KT-mandolins-msg - 9/5/09

Kitchen Tools - Mandolins. History and use of the mandolin slicer. Reviews and recommendations on buying a mandolin.

NOTE: See also the files: kitch-toolbox-msg, kitchen-knives-msg, kitchn-gloves-msg, cutting-onions-msg, Dresng-t-Dish-art, entertaing-fds-art, kitchen-tips-msg.

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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:38:19 +1300
From: Adele de Maisieres <ladyadele at paradise.net.nz>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Terry Decker wrote:
> I have a eight string mandolin now I'm in the market for a mandolin slicer
> (but not to slice the mandolin).  Since I do feasts and the occasional
> catering job, I want one that will stand up to commercial or near- 
> commercial
> rigors.  Suggestions about makes, models, design, and features are  
> solicited and appreciated.  Likes and dislikes will be considered.

I bought an OXO Good Grips mandolin a month or so ago.  I haven't used
it that much, but it did a good job on fennel salad for 136 and it's
quite sturdy.
-- 
Adele de Maisieres

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:46:47 -0800
From: aeduin <aeduin at roadrunner.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I've got an Oneida that I got at Target for about $30 that has
features similar to the Matfer? that we had in the kitchen of the
catering company I used to work for.  I really like the screw
adjustment for cutting thickness and the removable blades for
vertical slicing at the same time.  It seems fairly sturdy.

I haven't used it in a feast yet.  I'll probably be bringing it to
help with prep at Black Oak Lodge but that's in a month.

aeduin

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:31:13 -0600
From: "otsisto" <otsisto at socket.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I've had a cheap plastic one from a Chinese grocery store that has  lasted me
6 yrs in making Welsh chips. The drawback is the pronged holder that
prevents you from cutting yourself. You waste about 1/2" of veggy.  
But that isn't a bad idea of adding a mandolin to the feast tools.

De

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:47:54 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Feb 16, 2008, at 8:31 PM, otsisto wrote:
> I've had a cheap plastic one from a Chinese grocery store that has
> lasted me
> 6 yrs in making Welsh chips. The drawback is the pronged holder that
> prevents you from cutting yourself. You waste about 1/2" of veggy.
> But that isn't a bad idea of adding a mandolin to the feast tools.
>
> De

I also ascribe to the cheap plastic mandoline school; both they and
the expensive ones become dangerously dull in about the same amount of
time. Yes, in theory the expensive ones can be sharpened if you're
_really_ good at that sort of thing, but unless you're the only one
that touches the device, it's pretty much a given that you'll get it
back after someone has used it to repair shoes, or shave rattan, or
something.

I always seem to walk into kitchens where there's an expensive
mandoline whose blades all remind me of that old Popeye cartoon where
Popeye and Bluto are each giving a straight-razor shave the other,
and Bluto takes the razor to a whetstone, sharpens it, then tests the
edge by chopping the whetstone into little bits, leaving a
terrifyingly-sawtoothed, jagged edge.

It's a great way to practice your knife skills, though ;-). Avoiding
such tools, I mean.

Regarding the mysterious pronged handle, unless your blades are really
dull and require a great deal of force, a folded kitchen towel works
somewhat better than the prongy-thing, I find.

Adamantius

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:55:38 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I have a Bron that I think I paid $135 for on a sale. One reason why I
bought it.
It's sturdy and stainless and I use it very infrequently. It was
purchased prior to blowing out the knee and finding out that I'd be
left permanently handicapped. I thought then I would do more feasts.
And of course I do no feasts at all these days.
http://www.chefdepot.net/mandoline.htm   has the bron on sale.

What I use for small jobs right now one of the cheaper Kyocera
non-adjustable slicers.
http://kyoceraadvancedceramics.com/products/kitchen/slicers.html
It works great and makes the uniform slice. They also make an adjustable
and julienne one now. A couple of those might work as well. They
certainly clean up faster and store in less space.

There are a number of new brands out that Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table,
and Prof Chef are carrying.
http://www.cookswares.com/search.asp?SearchQ=mandoline&I1.x=8&I1.y=3
has a bunch.

Johnna

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:11:14 -0500
From: ranvaig at columbus.rr.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I use a Beringer mandolin that I got in a Japanese cook store for  
around $15.  It has a screw to adjust the slice size and several  
widths of julienne.  I have another mandolin that I paid more for,  
but the Beringer has a thinner blade and does a better job of slicing.

Ranvaig

Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:12:03 -0500
From: "Christine Seelye-King" <kingstaste at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mandolin
To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I really like the OXO brand that goes for $60 retail at the Viking store I
work at (I'm sure it could be had cheaper elsewhere).  The parts all stay
together and are easy to switch out the blade, and the dial on the side for
the size of slice is easy to move and read.  It has flip-down legs with good
rubber pads to help stabilize it.  I find it the easiest of the three models
we have to choose from to use.

http://www.oxo.com/OA_HTML/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?a=b&item=50716   
(oxo on-line has it for $50)

Chef Christy

Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:14:18 -0500
From: "Nick Sasso" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mandolin
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

-----Original Message-----
I find it the easiest of the three models
we have to choose from to use.
http://www.oxo.com/OA_HTML/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?a=b&item=50716   
(oxo on-line has it for $50)  Chef Christy > > > > > > > > > >

I am with Christianna about the design of the OXO.  V-slicers are superior
in my experience than the straight blades.  I had a stainless Bron model
that got the treatment Adamantius described.  I have played h#ll trying to
find just replacement blades for it.  I don't know if you can even buy them.
Inexpensive V-slicer would be cheaper even than replacing the blades.

Personally, I have gone to a completely different direction in my
restaurant: Nemco easy slicer.  You can find one new at
http://www.restaurantsource.com/prodDetail.cfm/308791,Nemco%20Easy% 
20Slicer, MX2, just as an example ($257).  I found mine on Craig's List for $75  
and am thrilled.  It has an adjustable blade width, and rolls through tomatoes,
onions, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and even hard cheeses.  It is  simpler
and safer to use than a mandolin, dissasembles for easy cleaning, and is
nigh indestructable.  Though it is more expensive and heavier than  
the aforementioned plastic dealies.

niccolo difrancesco

Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:22:03 -0800
From: Dragon <dragon at crimson-dragon.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Go to a restaurant supply and buy a Matfer. Expensive but will stand
up to anything and it stays sharp enough to remove fingers with
little needed maintenance (stropping the straight edge once in a
while is all mine has ever needed).

Dragon

Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:58:13 -0500
From: silverr0se at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

While the various brands we are discussing are, of course, OOP the  
mandolin is not. The guys at Hampton Court have one in their kitchen.

Renata

Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:21:12 -0800 (PST)
From: Helen Schultz <meisterin02 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP Mandolin
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< While the various brands we are discussing are, of course, OOP the  
mandolin is not. The guys at Hampton Court have one in their kitchen.

Renata >>>

Besides the fact that there is one depicted in Scappi!!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meisterin Katarina Helene von Sch?nborn, OL
Shire of Narrental (Peru, Indiana) http://narrental.home.comcast.net
Middle Kingdom

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