Why don't they just sell Benriner boxes smeared with blood?

[dmd_kc]

After all, it'd be truth in advertising. Talk about a gadget that works BETTER than advertised -- including on human flesh.

Anyone found a food-holder for a Benriner or other mandoline-type slicer that really works? Actually, the Benriner's is fine for the hard radishes I was just slicing -- but I get greedy and cut myself to pieces trying to get those last four millimeters or so cut up.

[Stephanie Wong]

So new owners can provide their own?

[SanityRemoved]

I used to work with broken porcelain insulators and can vouch for the effectiveness of kevlar gloves(the yellow ones). But I would buy a pair and test the glove that I would rarely use by sticking a potato inside the glove and see how it fairs against a mandolin. Better to know its limitations than to have blind faith.

[will47]

I've heard that a (clean) side towel works pretty well too. Probably not quite as safe as a glove, but easier than the pusher thing that comes with it.

[amazinc]

Found a $20 steel/mesh glove at Sunset Hardware in San Antonio,TX, and solved my "fearof Benriner". I had given a B. mandolin to a friend and bought one for myself. He told me horror tales of sliced ends of fingers (oh, the pain!), so I'd never taken it out of its box. Now, I'm slicing everything in sight with not a cut nor a fear. Since there's no blood
involved, I'm storing it in its original box!

[falconress]

LOL, I never once used that damn gadget without turning my guests into accidental cannibals. Luckily, it only happened three times in a several-decades long career of cooking and having friends over, because after the third time I chucked it, together with the somewhat-bloodied, half-cut veggies, into the trash bin, in midst of prepping for a Saturday lunch.

OK, I never actually served the blood-tainted food, just making a point. No matter how careful I was - and of course I used the safety pusher, I couldn't go near the thing without taking a healthy slice out of my hand. And I'm not clumsy anywherer else in the kitchen. No problem with knives, hot stuff, scissors, old-fashioned manual can openers with no soft "ergonomic" grips. I'm fine with everything, except the mandoline.

Thank god for Cuisinart and its slicing disks.

[dmd_kc]

Heh, I threw out a big batch of garlic a couple weekends ago as I was getting ready for a dinner party -- just cuz it included a good chunk of my left index finger and its nail. Both those things look a LOT like garlic!

[Chemicalkinetics]

Ok, you people are making these mandoline the most dangerous thing in a kitchen.

[dmd_kc]

Oh, this escapade was with a good old chef's knife, retrieved from the sharpening service earlier in the day. I have PLENTY of ways to slash my flesh.

[Quine]

Alot of these accidents happen as a result of LACK of common sense. Trying to use up that last tiny little piece; trying to slice something that is just plain too tiny, I.e. garlic cloves There are special slicers for those; such as :
http://www.cooking.com/products/shpro...

Talking over shoulder while rapidly slicing etc.

It's not the tool that is dangerous but rather the people who use it.

[Duppie]

My microplane has seen more than it's share of plasma in it's short history and that stainless monstrosity has resigned it's self to a peaceful and blood free existence in the basement.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Ha ha ha. Plasma :) You should it has anti-coagulant somewhere? :P Just kidding. I can see microplane being dangerous. Luckly, I have yet to cut myself with me. I guess my original statement really meant: "You people make it sounds like these mandolines are the most dangerous thing in a kitchen. Why don't we use a knife then?"

[Duppie]

Trust me ,I do but it takes 2 1/2 day of diligent labor to make 1 portion of waffle fries.

[Kelli2006]

You need to get a protective glove and toss out the silly hand guard that doesn't work. Ive been recommending a Rapala filleting glove that are available from sporting f goods stores, but you can spend almost a hundred dollars online for a stainless mesh professional glove.

http://www.amazon.com/Rapala-BPFGL-Fillet-Glove-Large/dp/B001NXC7RW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1268758060&sr=8-1

The Victorinox glove is also a good buy, http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutl...

