A lot of recipes I've seen recently call for items to be sliced with a
mandolin. Is it worth getting one? If so, what brand? What can a mandolin
do that a food processor doesn't do? I already have various slicing and
grating attachments for our Kenwood mixer.

In article <13dfqftt6jqsgb3@corp.supernews.com>,
"Viviane" westnet.com.au> wrote:

I picked up one at a garage sale this summer for $2. They are handheld
slicers (some, like mine, also have grater blades that can be slipped
into place). They are flat, with a track that the food being sliced
sits in. Then, using a handheld piece set atop of the food, you slide
your hand back and forth to move the food down the track to slice the
food at a even thickness.

These are very nice for people who have not developed the touch to slice
like this with a sharp knife (so I doubt we will ever see Emiril or any
of the Iron Chefs use one of these). I almost never use the slice
insert on mine, but I use the various grater inserts frequently, as I
like it better than my box grater.

On 2007-08-31, Viviane westnet.com.au> wrote:

I have a "V-Slicer", which is a rather inexpensive ($35) mandoline
with a plastic body. I use it for making very thin, uniform slices of
things like tomatoes and onions. My knife skills are good, but...

jt august wrote:

I've never seen one as a necessity assuming good knife
skills. But for certain things they do make life easier.
Potato chips/gaufrette, gratin's, really anything that you
want sliced either/or very thin and consistant thickness.

"jt august" wrote in message
news:starsabre-C84FAC.09362331082007@inetnews.worldnet.att.net...

Actually, Emeril used one night before last to make potato chips. Couldn't
find the part that rests on top of the food to guide it through the blade
and used it anyway. Nicked himself, too. :-)

I had a cheapie plastic model for years that worked reasonably well. My
knife skills are OK but I could never achieve the accuracy a mandolin
provides.

In article <5jr26dFuhl4U1@mid.individual.net>,
"Zeppo" hotmail.com> wrote:

jt august wrote:

As I said earlier, it's not a matter of need, it's a matter
of convenience and uniformity.

jt august wrote:

Similarly, I *know* I've seen at least two of the "Iron Chef America"
Iron Chefs, and one of the Sous Chefs, use mandolines.

Donald

In article <13dfqftt6jqsgb3@corp.supernews.com>,
viviane.king@westnet.com.au says...

I've used a couple of very expensive models of mandolines and owned a
couple of lesser-reputed ones, and imho none of them have ever been
useful enough to justify the effort needed to use and clean them or the
space needed to store them.

If you frequently need to do quantities of *uniformly perfect* thinly-
sliced, waffle-cut veggies, fingertips or other stuff, there may not be
an alternative. No slicing/dicing attachment for any mixer, blender or
food processor that I've ever used could duplicate the results that
*can* be produced by a careful, experienced mandoline user using a
capable model. Do you want to devote the time and effort to develop
that expertise?

yetanotherBob wrote:

I give up