Holy Cow! Another gadget. As I "take stock" of my kitchen on my quest to cook and invite friends and family to dine at our house, I want to review if I really need all the gadgets I have.
Here I have the mandoline, which sounds like a musical instrument. I guess it makes a different kind of music: It makes food sing. Hah ha. Anyway, here's my idea about the value of a mandoline.
First, a mandoline is a cooking utensil used for slicing and for cutting julienne which refers to cutting (something, such as a carrot) into thin strips or matchlike pieces. The manoline not only cuts food small and thin, but also helps slice food in same-size cuts for even cooking.
This kitchen tool consists of two parallel working surfaces, moveable and non-moveable part. A food item is slid along the bottom surface until it reaches the blade which is part of the non-moveable bottom surface, slicing it and letting it fall below the slicer.
This stainless steel kitchen tool has been used by professional cooks for years, and popularized among non-professional cooks and home kitchen cooks in the less costly plastic version usually without many of the attachments found on professional models. Price varies from about $20 to $100 up. You get what you pay for. Just like any kitchen knife, buy the best or close to it. That's my recommendation.
I bought one in the mid price range. I wanted to be able to slice carrots and potatoes evenly and thinly. Yes, my mandoline works perfectly. I love it.
The down side is that the blades are very sharp. I mean very sharp. So you need to be careful and use the guard. I also bought cut-proof kitchen gloves because I am a beginning cook and I didn't want to slice my fingers. The gloves add a level of safety that gives me the confidence I need to slice away without fear of blooding up my food. Well, sorry for that visual.
The mandoline that I purchased cleans well and quickly. I like that, but again, I am careful to watch out for those sharp blades when washing up.
Finally, I come to my real issue and that is use. I just had to have it. The mandoline, I mean. But I failed to consider just how often I really needed to thinly slice or julienne food. Come to find out, that has not been very often. Since I got my mandoline, I think I have used it less than a handful of times (most of these times were when I first received it).
So my mandoline sits in the back of my kitchen utensil cupboard collecting dust for the most part.
I will say, that when I do need it, it is a savior in the cutting slicing department. I get the cuts done in quick time and the food I slice is perfect.
Is the mandoline worth the price I paid? For me and my purposes, yes. For sure. But was the money worth investing in a kitchen utensil that I use so seldom. You have to decide for yourself. I will add my two cents on value and suggest that if you do purchase a mandoline for your kitchen, be sure you get a good one. There's no doubt in my mind that price matters for this kitchen tool, because price is generally a good indicator of quality.
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