Mandoline

What it does that a knife cannot

Consistency. A mandoline slices to a set thickness every time, which matters more than it sounds: a gratin made of evenly sliced potato cooks evenly, and one made of hand-cut slices has some pieces still firm while others have dissolved.

It also goes much thinner than most people can cut by hand — translucent fennel, paper-thin radish, crisps — and it does a kilo of potatoes in a couple of minutes.

If you make gratins, crisps, slaws or anything layered, it is a genuine improvement. If you do not, a sharp knife covers everything and you can skip this one entirely.

Using one safely

This is not routine caution. Mandoline injuries are common, severe and entirely preventable.

• Always use the guard. Every mandoline comes with one and most injuries happen when it is not used because the last piece was awkward.
• Buy a cut-resistant glove and wear it. They cost very little and they work. This is the single best thing you can do.
• Stop early. The last centimetre of any vegetable is where the accident happens. Put the end in the stock pot rather than slicing it.
• Set it on a stable surface with the feet locked, or hold it firmly at an angle over a bowl.
• Never adjust the thickness while your hand is near the blade.
• Store it with the blade guarded, and never leave it in a sink of washing-up water where a hand will find it.
• Do not use it when tired, rushed or distracted. This is when it happens.

Types

Japanese flat-bench

Simple, inexpensive, very sharp, usually with a few interchangeable blades. The best value and what most professionals use.

V-blade

Cuts with less force and handles soft items better.

Adjustable French mandoline

Sturdy, with a stand and multiple cuts including julienne and waffle. Expensive and heavy.

Handheld slicers

Cheap, limited, and often the most dangerous because they feel casual.

What matters

A very sharp blade, a stable base, a guard you will actually use, and a thickness adjustment that stays where you set it.

What it is good for

• Gratins and dauphinoise — the classic use, and the one where evenness genuinely changes the dish.
• Crisps and vegetable chips.
• Fennel, radish and celeriac for salads, sliced translucently thin.
• Cucumber and courgette ribbons.
• Onions for a large batch, or for pickling.
• Not for: anything soft or ripe, which tears; anything you want in dice; small quantities, where a knife is quicker than washing the machine.

Cleaning it without cutting yourself

More mandoline injuries happen at the sink than at the board, because the blade is invisible under running water and foam.

1. Clean it immediately, before anything dries on, and before you are tired.
2. Never put a hand into a sink containing a mandoline. Fill the sink after it is out, or do not fill it at all.
3. Rinse it under running water holding it by the frame, with the blade facing away from you.
4. Use a brush, never a cloth or a sponge, which catch on the blade and put your fingers close to it.
5. Dry it immediately, again with the blade away from you, or leave it to air-dry on a rack.
6. Store it with the blade guarded or the unit folded, and never loose in a drawer.
7. Replace the blade rather than sharpening it. A blunt mandoline is more dangerous than a sharp one, because it needs force.

Common questions