Mandoline

This article is about the cooking utensil. For the musical instrument, see Mandolin.

A mandoline used for slicing a carrot

A mandoline (French pronunciation: [mɑ̃doˈlin], English: /ˌmændɵˈlɪn/) is a cooking utensil used for slicing and for cutting juliennes; with suitable attachments, it can make crinkle-cuts. It consists of two parallel working surfaces, one of which can be adjusted in height.^[1] A food item is slid along the adjustable surface until it reaches a blade mounted on the fixed surface, slicing it and letting it fall. The tool has been popularized among non-professional and casual cooks, in the form of a plastic version, without many of the attachments found on professional models.^{[citation needed]}

Other blades perpendicular to the main blade are often mounted so that the slice is cut into strips. The mandoline juliennes in several widths and thicknesses. It also makes slices, waffle cuts crinkle cuts, and dice with firm vegetables and fruits.

Advantages

With a mandoline, slices are uniform in thickness,^[2] which is important with foods that are deep-fried or baked (e.g. potato chips), as well as for presentation. Slices can be very thin, and be made very quickly, with significantly less skill and effort than would be required if cutting with a knife or other blade.^[2]

Operation

A mandoline is used by running a piece of food (with some protection for fingers) along an adjustable inclined plane into one or more blades. On some models vertical blades cut to produce julienne, or a wavy blade is used that produces crinkle cuts. In these models a quarter turn to the food between passes produces dice and waffle cuts.

Safety

The item being sliced is normally held in a carrier to protect the cook's fingers. However, these can be hard to use, hard to clean, ineffective, and sometimes dangerous in their own right, so a protective glove (often made of kevlar) can be substituted.

See also

• Grater an older kitchen implement, sometimes also used for slicing
• Food processor the electric kitchen appliance, that sometimes uses mandoline-like blades

External links

• Mandoline Parts Overview

References

1. ^ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandoline
2. ^ ^{a b} http://www.fantes.com/slicers-mandolins.html