What kitchen mandolin to buy?

The kitchen mandolin can be a very practical kitchen utensil, but if you are thinking of buying a mandolin it is important to choose the right one for you. Compact or professional mandolin? French or Japanese style? What are the differences between mandolins and which one interests you the most? Or let's go to the basics: What can you do with a kitchen mandolin? You are going to discover everything about kitchen mandolins!

In this post you will see:

1. What is a kitchen mandolin?

A kitchen mandolin is a rectangular utensil, similar to a board, that helps to cut food quickly and evenly, thanks to the blade on its surface. To put it in some way, it is the fusion of two tools (the cutting board and the knife), into one. In this way it is possible not only to save time and precision when cutting without being an expert cook, but also to cook everything cut at the same time, obtaining better results. A clear example that unity is strength.

Thus, if we stayed with this basic definition and with the "traditional" use that has been given to it, we would find a tool to cut potatoes and other vegetables into slices or sheets. A simple fruit and vegetable slicer. But as you will see throughout this post, the kitchen mandolin is much more than that.

2. The kitchen mandolin: much more than a potato cutter

Beyond the enormous comfort that it supposes when cutting the potatoes into squares for the omelette or in a bakery to accompany the meat in the oven, the mandolin is a very helpful utensil in the kitchen. Despite the fact that some of them may seem more complicated to handle, the time you spend learning and familiarizing yourself with it will be worth it, since it will allow you to use it safely and get the most out of it.

Surely you agree with me that a good cut of the ingredients improves the presentation of any dish, be it salads, desserts or garnishes. In addition, the kitchen mandolin is a fabulous aid to prepare the ingredients of elaborate recipes. It makes it fast, it makes it safe, it makes it practical, and it makes it beautiful.

A common query is which kitchen mandolin to buy. The differences between models, the types of blades or what accessories to use are questions that I will talk about in the following lines. If you are reading this post because you are looking for information or advice to help you choose YOUR kitchen mandolin, or you want to make more use of the one you have, join me in this guide in which I will tell you everything about THE KITCHEN MANDOLINE.

De Buyer Kobra Mandolin and De Buyer Viper Mandolin

3. What is a kitchen mandolin used for?

Surely you want to know what you can do with a kitchen mandolin besides slicing. Depending on the model you choose, the range can be so varied and wide that it allows you to obtain all these results:

• The simple smooth cutting of slices or sheets (depending on the shape of the fruit or vegetable).
• The cut of wavy slices.
• The fence cut or "gaufrée", which is a cut, a priori, more complex or artistic.
• The julienne cut in various sizes.
• The cut of cubes and rhombuses.
• The option of fine and coarse grating.
• The cutting of flakes and chips.

If you'd like to achieve this variety of results, you shouldn't be asking yourself what you can do with the mandolin of your choice, but rather which mandolin to choose so that you can cut the way you want. Now that you know what you can do with a kitchen mandolin, it's important to know how you can do it. And the best way is knowing the different types of mandolins that can be found. will you accompany me?

De Buyer Viper Mandolin

4. Types of kitchen mandolin

Due to their shape and the possibilities they offer, they can be divided into two categories: compact mandolin and professional mandolin.

4.1. compact mandolins

The compact kitchen mandolin is a simple mandolin, small in size, easy to handle, which offers very good results and takes up little space. It's the perfect solution if you want help cutting quickly, accurately and evenly, slices or flat sheets. The thickness is adjustable, usually in 3 different widths, although some can even go up to 5 different thicknesses, such as the Gefu Violi mandolin or the De Buyer Komi mandolin , with which you can also make julienne cuts.

To cut with it, you have to hold it with one hand and keep it raised or resting on a bowl, a tray or the counter, while we slide the piece to be cut with the other hand. They don't usually have feet to stand on, although some do, like the OXO Good Grips mandolin , making them more comfortable to use.

Some, like De Buyer's Kobra , come with a very useful guard to not only push and help slide food towards the blade, but to prevent injury while cutting. It is a highly recommended accessory and one that I will talk about later.

They are usually made of plastic with stainless steel blades, although we can find some with a ceramic blade, such as the Kyocera ceramic mandolin , which offers a very good cut and long-lasting sharpening, but requires a little more care when dealing with small ones. blows that occur in the kitchen.

The cost of compact mandolins is reasonable and, due to its value for money, it is the most appropriate option if you only want to make this type of cut.

