Product reviewed: Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer with Hand Guard
I have seen photos of gorgeously sliced fruits and potatoes that I would love to serve. I also would like to try some eggplant or zucchini rollatini dishes. But I had never before used a mandoline-type slicer. That’s why I was excited to try the Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer with Hand Guard.
This adjustable tool has a deck with the V-slicer; flip around the deck above the slicer blade to switch it to julienne slicing. I really like how easy it is to change the thickness of the slices by turning a dial on the back. There also is a guard with little teeth that can hold smaller pieces of food as you continue slicing to help protect your fingers.
The slicer is easy to set up and use, but I strongly suggest watching the video from the QR code on the label first. Initially, I didn’t realize I should have been holding the slicer at an angle and was holding it down flat. After I saw the video, it made a huge difference for ergonomics and control.
With this tool, it was simple to slice apples, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, firm kiwis and citrus fruits. The firmer foods, such as apples and potatoes, were easy to slice paper thin. I think it would work well for zucchini, beets and cucumbers, too.
It will take a little experimenting to see how it works for different food textures and shapes. For example, the green parts of scallions were too soft to slice effectively. I couldn’t make slices of broccoli, but the tops came out very fine, which would be useful for soup. I took off the outer part of the stem and sliced it using the V-slicer, making tender pieces to include in a vegetable stir-fry.
I found that harder vegetables like celery and carrots could be sliced or julienned but with a little more difficulty. I preferred the slicing function of this V-slicer and think it is faster to julienne vegetables manually.
The Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer allowed me to create thinner and more uniform slices than cutting manually with a knife, which helps when making creative salads, vegetable dishes and beautiful garnishes. Wash the slicer by hand, then store it with the slicing deck flat against the blade for safety.
Safety is an important consideration when using any slicer. In the video, the user is wearing a cut-resistant glove, which is a good idea. Don’t multitask when using this tool; the slicing goes fast, and the blade is very sharp, so it’s important to focus.
I recommend the Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Mandoline Food Slicer with Hand Guard for adults who enjoy cooking. It is especially terrific for those interested in trying different types of slicing and garnishes for everyday enjoyment, new recipes or impressing guests.
