This might seem trivial at first glance, but the nature of the mandoline means it’s extremely prone to having small bits of food lodged into it at various points. What to look for in a mandoline slicer Taking it apart Trust us when we say that you don’t want to deal with the recovery from a mandoline injury. Even with this careful technique, though, a cutting glove is still highly recommended, because a properly sharp mandoline slicer can also make short work of your palm if you’re not being careful enough. This greatly minimizes the risk of removing a fingertip by accident. It’s also highly recommended to brace and push the food across the mandoline slicer’s body using the palm of your hand while your fingers stretch out as far as possible, instead of holding and pushing the food with your fingers. Always exercise caution and make sure you’re focused on any task that involves a blade - not just when using a mandoline. However, most users claim that these plastic guides make it significantly harder, if not impossible, to obtain the thinnest and most consistent cuts.Īnother popular way to avoid injury when using a mandoline is with a fiberglass cutting glove.Īside from using the right personal protective equipment, careful attention and practiced technique are of prime importance if you want to use a mandoline slicer quickly and safely. The extra layer of hard material does a great job at protecting your hands from cuts. One way that most mandolines are designed to mitigate this risk is with a small guide made of plastic that slides onto the tool’s body, holds the produce in place and is then held by the cook.
The blade is extremely sharp out of necessity, as a dull or damaged blade makes a mandoline immensely tough to use. Mandolines are operated by holding a piece of produce flush against the body of the tool and repeatedly bringing your hand into close proximity with an incredibly sharp blade. In practice, though, the method of using a mandoline properly can introduce hazards to your fingers and palm. A mandoline doesn’t look intimidating by any means, as it’s little more than a few pieces of plastic and a thin, sharp blade. Without a doubt, the most important thing to remember when selecting a mandoline slicer is that it might be the most dangerous item in your home kitchen. What to know before buying a mandoline slicer Hazard
The Benriner Super Slicer is consistently rated as the top mandoline slicer on the market, which is not surprising when you consider that it’s basically the industry-standard mandoline for professional kitchens. For these and various other tasks, a mandoline slicer can really come in handy. Making large amounts of paper-thin slices or an ultra-tiny brunoise cut, for example, can be awfully hard for anybody without a ton of practice. While a good chef’s knife is the backbone of a cook’s toolset and one of the most versatile tools in any kitchen, there are some tasks that a simple knife can’t quite accomplish. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.