Mandoline slicers make quick work of cutting slices of vegetables and fruit. They function by sliding the food across a blade. They are faster than using a knife and excel at creating uniform slices and julienne cuts both thick and thin. Mandolines generally have multiple blades, thickness settings and a hand guard for safety.
We love the convenience of mandoline slicers for prepping vegetables for making sushi. They excel at making julienne cuts from fine to thick, which are perfect for sushi rolls.
Used properly, a mandoline slicer can be a safe kitchen utensil. It is common, and appropriate to be a bit scared to use a mandoline. The blades are extremely sharp and you are passing your hand over the blade with some force.
A good hand guard is the most important safety feature to prevent cutting yourself on the blade. It is more common to cut yourself washing the unit than when slicing.
Important features in a good mandoline are sturdy stainless steel blades with easy thickness adjustment. Better models have multiple or adjustable blades for a variety of cutting and slicing tasks. Rubberized non-slip feet and an excellent and safe hand guard are nice for safety. And a runway surface that lets food glide smoothly.
V shaped blade mandolines are our preferred style. They generally slice easier, with less effort (and therefore we think more safely), than straight blade slicers. With angle blade slicers, the food will tend to be forced over to the side of the slicer which adds friction and binding, hindering smooth and easy cutting. However, there are some very excellent angle blade mandolines.
Hand held mandolines are a tad more convenient - quick to pick up and use, fewer parts to wash and clean, smaller unit to store. However they will lack some of the thickness settings and variety of blades of standing models. Most hand held units do not include julienne blades or capabilities which we feel is necessary for sushi making.
Because safety is a priority, a quality mandoline with great blades and design is most important. Therefore, avoid cheap mandolines with flimsy blades and construction. And pay careful attention to the hand guard.
The best are large, easy to grip handle, and have a large base to shield your hand. Ones to avoid are small, difficult to grip or hold such as the classic Benriner Japanese mandoline hand guard.
We examined a lot of vegetable slicers and there are many to choose from. However most are cheap imports, copies of better units. We found that low quality generally meant it felt unsafe. We used a Benriner for years but appreciate the superior blades and hand guards of these top mandolines.
This is our favorite for overall best value and safety. It has perhaps the best hand guard of any slicer, and the rubber handle and feet keep the unit securely in place. The v-blade is excellent and has a nice four thickness adjustment knob that includes a setting to lock the blade closed when not in use.
It comes with interchangeable blades; a straight v-blade, crinkle cut v-blade, and two julienne inserts. Finally, the fold-in feet hold the unit at a nice angle.
A very good mandoline slicer for about $41.
See the OXO V-Blade Mandoline on Amazon
While not a v-blade style slicer, the OXO Chef’s Mandoline has excellent safety features with wonderful Japanese stainless steel blades. It has a 17-position dial thickness adjustment, integrated julienne blades that pop-up for use, and stainless steel runway.
The non-slip handle and feet keep the unit in place and has one of the best hand guards. This is perhaps the most versatile mandoline on the market today and can create straight slices, waffle cuts, julienne and french fry cuts.
A strong, high quality mandoline slicer for around $80.
See the OXO Chef's Mandoline on Amazon
The PL8 Professional Mandoline shares some similarities to the OXO Chef’s Mandoline: dial adjustment, integrated julienne blades, stainless steel runway, large hand guard and rubber feet at a slightly lower cost.
It lacks the extreme variety of thickness adjustment and wavy blade. Best of all, it has an integrated cubing blade that is rare to find. An excellent quality unit that is pleasing to use.
A strong and versatile mandoline slicer for about $67.
See the Progressive PL8-1050 on Amazon
The convenience and safety features of the KitchenAid hand held mandoline make it tops on our list for slicing. It has no julienne blade.
It has rubber feet to keep the unit from sliding, an excellent v-blade with five thickness settings, and a very good, easy to grip hand guard. It is so convenient (for slicing only) that you may want one of these in addition to a standing model.
A handy mandoline slicer for about $20.
See the KitchenAid Hand-Held V-Blade on Amazon
We sometimes link to products offered by other vendors to help you locate items we don't carry in house. Some of these are may earn us a small commission, but at no extra cost to you, if you choose to make a purchase. As always, we appreciate your patronage.