.com/bron_mandoline.htm Make sure you buy a glove. Just play with it a little. It's really easy to use but really sharp. Never get your fingers near the blades when using.

Edited June 19, 2005 by winesonoma (log)

[Eden]

My Matfer came with an instructional video. If Bron makes a video as well I'm sure you can contact the company & they'll send you a copy.

I just looked & can't find mine or I'd lend it to you since I'm sure they're pretty simillar - sorry.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Instructions.  http://fantes.com/bron_mandoline.htm 

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Thanks for the website link, Bruce! Perhaps if I had seen these instructions, I would have had far less trepidation about using mine after the disastrous inital foray into slicing ...

[Really Nice!]

Never get your fingers near the blades when using.

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You would think this is a no-brainer but a guy at work a couple of days ago sliced off half of his fingernail using a mandolin. It was pretty gross.

[Gifted Gourmet]

sliced off half of his fingernail using a mandolin.

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I had a "mandolin manicure" as well on my first encounter with the machine ... better the nail than a finger ... nails regenerate at least ..

[winesonoma]

Worth repeating, Get a glove, I bought mine when I bought the Mandoline.

[Really Nice!]

A trick we use is when the guard isn't around is to fold a paper towel twice and use that against the item you're slicing. It'll snag on the slicer without damage to your finger. It also helps keep a firm grip on the item being sliced.

[Karen Anderson]

A trick we use is when the guard isn't around is to fold a paper towel twice and use that against the item you're slicing. It'll snag on the slicer without damage to your finger. It also helps keep a firm grip on the item being sliced.

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EEEEK! This discussion convinced me that I really <b>did</b> need to see someone else use one of these before I tried it.

Has anyone joined this french cooking site? I noticed they have a video on using a mandoline.

http://www.cuisine-french.com/cgi/mdc/l/en...urs/200501.html

[C_Ruark]

Karen,

No need to worry 'bout using a mand. You bought the mand with a visual of some final products. Go right ahead and try to produce what you imagine; don't sweat this, it's easy.

Hopefully you have a handguard, if not, a replacement can be bought on the internet. I replaced my worn out one for about $40+shipping.

As Bruce points out; safety first. Have a cut-proof glove on your slicing hand.

Start easy: use the mand to help prep mirepoix. You don't have to go and dice stuff right away, but you can get half of the cutwork done. And... you can store the results for late use in soups, strocks, etc. Just slice and julienne carrots, a few onions (the blade won't tear the cell structure, it will cut it neatly so you shouldn't tear up), celery, seeded tomatoes, peppers, whatever.

Stay away from starchy (potatoes), and thick-skinned (citrus fruits) items at first... move onto these as you gain experience.

Note about potatoes and other starches: Have a papertowel handy when you're cutting. Dab the excess liquid off the potato every so often so that you keep the starch levels down on the channel and at the blades. Have a wet sponge and a pastry-brush nearby to clean the metal from time to time for the same reason.

The set-up:

The mand is pointed so that the blades are facing you and parallel to your shoulder line. The non-cutting hand holds the top handle (underhanded). Look at the cutting guard. Notice that it has a hinged plate. Make sure the cutting item isn't too big to work with.

The technique:

1. Place the item to be sliced in guard (shortest side to the front when possible) and onto the channel, press firmly but just light enough for the slicable item to travel the length of the channel without adding friction. Grip the guard in a way has absolute control of the guard, palm at the back.

2. Guide the guard onto the runners. You can now start cutting.

3. Push *to* the blade. Not into, not onto, not up to... *to*. Straight at the blade. Let the guard glide through the stroke.

4. Try to maintain the pressure you start with all the way through the cut. If guard starts to jerk and "stutter", something is wrong. Stop and figure what happened.

5. Retract and repeat.

5. Monitor the cutting blades to make sure they don't get gunked up.

Don't try to cut all of the item. As soon as you have to press down onto the guard to get the item to cut, stop. There will be leftovers which you'll have to slice by hand.

Have a wooden pencil or skewer handy to help free jams.

When you're done cutting, pay special attention to the blades during cleanup. You might need a pastry-brush (or tooth-brush) to help clean the cutters. Don't store the mand with wet or dirty blades (common sense yes, but worth mentioning).

The technique is quite simple to get after a few tries. Go and have fun!!!

Hope that helps,

Chris

Edited July 1, 2005 by C_Ruark (log)

[Karen Anderson]

Karen,

No need to worry 'bout using a mand. You bought the mand with a visual of some final products. Go right ahead and try to produce what you imagine; don't sweat this, it's easy.

<snip>

The technique is quite simple to get after a few tries. Go and have fun!!! 

Hope that helps,

Chris

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Chris,

I very much appreciate your detailed instructions. My mandoline did, indeed, come with a guard.

Last night I joined www.cuisine-french.com and watched their mandoline video, which demo-ed mandoline use with the guard and without. (It's a lovely site, BTW.)

Today I tried the mandoline with its various blades, and I think I'm getting the idea. This mandoline has different of blades to be shifted in and out of position, so there were many decisions to make and lots of wondering what interacts with what. I learned how to clean and dry the mandoline.

Do the blades ever need to be sharpened? Replaced?

Karen