I agree with Ipsedixit that proficient knife skills are becoming a lost art because a mandoline should only be used for very fine repetitive cuts and not general slicing. I have a OXO mandoline and the only time that I use it is when I make a potato gratin.

[scubadoo97]

yes you do have to be careful with that last bit. I use the guard on many things but have recently been slicing asparagus into thin ribbons along with zucchini for salads. The asparagus is one item you need to go a little slower with. I find if I use my hand and flex the palm and fingers up a bit I can slice the asparagus cleanly with no nicks, cuts or lost digits. The only place I still get cut is from the heels of my J-knives. Usually just a inattentive bump to the heel will split a finger.

[grnidkjun]

Oh boy.. I had received a mandoline as a wedding gift a long time ago.. I've been extremely hesitant to ever get another one.. I do acknowledge user clumsy-ness.. but those blades sticking straight up on the one I had received and it did not flow smoothly.. ended up with it making slashes from my palm up my wrist.. worst thing ever!

(I should also state the one I had received was not benriner.. it was some "as seen on tv" junk)

[hobbybaker]

Auch. Hope your wound will heal soon. I bought a benriner (super benriner, the larger one) last year. So far no accident. My problem is how to store this properly. I use the original paper box but it won't last long. I wish they made a brade protector/cover for storing purpose.

[grnidkjun]

oh.. that was quite some time ago.. many years.. long since healed but left a fear of mandolines! :)

[hobbybaker]

Oh, that was meant to be for dmd, too. I am now considering a pair of gloves:)

[Chemicalkinetics]

You know. I have never own a mandoline. What is so good about it? Is it suppose to work faster than a kitchen knife? or is it supposed to be make more uniform cut than a knife? All I see is an expensive and yet dangerous toy.

[ipsedixit]

Yeah, I think good (or even decent) knife-work is quickly becoming a lost art.

[Chemicalkinetics]

ipsedixit,

Hey dude. Well, I think if I am to make thousands of potato chips, then a Mandoline will be quiet useful for consistent and repetitive works. However, I feel like the work of washing a Mandoline outweighs its benefit for typical home cook, like slicing two tomatoes.

[Quine]

The one the Op is mentioning is small, quick and very easy to use. It is
also cheap and good quality. http://benriner.com/ I've had and well used mine for well over 15 years with no loss of sharpness,
I have really good knife skills and more over actually enjoy slicing and dicing. And I still use the Benriner often,

[Chemicalkinetics]

Quine,

Maybe you are right. I just thought it take more time to wash it than to cut the food. I guess I were thinking more in the line of a food processor. If I have only a few things to cut, I rather use a knife than a food processor. I have more control with a knife, but most importantly it is easier to wash my knife than the food processor. Oh yes, same logic for my garlic press.

[ipsedixit]

I actually find it therapeutic sometimes to chop and dice up a big bowl of julienned carrots, for example.

I used to hate it as a kid when my parents made me do it, but now I almost look forward to it. I get into a rhythm and sort of fall into a meditative state.

[Chemicalkinetics]

I hope you don't fall asleep as you fall into a meditative state.

[Quine]

I know what you mean! After a day of work which is all mental, it is so nice to work with my hands slicing and dicing. When I was researching and writing my senior thesis; I was so mentally wound up. I didn't realize how much my knife skills also improved. I attended a pot luck and one of the Art Professors awed over my perfect diced veggies.

The benrier is a great addition to the kitchen, as easy to clean as your knife. Now those more complex French style ones,,,no way.

[hobbybaker]

Strongly agree. It saves time when a lot of slices are necessary. For me it is very useful when I make a sald, for which I need many thin uniformed slices of various vegis quickly. Also, for cakes and tarts with many thin sliced fruits on it. On the same token, even though I can cut and peel apples, I use my corer & devider for apples for applepies. Initially I did all of these with a knife, but it takes just too much time.

