Interchangeable blades give owners the options of grating cheese, slicing french fries to a uniform size, creating ripple-cut potatoes for homemade chips, and much more. V-shaped cutting blades ease the load when working up large vegetable pieces. There's an option for dropping the julienne attachment out of the way without entirely removing it from the machine, allowing a quick conversion to plain slicing. Perfectionists complain that the julienne cutter still scores the food. It's a compromise.

I've noticed over the years that all cooking involves work. In that zone between intimate couple and large restaurant -- the place where most families reside -- a good mandoline can make a lot of sense, reducing labor instead of adding to it. The technique is simple but depends more on fast movement than razor-sharp blades. If these blades do become dull, replacements are available. The build of this mandoline cleans up easily, but all complex machines include joints and crevices which require special attention.

One of the nicest additions to a mandoline is a cutting glove. Safety devices provided with these machines always prove clumsy and wasteful, using an unreasonable portion of the vegetable as a handle that never goes through the cutter. Working barehanded is unwise.

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Norpro 308 V Slicer Grater Mandoline Vegetable Slicer US $26.69   Auction Ends: 8d 14h 27m

Norpro Kitchen Under Cabinet Jar Opener Vise V Shaped US $5.39   Auction Ends: 3d 18h 54m

A mandoline is something which I consider to be a specialty tool, but there aren't many professional kitchens I've worked in that don't have a mandoline or two in their batterie of tools. Does that mean everyone needs one? Probably not -- but if you want to be able to produce professional results without professional skills, this could be well worth the investment.

This is a stainless steel, pro-quality tool which will last most people for a lifetime, making it easy to justify the arguably steep price. Whether you need to create thin slices for a tart, julienne veggies for a slaw, create veggie sticks for snack trays, or even slice up some french fries, this will produce the kind of cuts of which anyone would be proud.

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Bron Mandolin Food Slicer US $50.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 15h 26m

Bron Mandolin Cutter Shredder S S 38 Blades NEW US $182.95   Auction Ends: 10d 13h 56m

And yet, it also presents a scary proposition. Moving your hand close to an exposed blade in the opposite direction of the blade's edge is a recipe for some serious gouges.

The safety issue is mitigated, of course, by the oversized handgrip provided but some complain that it keeps them from slicing those last bits of carrot, potato or yam.

This model from Zyliss is not intended to be a heavy-duty workhorse. Most parts are plastic and the blade is not exactly top-of-the-line.

But people who have it really like it and it's only twenty bucks or so. Its folding design means it stores in a compact space and the dial for setting cutting thickness could not be simpler to use.

If you're looking to get started with a Mandoline and don't want to shell out big bucks, this is the model to choose.

It's generally preferred over the OXO Good Grips Mandoline, which is more well-known.

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Zyliss Easy Slice Mandolin White US $37.99   Auction Ends: 19d 19h 2m

Zyliss Safety Rail Guided Mandoline Slicer US $36.14   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 14h 39m

Take Cooks Illustrated, for example. They loved it. They gave it their top rating in a recent review. It outranked spendier models from elite kitchen gadget brands.

But several buyers of this mandoline have spoken up and said it's really not all that great. Check the reviews on Amazon and you'll see what I mean.

So what is the truth? It's probably somewhere in between. If you've got some patience, are willing to read a manual and practice a bit with your new gadget, you'll probably find this Mandoline to be a deal at just forty bucks.

But if you're looking for something that's going to cut all types of veggies with the same pressure and motion, and you want it to be easy to clean and to feel rugged and solid, this may not be the unit for you.

We've also reviewed the Zyliss Easy Slicer 2, which gets more love from Amazon customers. You may want to check that out as an alternative to the OXO.

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OXO SoftWorks V Blade Mandoline Slicer STRAIGHT CRINKLE JULIENNE FRENCH FRY US $39.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 1h 14m

OXO GOOD GRIPS Mandoline Slicer US $25.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 16h 17m