Giusi said...

> "Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>> Blinky the Shark said...
>>
>>>
>>> Does anyone have a mandolin that they can recommend in the, say, $80US
>>> range? I'm thinking about giving one as a gift and have never had or
>> used
>>> one, so I could use your experience.
>>
>>
>> Blinky,
>>
>> I have the old "as seen on TV" mandolin. A cheap-o plastic one that I
>> still
>> use. I'll suggest you buy one that has an under cylinder that has four
or
>> so blade arrangements that you can dial that will protrude up through
>> slits
>> so you can dice not just slice. The different blade arrangements are to
>> select a desired dice.
>>
>> Also look for one that comes with a vegetable holder/guard that you
sweep
>> along the mandolin's side rails to keep your hand protected from the
>> blades
>> at all times. I'd be willing to bet I'd've diced a few fingers without
>> one.
>>
>> And lastly, stability and position. Some come with legs and others can
lay
>> flat in certain size bowls, then can both be difficult to handle if
>> they're
>> not firmly held in place.
>>
>> Giusi mentioned blade sharpening, so if they have a removable blade (or
>> blades) that would be desirable.
>>
>> My cheap-o unit came with a separate spiral slicer and a cute fruit
design
>> thingy that went straight out of the box into the trash.
>>
>> Best,
>> Andy
>
> Andy, real mandolins have screw on blades because those barrel and dial
> things don't hold up to pro use and mandolins are much more used by pros
> than home cooks.


Giusi,

Sure! The amount of food prep that goes on day after day at restaurants,
caterers, etc., compared to my sleepy plastic mandolin? There's no contest
which needs more sharpening. Mine is unsharpenable anyway but after 10
years still works remarkably well.

Andy