[scubadoo97]

I have both, the Bron and the Benriner. The Benriner is used 98% more than the Bron. I actually bought a 2nd Benriner, the large one. Thought I would use it more since it was bigger but I really don't use a madoline that much unless I'm in a hurry or need very uniform cuts

[hobbybaker]

scubadoo, how do you store the benriner? I still use the original paper box, but I do not believe it will last longer. I do not want to take off the brade every time and do not want keep it in a drawer without putting it in someting.

[Quine]

Gee I still store mine in the original box.

[scubadoo97]

I store them all in the original boxes with the stage tuned up so the blade is not exposed.

[hobbybaker]

So, for the time being, even if the original paper boxes are smeared with blood, we cannot throw them away... LOL. OK, I will look for a plastic container which is long enough to store it at office depot or so:)

[Chemicalkinetics]

Scubadoo,

What's up. Sounds like you don't like the Bron one huh? Too much work to use it or too much work to clean it?

[scubadoo97]

I find the blade on the Benriner sharper and the Bron is just bigger, takes more time to set up and I like the julienne cuts better on the Benriner. I actually took off the julienne blades off the Bron. They would sometimes get in the way of a straight cut. The only thing the Bron can do that the Benriner can't is a waffle cut. The Bron is wider, sturdier and can stand on it's own so that's a plus as well.

[white light]

You can get very thin, consistent cuts quickly with them. The model discussed in this thread isn't really expensive (around 20us)

http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-carbon-...

[Chemicalkinetics]

Whitelight,

Thanks. I have seen some expensive ($60-300) Mandoline and I presume those work better.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

Not necessarily. Kyocera knows what they're doing with blades. And there are some very expensive mandolines out there that mangle whatever you're trying to slice.

[Chemicalkinetics]

JK,

Yes, I heard that the Shun Mandoline (>$300) is pretty bad despite with high quality blades. Well, bad for being so expensive and average performance.

[Paulustrious]

I can recommend the ceramic blade Kyoceras. Easy to use, very easy to wash, hangs on a hook and fiercely sharp. Worked better than the Shun mandoline.

http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Double-Mandolin-Slicer-Yellow/dp/B0024NKK7E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1276881925&sr=1-3

Has anyone used the variable thickness version? http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Adjusta...

It gets compliments from most people with a full complement of fingers.

[beachmouse]

Count me as another fan of the cheap Kyocrea. I don't use a mandolin enough to justify paying a lot for one, and I feel like I get a high level of performance out of that $20 model for when I do find a reason to use it.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Thanks Paul and beachmouse,

It seems the Kyoceras ones are something I can try.

[hobbess]

I've got one of those fancy, stainless steel Bron mandolines and the irony is time saved turns out to be a washout for me. Yes, it slice faster than a kitchen knife but it's also a pain to set up and figure out how to use each time.

[sel]

I bought a Super Benriner a couple of years ago and primarily use it to cut up green papaya for som tum. Works better, much quicker and more uniform cut than my good but not professional knife skills would produce. No accidents yet but I don't try to push that last thin piece past the scalpal sharp blades!

[Chemicalkinetics]

I bet 80% of mandoline accidents are "let get the last bit" accident.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

Go to your local restaurant supply store and get yourself some cut resistant gloves. You'll still be able to move, and an accidental swipe won't leave you bleeding everywhere. I've had a mandoline cut and MAN do those ever suck. You have my full condolences.

[dmd_kc]

You know, the gloves make a lot more sense than a better food holder!

It only got one finger, and it wasn't terrible -- but these little razor cuts somehow hurt more than bigger ones, it seems. I'll survive.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

It's because you have more pain receptors in the tips of your fingers than you do elsewhere. I gave myself a REALLY good slice on my foot a couple of weeks ago and it didn't hurt nearly as much as your garden variety paper cut.

[Chemicalkinetics]

That sounds very painful. I hope you didn't have to go to hospital for your injury. Best.