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When it’s on the zero setting, the blade is level with the cutting surface making it hard to accidentally cut yourself. There are a few other safety features, too. Because the guard is so easy to grasp, you’re likely to use it, protecting your hands from the risk of injury. It fits comfortably in the hand, making it easy to push food forward over the blade. The KitchenAid includes a large handguard with prongs that grasp food securely. To cut strips or fries you need to change the blade, which is done easily without risking a cut finger. There are also settings for waffle slices as well for thin julienne strips and French fries. To adjust the slice thickness, there’s a large knob with five settings, clearly marked in fractions of an inch from 1/16 to 5/16. The stainless-steel blade and runway are housed in a black plastic casing that has a large handle and a leg that unfolds, stabilizing the mandoline while you’re working. As we worked, food virtually glided over the wide and smooth stainless-steel cutting surface. It cut everything from ripe beefsteak tomatoes to plump eggplants to pickle-sized cucumbers into uniform thin, medium, and thick slices, leaving little waste behind. In our tests, the sturdy KitchenAid Mandoline Slicer really had no competition for either great results or ease of use. If you’re looking for an inexpensive tool that you can stash in a drawer, our top choice is the handheld Progressive by Prepworks Adjust-a-Slice Mandoline ( available at Amazon). However, it’s large and somewhat pricey for a kitchen gadget. To find the top mandoline, we sliced, julienned, and waffled bushels of vegetables and can say with confidence that the KitchenAid Mandoline Slicer
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However, these devices can just as quickly and easily nick your fingers, so it’s important for a good mandoline to come with safety features that help protect you while assembling, slicing, and cleaning. It’s important to pay attention while using a mandoline, and if you forgo the handguard for any reason, wear cut-resistant gloves.Need to create uniform vegetable slices for your favorite salad or ratatouille? A mandoline can quickly and easily cut almost anything you throw at it, including potatoes to make a mound of ultrathin chips or tomatoes to create thick slabs to pair with mozzarella for a Caprese salad. They come with handguards that hold the food and protect your fingers, but with some, it can still be easy to slip and cut yourself. Some models let you adjust the height of the platform to control the slice thickness.Ī mandoline can be dangerous because the blade is quite large and very sharp. The slice will slip under the mandoline platform while the unsliced piece stays on top. To use a mandoline, slide a piece of produce down the mandoline’s platform and across the stationary blade. The type you get is more a matter of preference than an indication of quality-and depends on the storage space you’ve got.
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Some have a kickstand that props up the mandoline on a counter or cutting board while others are handheld like paddles.
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Basic models only slice, while fancier ones also have attachments that julienne, dice, and waffle-cut. Mandolines are sharp blades attached to a platform that thinly slices food.
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