OXO Good Grips Mandolin , Kyocera Adjustable Ceramic Mandolin , Gefu Violi Mandolin , Kobra De Buyer Mandolin and Komi De Buyer Compact Mandolin

4.2. professional mandolins

The professional mandolin is a more complete tool, with which we can make a wide variety of cuts thanks to the different blades and interchangeable combs that it incorporates. It is larger, more robust and firm and offers better features. As a general rule, it has more points of support, such as the drop-out feet with non-slip pads, which allow the mandolin to be raised and stabilized on the work surface, to which its front legs with the same type of pads also contribute.

Do you remember the protective accessory that I told you about before? All professional mandolin models incorporate it. It provides great security, since it completely covers the food in the cut, avoiding injuries. It usually has two parts: a perforated base and the protector. The base fits into the guides of the mandolin; The food is placed in the hole and the protector is placed on it, which holds and pushes the food, while the base moves back and forth across the surface of the mandolin when cutting. Without risks and with a total use in the cut of the piece until the end.

The range of options in this category includes mandolins such as De Buyer's Vantage , which allows for various thicknesses in its only two types of cut (slicing and julienne), more versatile plastic-bodied mandolins such as De Buyer's Viper , or mandolins made entirely of in stainless steel and that provide all possible cuts in a greater diversity of thicknesses, such as De Buyer's Revolution .

De Buyer Vintage Mandolin , De Buyer Revolution Mandolin and De Buyer Viper Mandolin

The combination of the blades and combs that these mandolins incorporate results in the cuts that I mentioned at the beginning. The blades determine if it will be smooth or wavy and the combs define the thickness that we want to give, for example, to our julienne vegetables.

The possibilities with the professional mandolin do not end there, since some, such as De Buyer's, even have additional accessories such as the Gravity to comfortably cut long and narrow slices of food, or the extra long accessory for laminating or cutting sticks. along.

The materials with which they are made are resistant and durable, such as stainless steel and composite polymers, although the most robust are made entirely of stainless steel. Its price, given its greater features and its manufacturing materials, is higher, but so is its durability. A well cared for professional mandolin can be a mandolin for a lifetime.

Gravity Attachment for De Buyer Mandolins and De Buyer Extra Long Mandolin Attachment

5. Mandolins according to the type of blades

They could also be classified according to the shape of their blades . If you have seen the mandolins that I have told you about so far, you will have appreciated different blades.

5.1. french mandolins

The one we are most familiar with is that of the French mandolin , smooth and arranged horizontally. It is a blade that can perfectly cut from potatoes and hard vegetables to sausages, but it may not do it in the same way with foods with soft skin like tomatoes, or hard like aubergines, which also cause problems when cut with a knife. smooth leaf. This is where the value of the micro-serrated blade is appreciated, such as the one incorporated in De Buyer's Access mandolin , which penetrates the food at different points, reducing the impact and effort required when cutting.

5.2. japanese mandolins

The blade of the Japanese mandolin is located diagonally, which provides greater control of the cut in all types of food, since they progressively come into contact with the blade, resulting in a clean cut without tears.

5.3. Mandolins with V-shaped blades

T he mandoline with the V-shaped blades also offers a clean, precise cut without crushing food, however delicate it may be. The shape of these blades is inspired by the cutting technique of professional chefs, slicing or laminating progressively as the piece to be cut enters from the sides, sliding down the blade to the end, smoothly and without tearing.

De Buyer Revolution Mandolin , De Buyer Komi Compact Mandolin , De Buyer Extra Long Mandolin Attachment, and De Buyer Vintage Mandolin

6. Which mandolin to choose?

Now that you have seen what you can do with a kitchen mandolin and how you can do it, I am sure that it will be much easier for you to choose which mandolin to buy.

My recommendation is that you think first of all, if you are looking for a compact mandolin, quick and agile to use but without a very wide range of possibilities in terms of type of cuts and quantity of vegetables to cut; Or think about getting a more professional mandolin if you want to cut a large quantity and variety.

From here, think about your preference on the price scale, types of cuts, and adjustments that each option allows you to make.

As I told you at the beginning, following the instructions for use is a safe tool and with which you will save a lot of time. Most mandolins incorporate the protective accessory to cut safely and you also have the option of using the protective glove that is a perfect complement for the simplest ones.

Whether you want to cut slices quickly, or if you are looking for the greatest possible variety and perfection in the decoration of your dishes, I hope this post will help you to choose the kitchen mandolin with which to cut in quantity, with precision and effectiveness. And if you want to see them in operation, I recommend that you take a look at the videos that you will find on the page of each one, just under their description.

Glove for cutting or grating Microplane and Mandolin Kobra De Buyer

At Claudia&Julia we are great specialists in mandolins. You can consult us, and you can see all the ones we have in the MANDOLIN SECTION.