# Do you like your mandolin?



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

If you like your mandolin, rave about it here. I think I need to buy a new one.

I hate mine. It is a Cuisineart. When I bought it, I liked the fact that it was stainless steel and appeared to be heavy duty. But it cuts like crap. It's difficult to slice anything that is more than an inch or so thick, and it never cuts the last quarter inch. I was trying to slice lemons today, and ended up with shredded lemon instead of paper thin slices. I've come to realize that I postpone making anything that requires the use of my mandolin - because I find it a pain to use.


----------



## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

I want to see what everyone thinks too, because I have been wanting to buy one.


----------



## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

I bought a cheap plastic model several years ago and didn't particularly like it. Then I started dehydrating such things as zucchini and potatoes and started messing with it more. Now I find it invaluable. I'm not keen on it for tomatoes but then it doesn't have a blade to accommodate cutting such things as Princepe Bourghese tomatoes in half. Does thin slices very well. I just need to remember to keep my knuckles out of the way.


----------



## tinknocker66 (Jul 15, 2009)

mine has a stupid safety feature that makes it a pain to use.Really it only takes a mistake once to learn your lesson dosen't it?


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I use a V slicer - works well for me. I use it a lot


----------



## shellmar (Apr 4, 2008)

I don't know how helpful this is but....I have a Jaccard, safe hands professional model mandolin. I like it, but the only thing I use it for is slicing potatoes when I make potato chips. 
I don't use it very often, but when I do, it does a good job.


----------



## ann in tn (Nov 25, 2007)

We had a cuisenart that really disappointed me. It broke after just a couple of uses and did not work as well as I thought it should.


----------



## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

This is the one I use and I am exceptionally happy with it. Almost infinite adjustment of thickness is possible with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Pinzon-Stainless-Steel-Mandoline/dp/B000SZSJF0/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1CPPNOTKD9E9H&colid=1OGN0WEAG5P9E


----------



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I found a brand new V blade slicer with all the attachments at the thrift store for $3. I have to say though that I'd consider dropping a wad for a really good one if it was ultra reliable and had a good sharp blade. But for what I paid, this is fine. It's really nice to have when dehydrating. 

I also have an old Feemster slicer. It's really simple and inexpensive but it has a good carbon steel blade. I wish they made a larger version for kraut.


----------



## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I have a Cuisenart elect food processer that I have slicing blades for. Several different thickness. That's what I use. I do have an mandolin I have put back for when the SHTF. and I don't have elect.


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I like mine. It's a Zyliss Gourmet Mandoline. 

http://www.zyliss.com/our-products/ProductDetails.aspx?Id=239&CategoryId=2


----------



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I have one I bought at a church yard sale for 50 cents and I love it! looks like it was one of those tv commercial specials for making onion flowers or something? I love the price, I love the protection features, I love the paper thin cucumber slices. Came with 7 different blades/thicknesses/cut styles. 

Every church yard sale this church has must have at least 2-3 mandolines for sale. They seem to scare away most people.


----------



## Astrid (Nov 13, 2010)

I bought a really nice one made of stainless steel on ebay a couple years ago for 9.99. It it amazingly sharp and does pretty much everything. I just have to remember to not use it without the little tool or my fingers will get sliced off its so sharp.


----------



## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

i just have a cheap one and it only slices on thickness but i love it.


----------



## jd2pa (Jan 23, 2011)

I just ordered one last night http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/...ams.tpl.csweb.cm_scid.cswb.cc.172.item.K20971 so I'll have to let you know some time after next week.

I've bee researching them too & many comments left say that the expensive ones are no better, if not worse, than the less expensive.

This was one I was considering for some time & saw it go at the feature price & decided to buy. S&T included it only cost me $33.66. If it is lousy, I didn't waste too much!

But I want to get started with dehydrating too (as someone else mentioned). I bought my excalibor & the only thing I've done (with success) is fruit leathers & habanero peppers to grind for the BF.... while still throwing out food because we don't eat it fast enough!!!

Looking forward to getting it.


----------



## maricybele (Sep 13, 2008)

They make beautiful slices, however not efficient for large batches in my opinion.


----------



## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

All this time, I thought a mandolin was a musical instrument!

I use the slicer that fits my Kitchen-Aide mixer.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

tallpines said:


> All this time, I thought a mandolin was a musical instrument!
> 
> I use the slicer that fits my Kitchen-Aide mixer.


I have two, one I made, and an expensive handmade one from Virginia. It sounds great and plays really easy. 

DW uses the slicer on her Bosch mixer, she doesn't play mandolin at all.


