We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. What to Buy Kitchen Tools We Tested 10 Mandoline Slicers to Find the 4 Best Picks These tools crank out thin and even slices of cucumbers, radishes, and more. By Greg Baker Greg Baker Greg Baker is a chef, restaurant consultant, and writer with almost 40 years of experience in the industry. As an expert in outdoor cooking, Greg has written more than 30 articles on grilling and barbecuing for Food & Wine across categories including kamado grills, pizza ovens, and meat thermometers. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 19, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Our Favorite Mandoline Slicers How We Tested Mandoline Slicers Factors to Consider FAQ Other Mandoline Slicers We Tested What Didn't Make the List Our Expertise Photo: Food & Wine / Megan Soll Chefs in nearly every restaurant rely on the best mandoline slicers to crank out impossibly thin and impeccably even slices of cucumbers for cucumber salads and onions for French onion soup. There’s no better tool for thinly slicing or quickly julienning vegetables. Attempting to make potato pavé, uniform radish slices, or perfectly shaved cabbage for coleslaw is an exercise in futility unless your knife skills are as on-point as your chef’s knife is sharp. And who wants to wash a knife and cutting board when a mandoline can often be used right over your bowl and just needs a quick rinse? Although mandoline slicers are essential for creating uniform and precise cuts, they can also be dangerous. The blade is sharp, and if you're going too fast and aren't careful, you'll be surprised at how easy it is slice a fingertip. The most important thing when using a mandoline, especially if it's a new tool for you, is to take your time. We've all seen videos of people slicing a whole potato in mere seconds and cooks running their hands up and down the slicer a mile a minute. But that speed takes time and practice. In your home kitchen, take your time to do it safely. With the proper technique and practice, the best mandoline slicer will be a valuable and versatile kitchen tool that doesn't have to be scary. If toiling over precise knife cuts isn't your idea of a good time, save time and get the professional-level results you want with just a few quick slices. We tested 10 models of varying designs, materials, and blade types to find the best mandoline slicers for home cooks. With one of these your guests will think your veggies were cut by a professional. Our Top Picks Best Overall Mandoline Slicer: Mueller Austria Mandoline at Amazon $30 Jump to Review Best Value Mandoline Slicer: OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicer at Amazon $19 Jump to Review Best Splurge Mandoline Slicer: SALE OXO SteeL Chef's Mandoline 2.0 at Amazon $113 $80 Jump to Review Safest Mandoline Slicer: Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Hand-Held Mandoline at Amazon $60 Jump to Review Best Overall Mandoline Slicer Mueller Austria Mandoline PHOTO: Amazon $30 at Amazon Pros This slicer offers versatility in cutting blades, and we liked that it functions on the countertop as well as over a bowl. Cons It requires a bit more force on the medium and wide settings, which can make it tough to slice precisely and safely. This mandoline from Mueller Austria functions two ways: Unfold the stand for countertop use or leave it folded to place over a bowl. The set comes with five blades, and the cutting thickness adjusts with the turn of a knob. The first thing we noticed was how sturdy it felt; the angle of the kickstand combined with the gripper provided superior leverage that made us feel completely in control. The mandoline itself was easy to hold, and during testing, it resisted slipping on the countertop — the handle on the stand gave us better control. We used the hand guard in our tests, and it felt safe, even when we had to press down a little harder on the medium and thick settings and with firmer vegetables. In our slicing tests, the Mueller consistently made thin slices of potatoes and tomatoes. It struggled a little with thicker cuts of potatoes, sticking and removing some random chunks, but that's to be expected with dense veggies. However, the julienne slices it produced made perfect potato matchsticks, and we were also excited about using the crinkle-cut attachment. After testing, cleaning was easy; we rinsed it under running water, and nothing was stuck under the blade. If food does get trapped, the blades pop out for more detailed cleaning without jeopardizing your fingers; we felt that this mandoline was safer when it came to clean up than some others we tested. Style: Kickstand | Blades Included: Slicer, shredder, grater, wavy, coarse shredder PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll Best Value Mandoline Slicer OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicer PHOTO: Oxo $19 $17 at Amazon $19 at Target $19 at Kohls.com Pros This mandoline is sharp and has a safer blade design at an unbeatable price. Cons The blade isn't fully flush with the plastic, so softer foods can get caught while moving upwards. This mandoline excelled in our potato tests. The blade is sharp, and we didn't have trouble with the hard veggies even on thick settings. When we sliced the tomato, we noticed a slight issue with a ridge between the blade and the plastic, which caught on the softer flesh and made it difficult to slide things back up without accidentally mashing them. Soft vegetable issue aside, the OXO felt very good in our hands and functioned well while held vertically or at an angle. We loved the handy notches that grip a mixing bowl’s edges to avoid slippage. Three settings change the slice thickness via a toggle on the side. Though there aren't any other blade options, we really liked that we didn't have to put our fingers near the blade to switch thicknesses like other slicers. Its simple, lightweight construction made it very easy to clean, and we loved that it's dishwasher-safe, too. Style: Handheld | Blades Included: Slicer PHOTO: Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald PHOTO: Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald Best Splurge Mandoline Slicer OXO SteeL Chef's Mandoline 2.0 PHOTO: Oxo $113 $80 at Amazon $113 at Sur La Table $113 at Oxo Pros This French/Japanese hybrid mandoline is very sturdy, with precise thickness control. Cons The thinnest setting was mostly ineffective. This much fancier OXO slicer blends Japanese and French styles, taking the best features from each. Its French kickstand design is built to last and feels sturdy, and the Japanese-style blade and textured runway help food glide over the blade more smoothly. There are swappable straight and curvy blades, and built-in ones for julienne cuts and homemade French fries, all with ultra-fine thickness adjustments in half-millimeter increments. The precision cutting machine has a total of 21 blade setting combinations. In our cutting tests, the thinnest setting wasn’t the best, leaving us struggling with the potato, and the tomato was too thin to retain its shape. But thicker settings yielded better results, as did the julienne blade. This mandoline felt sturdy, even during our tests with trickier veggies. After testing, it was easy to clean, with no situations leading to getting our fingers too close to the blade. We loved how customizable this slicer was; during our tests, it was the most versatile and had the most settings of any of the slicers we tested, making it feel worth the price. Style: Kickstand | Blades Included: Straight, wavy, julienne, French fry PHOTO: Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald PHOTO: Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald PHOTO: Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald Safest Mandoline Slicer Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Hand-Held Mandoline PHOTO: Amazon $60 at Amazon $60 $50 at Walmart View on Shoppremiumoutlets.com Pros This slicer offers the best finger protection, and its sturdy design and sharp blade make it easy and safe to use. Cons We wish it had thinner settings. During testing, this slicer had our favorite finger guard: It gripped the potatoes the best out of all the mandolines we tested and had a deep lip for our fingers to comfortably (and safely) settle into. We also noted throughout every test how sturdy and safe this slicer felt; there was no slipping, and cutting with it didn't feel dangerous at all. The blade is very sharp, so everything is sliced cleanly and evenly — even the tomato, which showed no signs of squishing. This slicer did very well with thick slices, and while we were happy with the quality of the thin slices, we wished there were even narrower options. Almost all of the other mandolines we tested are able to slice thinner than this one. Style: Handheld | Blades Included: Large and small slicer, large and small julienne PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll PHOTO: Food & Wine / Megan Soll Our Favorite Mandoline Slicers For its versatility in cutting and configuration, performance, and value, we stand behind the Mueller Austria Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline Slicer as our overall favorite. The OXO Good Grips Handheld Mandoline Slicer is an excellent value for its compact size and sharp blade. How We Tested Mandoline Slicers Food & Wine / Megan Soll To evaluate our group of 10 mandolines, we rated each on design, ease of