I finally gave in and tried a mandoline slicer after swearing by my knife skills for 12 years

I've been working line cook shifts for over a decade and always thought mandolines were just for lazy cooks who couldn't handle a proper knife. But last month I had to slice 40 pounds of potatoes for a catering event and my hand cramped up after 15 minutes. Borrowed a Benriner from the sous chef and finished the whole batch in under an hour with PERFECTLY even slices. Anyone else have a tool they resisted for years that turned out to be a game changer?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_miller1mo ago

See, I gotta disagree with you a little bit here. A mandoline is fine for volume work, but that thing will take a chunk of your finger off before you even feel it. I've seen too many guys in the kitchen with that knuckle guard and still bleeding into the salad. Knife skills are about control and feel, not just speed. You can't feel the potato giving you trouble with a mandoline.

martin.jamie1mo ago

Honestly, this is just like how everyone wants a shortcut for everything but ends up missing the whole point of actually learning the skill. People trade feel and control for speed every day, whether it's cooking, driving, or whatever.