----------



## ChickadeeL (Dec 10, 2008)

I have a cheaper one that I just love. It has the pronged safety thing that you stick onto your potato or whatever so you don't run your hand through. A cut from one of these babies HURTS.

We find ours indispensable for the specific things we use it for.


----------



## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

PixieLou said:


> If you like your mandolin, rave about it here. I think I need to buy a new one.
> 
> I hate mine. It is a Cuisineart. When I bought it, I liked the fact that it was stainless steel and appeared to be heavy duty. But it cuts like crap.* It's difficult to slice anything that is more than an inch or so thick, *and it never cuts the last quarter inch. I was trying to slice lemons today, and ended up with shredded lemon instead of paper thin slices. I've come to realize that I postpone making anything that requires the use of my mandolin - because I find it a pain to use.


WHY would you need a mandolin to slice something more than an inch or so? Lemons? Is this a joke? :hysterical:


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I meant that the actual thing that is being sliced has to be under an inch thick. So when I was doing my lemons the other day, after I cut both bumpy ends off the lemons, I then had to cut all the lemons in half again. The mandolin can't handle the whole height of the lemon - it hits the blade, and the lemon starts rolling over instead of slicing. So you cut your lemons in half, you waste the last 1/4" for safety, so you end up wasting 1/2" of each lemon.


----------



## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

Oh I see, sorry if I came off as being flippant! Is it because of the food holder?
I have MIU mandoline and love it! I,however, do not use the food holder, they are much too cumbersome,but I am very careful when I use it! I never tried to cut lemons on my mando, i can imagine that they would be difficult because of the rind. I personally would like to find one sharp enough to do tomatoes, i love paper thin tomato slices on burgers and sandwiches!

Kris


----------



## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I have a Borner V-Slicer Plus and have been very happy with it. That baby is S-H-A-R-P!


----------



## aftermidnite (Dec 8, 2005)

I bought one a three or four years ago when I was the cook at the American Legion at Target and I LOVE it ..I took the safety guard off but do use the hand guard to "push" the food ..cost was $39 I think and it is still worth the price and still going strong ..I use it on average of once or twice a month for something ...It has 4 other blade inserts and has a dial for thickness of slices ...


----------



## paintlady (May 10, 2007)

I have a plastic Norpro one that is two years old. The blade is dull and the company says there are no replacements so I will be looking to get a different one this year. Any of them made in the USA?


----------



## jamala (May 4, 2007)

I have a wolfgang puck and I love love love it! Stainless adjustable and makes different cuts for shoestring fries/carrots etc.


----------



## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

I have this one, a Borner V slicer, for $29.99:

http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Born...32QE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299205841&sr=8-1

Love it so far! Only two thicknesses though, but that works for me. Also has two julienne inserts. Incredibly sharp blades, relatively easy cleanup, LOVE the way it stores.


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I liked mine until I took off the end of my finger with it. Now I just use my knife.


----------



## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> I liked mine until I took off the end of my finger with it. Now I just use my knife.


Yeeeeeeeouch!

I came close to doing just that right after I got mine, but lost only a small "slice"...enough to scar, though!


----------



## backtotheland (Aug 25, 2005)

I bought some kind of slicer from Lehman's years ago and, like Sonshine and hippygirl had an incident with it, and I don't think I've used it more than two or three times since. I keep looking at them though because I want to get back into dehydrating.


----------



## Dixielee (Dec 5, 2003)

WildernesFamily said:


> I have this one, a Borner V slicer, for $29.99:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Born...32QE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299205841&sr=8-1
> 
> Love it so far! Only two thicknesses though, but that works for me. Also has two julienne inserts. Incredibly sharp blades, relatively easy cleanup, LOVE the way it stores.


I just ordered this from Amazon, thanks for the link. The reviews were good and got free shipping. I have a dehydrator and wanted something like this, but wasn't sure where to look. Great thread. I love to stir fry, so I think I will be using this a good bit.


----------



## rightathome (Feb 10, 2009)

I have a KitchenAid mandolin and I like it quite a bit, now that I have taken off the safety guard arm that sat over the blade & was supposed to swing out of the way as you pushed the food down... didn't swing so well & completely interrupted any speed you could build up. Since I took that annoying piece of plastic off, I can make short work of ten pounds of potatoes for dehydrating. The mandolin itself is plastic but very sturdy and comes with julienne blades which I have not tried using yet.

With my carpal tunnel problem, there's no way I could cut food by hand in the quantities I can do with the mandolin so for me it's an indispensable tool.


----------

