Mandolines are terrific for achieving restaurant-perfect juliennes or paper thin slices, but their sharp blades can be a little intimidating. Several manufacturers are introducing innovations to make mandolines and slicers a little more user-friendly. Zyliss's new model folds in half, so it takes up less cabinet space. It sports a large knob for easily adjusting the thickness of the slice.
The Zyliss mandoline folded...
...and unfolded.
Oxo's newest mandoline (it's had a stainless steel model on the market for a year now) is made from sturdy ABS plastic and stores all its blades under the slicing platform. It also has an easy-to-use knob to adjust for thickness, which is color-coded, so you know which setting to use with which blade. It is priced at just under $50, and includes wide julienne, narrow julienne, and dicing blades, and all the parts can go in the dishwasher.
The V-shaped blade makes it easier to slice soft foods like tomatoes.
Oxo's color-coded knob for adjusting thickness.
A glove to reduce slicing anxiety.
Finally, Microplane is introducing an adjustable hand-held V-slicer ($39.99) with a very welcome accessory: a cut-resistant glove. The one-size-fits-most glove gives you the dexterity of using your hand instead of a food holder, but without the worry of slicing a finger or grating your knuckles. It retails for just under $25, and is machine-washable.
