Of all the specialty kitchen tools out there, the mandoline slicer is one of the more versatile. It can slice fruits and vegetables into thick planks, almost ½-inch wide, but it can also shave the same ingredients into paper-thin slices that you can practically see through. On top of that, it makes meal prep a breeze, significantly cutting down on prep time. And of course, it’s just what you need for making a Tiktok-inspired cucumber salad.
There are so many reasons to add a mandoline slicer to your kitchen if you don’t already have one. We spoke to a kitchen tool expert to learn best practices when it comes to using a mandoline slicer, plus what kind of ingredients you can slice with it.
Alli Avia, senior product manager at kitchen tool company OXO
What Is a Mandoline?
Mandoline slicers come in various sizes; some lay flat while others hinge and fold, and oftentimes, the blades are shaped a bit differently. But in the end, they all accomplish the same thing—they thinly slice a good amount of food in a short amount of time. Sure, if you’ve honed your knife skills, you could probably do most of the slicing by hand, but a mandoline speeds up the process and keeps everything very, very even.
Types of Mandoline Slicers
There are two main types of mandoline slicers.
Straight-blade slicer: These mandolines are usually the smaller of the two. They are known for getting an even cut on food and can be used to slice even the firmest fruits and vegetables, such as potatoes and squash.
V-shaped blade: With this type of mandoline, it’s a bit harder to get perfectly even slices, but the blade is better suited to handling soft fruits and vegetables—such as tomatoes and mushrooms—with care.
Each of these types of slicers generally comes with both a straight-edged blade and a few alternatives: fine blades that can cut foods into super-thin shreds that are pretty much impossible to make with a knife; medium blades can perfectly julienne, and coarse blades are great for cutting French fries or carrot and celery sticks to snack on.
Why Chefs Love the Mandoline So Much
Mandolines are great for recipes that require large amounts of vegetables, or vegetables that need to be cut with the same consistency, says Alli Avia, senior product manager at OXO. With the help of a mandoline, cooks can save time, be efficient, and keep everything even in the process.
How to Use a Mandoline
Once you’ve decided which type of mandoline is the best tool for the job, it’s time to get slicing.
- Insert your preferred blade into the mandoline slicer.
- Secure a cutting board on your work surface using a non-slip mat or a layer of damp paper towels.
- Shave a small piece off of the fruit or vegetable that you’re going to slice so you have a flat edge to work with.
- Hold the mandoline perpendicular to your body and on a slant over the cutting board. You’ll be slicing back and forth rather than side to side.
- Place the piece of food in the finger guard, then run it up and down the blade, applying firm and even pressure the whole time.
Safety First
The most important thing when using a mandoline is keeping all of your fingers intact! That’s why most mandolines come equipped with a safety guard, which Avia always recommends using. “We constantly encourage consumers to use the food holders provided with the mandolines,” she says. This part of the tool usually has metal teeth that you use to puncture the food so it adheres to the guard. Then, you can slice all the way down so you don’t waste any of the ingredients or risk cutting yourself.
If your mandoline slicer didn’t come with a safety guard, there are still ways to take extra precautions. You can put on a pair of rubber dishwashing gloves to protect your fingers. That way, if you knick yourself, the gloves will get the worst of it. Otherwise, if you feel confident with the slicer, just be sure to tuck in the tips of your fingers while holding the food, just like you would when using a knife.
What to Use a Mandoline For
The mandoline slicer is great for pretty much any fruit or vegetable you want to thinly slice, shave, or julienne. If you’re making a big batch of something or you’re creating a recipe that simply requires a lot of slicing, consider reaching for the mandoline.
Vegetables
- Bell peppers: If you need to julienne or thinly slice a lot of bell peppers at once, the mandoline is a great way to do it. Prep the peppers by slicing the cheeks away from the ribs and seeds with a paring knife, then run those along the mandoline.
- Broccoli stems: Broccoli stems are an often discarded part of the broccoli, but they’re delicious. Use the mandoline fitted with the medium forked blade to julienne them and use them as a crunchy addition to coleslaw.
- Brussels sprouts: Thinly shaved sprouts make a great holiday salad. Secure the sprouts in the safety guard since they’re small and can easily slip from your fingers.
- Cabbage: Shredding cabbage for coleslaw can be a tedious process, unless you use the mandoline.
- Carrots and other root vegetables: Shaved carrots and other root vegetables, such as parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas, sometimes need to be thinly sliced or julienned. Long shaved pieces of carrots are delicious raw in salads; they can also be candied and used to decorate carrot cake.
- Chiles: If you’re making tacos, nachos, or enchiladas for a crowd, you’ll need to slice lots of chiles for the guests who like a little something spicy. Simply run the chiles, seeds and all, along the blade of the mandoline to make thin slices.
- Cucumbers: We love to add thinly sliced rounds of cucumbers to salads and grain bowls. You can even prep a whole batch to snack on throughout the week—just store them in an airtight container covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.
- Fennel: Shaved fennel in a salad is a revelation; the mandoline makes quick work of the task.
- Leeks: Slicing a lot of leeks for potato leek soup? The mandoline is a great tool to use, especially since you have a long stalk to hold onto as you slice. (Be sure to wash the leeks well since they can hold a lot of dirt and grit between the layers.)
- Lettuce: Firm lettuces, such as iceberg, and hearty chicories like radicchio and endive are great in fresh salads. Before slicing, cut them into more manageable portions that will fit along the mandoline blade.
- Mushrooms: If you need super thin slices of mushrooms, the mandoline may be more effective than slicing with a knife.
- Onions: If you’re making a big batch of caramelized onions, halve the onions before slicing them on a thin setting.
- Potatoes: Gratins and scalloped potatoes require quite a bit of knifework unless you shave the potatoes on the mandoline. You can also slice potatoes paper-thin to make homemade potato chips.
- Zucchini: Thinly-shaved zucchini and summer squash are delicious raw when they’re in season. Toss them into fresh salads to add fiber and a subtle crunch.
Fruits
- Apples and pears: Freshly shaved slices or matchsticks of apples and pears are a delicious addition to fall salads. Adjust the blade to a thicker cut to slice apples for apple pies, crisps, and crumbles.
- Citrus: You can slice half-moons or rounds of citrus to serve in drinks. This is especially helpful if you’re making big batches of tea, lemonade, or cocktails.
- Melon: Breaking down whole melons can take some time. If you’re slicing a lot of fruit salad or snacking, cut the melon into smaller pieces, then slice on the mandoline.
- Stone fruit: We love to add thin slices of peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots to summer salads. Halve and pit the fruits before slicing.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes are easier to slice on a V-shaped blade since it handles softer fruits and vegetables more gently.
