Hey there, foodies! We know you love those perfectly sliced vegetables in your salads, or the thinly cut potatoes for your homemade chips. But, isn’t it tiring and time-consuming to achieve the perfect cut with a traditional knife? Well, here’s the solution – a mandoline slicer! It’s one of those kitchen tools that once you have, you won’t know how you lived without.
What is a Mandoline Slicer?
Ever found yourself scratching your head and asking, “What on earth is a mandoline slicer?” Well, let’s unravel this culinary mystery together. Picture a tool, sleek yet robust, designed to master the art of slicing and dicing with unparalleled precision. That’s your mandoline slicer. With its razor-sharp blade, it can seamlessly slice through vegetables, fruits, cheese, and even meat, producing flawless, uniform cuts. Need to create elegant julienne strips or crave some wavy crinkle cuts for your fries? No worries! With the right attachments, a mandoline slicer can do it all. A real game-changer, wouldn’t you say?
Why a Mandoline Slicer is an Essential Kitchen Tool
Think of a mandoline slicer as the unsung hero of the culinary world. It makes food preparation quicker and more efficient, not to mention the aesthetically pleasing uniform cuts that can level up your presentation game. Can you imagine creating a ratatouille or a potato gratin without one? We certainly can’t!
How to Choose the Best Mandoline Slicer
Before you rush to buy, hold on a second! There are a few key things you need to look for in a mandoline slicer.
Blade Material
Firstly, consider the blade material. Stainless steel is the most durable and sharp, but ceramic blades can also be a great option.
Adjustability
Secondly, adjustability matters. Your slicer should offer different thickness options to cater to your various cooking needs.
Safety Features
Lastly, don’t forget about safety. Look for a slicer with safety guards to protect your fingers.
Our Top 5 Picks for the Best Mandoline Slicers
5. Benriner Jumbo Hand-Held 13 x 6.5 Mandoline
Renowned as the preferred mandoline slicer in many professional kitchens, Benriner’s Japanese-engineered design is elegantly simple yet remarkably sturdy. It’s an indispensable tool for those who frequently slice larger vegetables, such as hefty russet potatoes for chips or whole cabbages for a coleslaw dish.
Featuring a generously sized 6.5-inch cutting surface, this mandoline boasts a broad stainless steel blade that effortlessly glides through any vegetable. Its adjustable knob located beneath the unit enables you to alter slicing thicknesses, although it lacks specific measurement markings on the dial. Despite its prowess with larger produce, like cabbage and daikon, it’s also adept at handling smaller vegetables, including tiny radishes and potatoes (just remember to use the provided hand guard for safety). The expansive design allows unrestricted cutting, and the hand guard doesn’t constrain usage. It delivers uniform, smooth cuts without hitching, a testament to the blade’s superior sharpness.
One minor limitation of this Benriner model is its lack of additional blade options. However, if your primary need is for consistent straight cuts, it’s more than up to the task. While it’s safe for the top-rack of the dishwasher, manual washing is recommended to maintain the blade’s sharpness over time. Furthermore, you can buy replacement blades separately, ensuring the longevity of your mandoline slicer.
4. KitchenAid KN310BXOBA KitchenAid Mandoline Slicer
Who doesn’t appreciate a kitchen gadget that neatly compacts for storage? The KitchenAid Mandoline Slicer stands out for just that – a brilliantly crafted design where the legs fold inward, the principal blade is kept hidden, and extra accessories – an additional blade and a large pusher – snuggle in safely underneath.
This KitchenAid marvel is capable of producing both straight and julienne cuts at five different thickness levels: 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, and 5/16 inches. We found ourselves charmed by the adjustable thickness settings, enabling us to create perfect cuts for a Provencal tian, then effortlessly switch to thinner slices for homemade potato chips. Its razor-sharp blades sliced through bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes like butter, and dealt with oversized potatoes, radishes, and onions with equal ease. The handguard proved its merit by securing food firmly and operating simply, leaving minimal waste behind.
Built for durability and style, the slicing table and blades are made from cutlery-grade stainless steel. While the julienne storage case and blade cover warrant a manual wash, the rest of the components can be safely placed on the top rack of the dishwasher, making cleaning a breeze.
3. fullstar Deluxe Mandoline Slicer, Grater, Shredder with Safety Guard
Are you ready to take your vegetarian recipes to new heights? Look no further than the Multi-Functional Mandoline Slicer, your ultimate kitchen companion. This remarkable tool goes beyond simple slicing; it chops, grates, spiralizes, and even provides storage for your prepped ingredients. Whether you’re a passionate veggie enthusiast or simply love exploring new flavors in the kitchen, this model is a true game-changer.
