Are you looking for the best mandoline slicer to create perfect slices of fruits and vegetables? With so many hand slicers available, it may be difficult to find the best commercial mandoline for your needs.
Before we tell you about our favorites, let’s start by addressing a few questions that we are often asked, and the answers may help you decide whether a mandoline slicer is the best choice for you.
What is a Mandoline Slicer?
A mandoline slicer is a prepping tool in the commercial kitchen, designed to slice fruits, vegetables and other foods into uniform sizes. It consists of a flat surface, which can be made of plastic or stainless steel, this surface is fitted with a sharp blade. The operator simply slides their choice of fruit or vegetable down the body of the mandoline and across the sharp blade to produce precise slices, safely and quickly.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Mandoline Slicer?
The advantages of using a mandoline slicer outweigh the disadvantages. For instance, a mandoline slicer can save time and inventory. Precise slicing minimizes waste and enhances the presentation of fruits and vegetables. Slicing is quicker than with a knife and less time is spent during preparation. Another advantage of a mandoline is its versatility; it serves as a one-stop tool for slicing a wide variety of foods. While specialized gadgets like tomato slicers, onion cutters, and egg slicers are available, a mandoline can handle all these tasks in one compact device, making it a major space saver in the kitchen.
Disadvantages include unstable slicers and safety risks and to hands and fingers. To keep operations as safe as possible, look for mandoline slicers that offer rubber feet or other non-slipping features to prevent it from wobbling on the counter. Sharp blades are a must and the sharper the blade the faster the mandoline will work. Finger guards and hand pushers keep fingers and hands safe from sharp blades.
Pro Tip: for added protection, ensure staff wears cut resistant gloves.
Do I need a Residential or Commercial Mandoline Slicer?
This depends on your slicing needs and your budget. If you are slicing vegetables for your family, then a residential mandoline will be fine. If you are using your mandoline slicer in a commercial kitchen for the preparation of meals, then a commercial mandoline slicer will be your best choice.
Commercial mandoline slicers are more durable than residential brands, they can handle a wider variety of foods and have more advanced features. When prepping for a restaurant-sized meal service, you will want a mandoline slicer that can withstand the heavy use required for a commercial kitchen.
How do I Sharpen a Mandoline Slicer Blade?
Caution: The blade is very sharp, so be sure to wear cut-resistant gloves when handling.
- Remove the blade from the mandoline slicer.
- Using a whetstone, sharpen the beveled side first, keeping the same angle, pressure, and speed across the entire blade.
- Deburring will remove any sharp edges from the sharpening process.
- Follow with a medium grit stone to polish the edge and a fine stone for finishing.
- Reinstall the blade in the mandoline slicer.
What Features Should I Look for when Buying a Mandoline Slicer?
Safety features like razor-sharp blades, non-slip rubber feet or base, and a pusher will help to eliminate hand and finger injuries. Cut-resistant gloves also help to protect hands when using a mandoline slicer. Stainless steel construction is a plus that offers long-lasting durability and wide cutting surfaces allow for oversized fruits and vegetables. To help you create professional culinary cuts and shapes, many mandoline slicers offer multiple slicing blades, such as straight, serrated, and julienne blades.
Which Mandoline Slicer do I Need?
Now that we’ve covered a few important facts, let’s explore the five best mandoline slicers for for a variety of slicing needs. We’ve rated them from our overall pick to the best mandoline slicer for beginners.
The Best Overall Professional Mandoline Slicer
Our top pick is Made in France, home of the original mandoline slicer. This professional mandoline will help you create beautiful fruit displays, salads, and sides with expert gourmet cuts that command attention.
Why we like it:
Its durable, heat-resistant fiberglass body comes with a stainless steel guide, hand pusher, and safety guard to protect hands from injuries. The non-porous composite body is easy to thoroughly clean and sanitize. It has a versatile design that provides flexibility with a fold-out stand for cutting on a counter and a built-in handle to hold it in place over a bowl or pan. Three different blade styles are included to produce julienne slices, crinkle cuts, and serrated-edge or smooth-edge shapes. Additional blades come with this slicer for cutting juilienne slices from 1/16” to 3/8” thick. Height adjustments offer plenty of room to cut oversized fruits and vegetables easier and with less waste.
The Best Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer
Considered by many to be one of the best commercial mandolines for caterers and chefs, this hand-held slicer is simple-to-use with extra-sharp julienne blades that slice through the thickest fruits and vegetables.
Why we like it:
This premium quality Japanese mandoline features a wide body to hold large fruits and vegetables. The extremely durable, ABS plastic body is lightweight and portable, which makes it great for catering and preparing food off premises. You can adjust the thickness of your slices from 0.5mm (ultra-thin) to 8mm (slightly more than a ¼ of an inch). We like its versatility for slicing with three stainless steel blades included, that produce fine, medium, or coarse julienne slices. Safety features are a plus and include a built-in handle for gripping, a finger guard to prevent injuries and a non-skid base to ensure stability on the counter or in the bowl.
The Most Versatile Mandoline Slicer
This mandoline slicer set produces precision slices, waffle cuts, or julienne pieces with interchangeable blades and a stable cutting surface that sits at the perfect angle.
Why we like it:
This stainless steel mandoline slicer comes with five interchangeable blades including 1 straight blade, 1 serrated blade, and 3 different sized julienne blades for a variety of thicknesses. The non-skid support stand folds out to provide a comfortable angle for slicing and then folds back in for compact storage. Skid-resistant rubber coverings on the stainless steel stand prevent the mandoline from slipping and sliding when in use. There’s also a stainless steel hand guard to keep fingers safe from the ultra-sharp blades. All five interchangeable blades are easy to install and come with a plastic box for safe storage and efficient organization.
The Best Budget-Friendly Mandoline Slicer
For beginning users who aren’t ready to invest in a commercial mandoline with all the added features and functions, this hand-held slicer is the perfect choice for low-volume slicing.
Why we like it:
This dishwasher-safe mandoline slicer features a removable stainless steel blade that can be sharpened to produce thinly sliced fruits and vegetables with precision. Its soft-grip handle takes the stress off the hand and provides stability when slicing. Integrated bowl notches on the body of the mandoline hold it in place, allowing you to slice right into a bowl or pan without worrying about the slicer slipping or sliding. Whether you are a skilled mandoline user or want to compare its slicing performance to slicing produced with a knife, this hand slicer is an inexpensive option that allows you to experiment with a low initial investment.
Ready to Start Slicing?
Our top five picks for mandoline slicers are only a small sample of the large selection available on the market today. The best brand mandoline slicers are just a click away. Shop our full collection now.
Not sure if a mandoline slicer is the right tool for you? We also have a full line of fruit & vegetable tools, including choppers, dicers, wedgers, slicers, garnishing tools, and cutlery to help you create precision cuts for the perfect presentations. Shop our full line of manual and automatic prep essentials!
