The mandoline that got it's name because you can slice so fast in a back and forth motion that it looks as if you are strumming a mandolin.

There are many types of mandoline slicers with different features, some have more blades than others. The more blades you have the more tricks you can do. There are both plastic and stainless steel mandolins and I can attest that both can be good and last for years and perform well.

Skill Level and Ease of Cleaning

This is an amazingly simple tool to grab, set up and slice in minutes. With a little practice you will find it saves hours of work. With so few parts just disassemble rinse and let dry or wash in the dishwasher. Some are easier than others, for a home owner you don't need anything elaborte and the smaller ones store easy.

Avoiding Cutting Yourself on the Mandoline

I let my 10 year old grand daughter use this as I think with proper knowledge you won't cut yourself. The guard holder or hopper style works well. Below you can see that with a bit of practice there are many ways to hold the vegetable or fruit with the guard and slice it safely. You can find many sources and videos on the net that will teach you different tricks to keep your fingers from getting cut. Protective kitchen gloves are also a great way to keep an accident from happening. You can find them everywhere in kitchen stores and on the net.

You can make perfect slices with the flat plane attachment. The guard holder tools are easy to use with a bit of practice. Be patient with yourself if it seems awkward at first. Soon you will be fast and protect yourself from cuts.

I do use my hands at times to cut large vegetables like this cucumber until it gets down close to the blade.

Even a odd shape like celery can be held by the guard and sliced easy.

The same works with a carrot, zucchini or cucumber to make perfect angle slices.

I love using these strips in salads and lettuce wraps.

Carrot slices are easy to do as well and there are so many applications, salads, soups, a turkey wrap sandwich.

When you make fries, be they deep fried or baked it takes a lot of potatoes to feed a hungry family. This works so well to make slices....

....or you can make great traditional shape fries.

Shredding cabbage is a breeze. Cut it in quarters and make thin shreds for slaw or kraut.

Ribbons for zucchini or cucumber make a very pretty salad.

Some Mandolins can make waffle fries or carrots.

By putting an onion or carrot on the guard and making several slices part of the way down criss cross then you can dice this onion on the flat plane.