use, performance, ease of cleaning, and value. We took general notes on quality and construction, then performed a series of identical tests. During our slicing tests, we paid close attention to safety and how comfortable we felt using the machines in addition to how well they actually sliced food. Potato test: We sliced three potatoes on each mandoline: one at the thickest setting, one at the thinnest setting, and one at a setting in the middle. We paid attention to how much force was needed to slice through the potato, and how clean and even the slices ended up. If the mandoline had other blades, such as a julienne or a cutter for waffle fries, we sliced an additional potato per blade to rate its performance. Tomato test: We sliced ripe tomatoes on the thinnest setting possible to test the sharpness of the blade and assess how well each slicer handled something soft and delicate. We observed how well each slicer kept the slices intact, looking for torn skin or any kind of mashing. Cleaning test: Between slicing tests, we carefully cleaned the mandolines according to the manufacturer's instructions, paying particular attention to how easy or difficult it was to remove debris from the blade. After testing, we revealed each mandoline's retail price to rate value. At the time of testing, the least expensive mandoline was $19, and the most expensive was $181, with an average cost of about $73. Food & Wine / Megan Soll Factors to Consider Handheld vs. Kickstand There are two basic styles for mandolines. A handheld type is, well, handheld, made to rest atop a bowl or for you to hold at an angle against the counter. Kickstand mandoline slicers have a built-in stand to hold themselves up on the counter, which often has an adjustable angle. (You can usually collapse the kickstand entirely to rest the slicer on a bowl, too.) Handheld mandolines tend to be thinner and more lightweight than kickstand designs, making storage easier in a drawer. The drawback is that cutting over a bowl, with the blade set horizontally, is more difficult than cutting on an angle. If you want that angle with a handheld mandoline, you’ll have to provide it yourself by holding the handled end in place, which can feel less safe. At the end of the day, the best mandoline slicer is the one you're most comfortable using, whether that's a handheld or kickstand slicer — after much testing, we ended up with winners of both types. Blade Shape and Options Slicers have either angled or V-shaped blades. Both are great for slicing; V-shaped blades usually have less drag but can make it more challenging to get an even cut. Angled blades are better for smaller foods, like discs for that viral cucumber salad, while V-shapes excel with larger items like cabbage for slaw. Either shape is an excellent choice for an all-purpose slicer, provided the blade is sharp. Are you buying a mandoline primarily for a cheesy root vegetable gratin and shaved vegetable salad? Or would you use the julienne or grater blades, too? If you want more variety, consider springing for a model with multiple blade options. In our tests, we also noted how easy or difficult switching between blades was. Adjustability Most mandolines give you some control over the thickness of your slices, by adjusting the amount of space between the blade and the sliding surface. This can be controlled by a slider or set screw, with just a handful of individual settings or a full range of increments down to the half-millimeter. Adjustable settings allow for more flexibility and customization, but the most-adjustable mandolines also tend to be the most expensive. Safety Features Mandolines can be dangerous, and you should exercise caution when pushing food across a sharp cutting blade. Almost all mandolines come with a finger guard that attaches to your food via spikes or something similar, but the quality and effectiveness of those guards vary, and you should consider that when deciding your comfort level in using a mandoline. For kickstand models, a sturdy base and legs keep your slicer in place and help protect against slipping. Look for durable materials and construction in these models. For handheld models, deep notches for resting on the edges of a bowl create a safer grip, and secure handles are essential for holding the slicer steady. Food & Wine / Amanda McDonald Frequently Asked Questions How do I use a mandoline slicer safely? Many mandolines come with a hand guard that grabs onto the food with small spikes and protects your fingers with a plastic lip. Some people don't like these guards as they end up wasting the last bit of food that stays stuck to the spikes, but if you ask us, throwing away a bit of potato is preferable to blood in your food.If your mandoline