With its five interchangeable blades and an adjustable cutting thickness dial, this slicer ensures precise and perfectly sized cuts every time. The standalone spiralizer effortlessly transforms your produce into julienne strips or ribbon slices, while the dicer blades offer two different sizing options. Let’s not forget the mandoline itself, capable of producing both julienne and straight cuts, as well as grating.
During our rigorous testing, we pushed the slicing blade to its limits, slicing through a variety of vegetables, and were consistently impressed by its speed and accuracy. The hand guard proved its worth, especially for medium-sized and smaller veggies. However, we acknowledge that it may feel a bit cumbersome for larger, bulkier items. Fortunately, this set includes a cut-resistant glove as an alternative option. The hand guard particularly shines when working with smaller vegetables like radishes and small potatoes. It’s worth noting that it does leave a small, approximately 1/4-inch, portion of the produce unused.
To ensure stability during the slicing process, the mandoline and dicers securely fit on top of a catch tray within a nonslip base. The catch tray itself is removable and serves as a convenient storage container for your prepped ingredients, keeping them fresh until you’re ready to use them. When you’ve completed your slicing and dicing adventures, cleaning is a breeze as all parts are top-rack dishwasher safe.
Unleash your culinary creativity with the Multi-Functional Mandoline Slicer – an indispensable kitchen essential for vegetarian food enthusiasts and adventurous cooks alike. Prepare to elevate your dishes to new heights of flavor and presentation.
2. OXO Good Grips Chef’s Mandoline Slicer 2.0
Imagine a compact, hand-held device that effortlessly adjusts to three distinct thickness levels to cater to your fruit and vegetable slicing needs. This is the essence of the OXO mandoline slicer. Its unique selling point? A non-slip handle complemented by a similarly designed ‘foot,’ ensuring your slicing activities remain stable and safe, with zero slippage on your countertop.
One design aspect you’ll undoubtedly appreciate is the clear section of the mandoline, which allows you to observe the slices as they fall away and keep track of your progress. It’s all about convenience with this model – it’s even dishwasher friendly! It also includes a handguard for that extra bit of safety. Do keep in mind, however, that this model is designed for simplicity and doesn’t include options for julienne, wavy, or French fry cuts.
Now, let’s get into the actual slicing experience. We found that this little tool showed exceptional prowess when dealing with harder produce, but occasionally stuttered with softer items. It made quick work of potatoes, delivering impressively thin slices, and we managed to slice an entire cucumber in roughly half a minute. With tomatoes, the results were a tad inconsistent, but the slices were still fairly neat.
Despite its compact size, the OXO mandoline provided a secure and comfortable grip. All in all, the three slicing thickness levels managed to handle most tasks with relative ease. Another feature we admired was the non-slip ‘feet,’ which made it incredibly simple to slice directly over a bowl or cutting board.
1. Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Hand-Held Mandoline
When it comes to compact mandolines, the Swissmar model is a standout choice. It offers a range of blades that effortlessly create julienne, straight, and French fry cuts. What sets this model apart is its V-style blade, which excels at cutting softer foods like tomatoes, while still delivering exceptional results with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
One of the key features of this design is its simplicity. The mandoline is thoughtfully designed with grooves that securely fit over a bowl, eliminating the need to transfer your freshly cut produce to a separate container. Slicing through peppers and tomatoes is a breeze, while larger potatoes may require a bit more pressure. It’s worth noting that this mandoline offers two thickness settings for straight cuts (3.5 and 7 millimeters), so it may not be suitable for creating ultra-thin chips or translucent radish slices. However, it shines when slicing cucumbers, carrots, and other ingredients for delectable potato gratin recipes or as delightful salad toppings.
Cleaning this mandoline is a breeze; simply wash it by hand. The blades are easy to remove and replace, and all the components fit neatly together in a compact holder, ensuring hassle-free storage.
In summary, the Swissmar Compact Mandoline Slicer effortlessly combines simplicity, versatility, and compactness, making it an exceptional choice for those seeking a reliable slicing tool in the kitchen. Prepare to experience effortless slicing and elevate the precision of your culinary creations to new heights.
Conclusion
Choosing a mandoline slicer can make a world of difference in your cooking. It’s an essential tool that, once you’ve used, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without! Our top picks combine durability, versatility, and safety to provide you with the best options available.
FAQs
- Q: Is a mandoline slicer worth it? A: Absolutely! A mandoline slicer…
- Q: Is it easy to clean a mandoline slicer? A: Yes, most mandoline slicers…
- Q: Are mandoline slicers safe? A: While the blades are sharp…
- Q: How to maintain a mandoline slicer? A: Maintenance is fairly simple…
- Q: Can I slice all kinds of vegetables with a mandoline slicer? A: Yes, a mandoline slicer is versatile…