If you’ve been on the internet lately, you’ve likely seen bloggers, foodies and home chefs whipping up mouthwatering variations of crunchy cucumber salad. Despite the different and delicious adaptations everyone is making, all have invested in the same affordable kitchen tool: a mandoline slicer.
Before this new mandoline era, I’ll admit I thought it was an unnecessary appliance. Granted, I live in a small studio and don’t have much room for the shiny kitchen knife sets of my dreams, let alone most of the necessary cookware one should have. Despite pretending I’m a chef from “The Bear,” I’m limited with my kitchen and have to keep only essential appliances within reach. But I always wondered if a mandoline saved enough time to justify the investment and space. Does a mandoline make slicing vegetables that much easier?
I couldn’t resist testing one out after bingeing video after video of content creators dicing up beautiful salads in record time. Plus, after consulting the best chef I know (aka my mom), it turns out a mandoline does so much more than it gets credit for. Think thinly sliced tomatoes, julienned carrots and perfectly diced cheese for photo-worthy charcuterie boards.
After using a mandoline and making my new favorite salad, I can confidently say this nifty appliance is a time-saving must-have for any home chef that goes far beyond slicing and dicing vegetables.
Though plenty of mandolines are on the market, I liked this handheld and affordable one by Oxo. It can easily fit over any bowl or container, which is helpful for small kitchens. I also appreciated the adjustable thickness, meaning I only needed this one blade.
What is a mandoline?
The name sounds fancier than the appliance itself. A mandoline is a kitchen appliance designed to slice fruits and vegetables in different sizes. In our roundup of under-$50 kitchen tools on Amazon that even professional chefs swear by, Chef Ashley Lonsdale, chef-in-residence at ButcherBox, told CNN Underscored’s Laura Denby that she loves this culinary utensil for slicing paper-thin vegetables that soak up dressing. “I love using it for a fennel, apple, red onion and celery salad, but the sky’s the limit,” Lonsdale says. “It’s also great for making cabbage slaw, my summer staple.”
What I liked about it
It comes with a food grip
Have you ever mindlessly grated cheese or potatoes and ended up nicking your fingertips in the process? I’ve been there, with scars to prove it. As a self-proclaimed kitchen klutz, having a food holder to protect my fingers from nabs and cuts was a game changer.
I appreciated how sturdy, secure and ergonomic the food protector felt in my hands. I also liked that it glided perfectly into the main base of the mandoline, so it didn’t take up too much space. Although I didn’t need it for the viral salad I made, I can see this being helpful for onions, apples, potatoes or anything shorter than a carrot or cucumber.
It’s designed with a clear panel
If you browse the internet for any old mandoline, you’ll find many that come in fun colors and shapes, but most aren’t clear. This is a tiny detail, but I appreciated the see-through design. This way, I could keep an eye on what I was slicing or dicing, almost like a window into my salad bowl.
It has a nonslip handle
Again, there are many different kinds of mandolines on the market. Some stand on a kitchen counter or even fold into themselves. While those are great options, I recommend a handheld mandoline like this Oxo model if you’re a newbie to home cooking or you don’t have much space.
I personally like holding the mandoline in my hand. It gives me more control and mobility over my slicing. With this added freedom, I could also slice a cucumber over any plate or bowl, unlike a standing mandoline that could only work on flat surfaces. I also appreciated that the handle was made of nonslip rubber, especially with cucumber juice flowing everywhere.
The thickness is adjustable and slices evenly, every time
This feature proved to me that a mandoline is an incredibly versatile kitchen appliance. I always wondered why food bloggers didn’t want to hand-cut their fruits and vegetables, but after using the mandoline, I appreciated the perfect, even slices created every single time. Pun intended, but a knife simply doesn’t cut it. Better yet, I didn’t need to use or wash a chopping board.
Although mandolines are popular now for the viral cucumber salad, they can also slice fruits, vegetables and cheese in seconds. With this one tool, you can expand your slicing options.
It’s easy to clean
Cleaning any appliance with blades can sometimes feel terrifying, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher (like myself). Mandolines are incredibly sharp, but I appreciated how easy this one was to clean.
All I had to do was run it through dish soap and water and it was shiny and clean in under a minute. This Oxo mandoline is also dishwasher-safe, so you can throw it into your next wash cycle if you want.
I made a delicious salad in seconds
I’ve been trying to be more consistent with bringing lunch to work instead of shelling out an arm and a leg for a pricey chopped salad. With this mandoline, I can prep my lunch in no time. Plus, it’s fun to use. What is usually a chore turns into a fun cooking session thanks to this mandoline. I imagine this appliance will help save me a ton of time, energy and cash. I can also see this being a time-saving tool if you like to meal prep or even if you want to stock your fridge with fresh veggies.
What I didn’t like about it
It’s not very wide
Overall, I love the Oxo mandoline;?it’s easy to use, clean and store. My only complaint is that it’s slightly narrow so I can’t chop larger food pieces into thicker slices. This means I can’t slice a squash or a similarly sized vegetable, but I don’t mind that considering most salad ingredients are smaller.
Bottom line
Now that I have a tried-and-tested mandoline, I feel like I opened a door to a whole new world of salads. I’m motivated to try more recipes incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables; the possibilities feel endless. With it, I can prepare more elevated meals too, like crunchy slaws, galettes or beautiful veggie platters. I think this kitchen gadget is worth the price tag, and I encourage anyone interested in a mandoline to invest in one.