doesn't come with a guard, consider investing in cut gloves. These look just like thin knit gloves, but they're made of a super-strong metal mesh that protects your fingers from the mandoline's blade. Regardless of what type of protective equipment you choose, or if you choose to slice without any, try to keep your hand perpendicular to the mandoline and your fingers away from the blade as much as possible. A mandoline doesn't know the difference between a fingertip and a piece of carrot; don't give it a chance to get them confused.Pressing down on the food with a lot of pressure while slicing is what often leads to slips and subsequent injuries. A shaper blade requires much less pressure than a dull one; sharpening your blade often keeps your mandoline safer.You may have noticed that you rarely see your favorite celebrity chef use a guard or a glove on their cooking shows, and you surely won't see a mandoline guard in depictions of fine dining on shows like The Bear. However, another thing you don't see is the many, many scars pro chefs all have on their fingertips, knuckles, and palms from mandoline disasters. There is no shame in taking your time and using protective equipment when it comes to mandolines. How do you use a mandoline slicer? To use the regular cutting blade, start by firmly gripping the food with the food guard or your hand and running it across the blade, preferably at a downward angle. When possible, keep your hand held flat so your fingers stay far from the blade.The blade typically adjusts to various thicknesses, either by adjusting the blade setting or changing the depth of the deck. Thicker cuts usually require more effort to move the food across the blade, which sometimes results in the chipping or cracking of harder foods like carrots or potatoes.Many mandolines have changeable blades for a thin julienne cut, thicker matchsticks, and sometimes a crinkle cut. Some offer more variety, like grater blades of varying coarseness. Whichever blade you choose, the technique remains essentially the same: Move the food down the deck and across the blade in a back-and-forth motion. How thick does a mandoline slice? Mandolines’ cutting ranges usually cover paper-thin slices to about half an inch at the thickest. They're especially useful for ultra-thin slices and ultra-uniform slices. You can make thick slices easily using a chef's knife, but it's hard to make them as even as with a mandoline, and it's very hard to make them as thin. How do you clean a mandoline slicer? The safest way to clean a mandoline is to use a sprayer or full-force running faucet to remove any debris clinging to the blade. From there, You can carefully wipe everything off with a soapy sponge or dish towel and then rinse once more. If possible, set the blade to the widest-open position to spray off debris, then close it all the way when wiping it down. How do you keep a mandoline slicer sharp? One factor that affects the longevity of a mandoline is the sharpness of the blade. When they get dull, people tend to discard them. But if you’re handy with a honing steel, opening the mandoline as wide as it will go and running the steel across the blade will keep it sharp, which allows cleaner cutting, increased safety, and will add to your mandoline’s lifespan. Other Mandoline Slicers We Tested Strong Contenders OXO V-Blade Mandoline Slicer ($46 at Amazon) The OXO V-Blade is very similar to our top pick, and while it performed well, it didn't outperform the Mueller. Bron Coucke Original Stainless Steel Classic Chef's Mandoline ($181 at Amazon) This classic French-design stainless steel mandoline is durable and built for speed and high volume. However, as a professional model, it has a steep learning curve to use safely, so it might be outside the average home user’s comfort zone. OXO Chef's Mandoline Slicer 2.0 ($100 at Amazon) The Chef’s Mandoline 2.0 is the plastic cousin of OXO’s Steel model above. It has the same blades and precision setting for cutting depth, but we think it's worth a few extra dollars for the more durable metal-bodied option. What Didn't Make the List Unfortunately, not every mandoline we tested made the list for our recommendations. Some had issues with how much pressure we had to exert to slice hard veggies like potatoes, while others gave inconsistent cuts. Others had finger guards that were hard to use, and one sliced off the guard's teeth while we were using it. Lastly, others didn't offer the versatility of thicknesses or blade types that we would like to see, especially at higher prices. Our Expertise Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Tasting Table, Serious Eats, and other publications. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit