using a mandoline

I clicked on this chat wondering whether someone had been giving a steel stringed mandolin for Xmas!
Doh!

I never use the mandolin side of the grater after too many incidents in domestic science class forty years ago. Occasionally I'll use the food processor to slice things but mostly I just do everything thickly sliced.

What foods is the mandolin slicer good for ?

I have never used one, and never worked in a Professional kitchen which had one, just big electric slicing machines.
At home I just use a good quality sharp knife and lots of practice.

I gave DS1 a mandolin as a present one year and he still has all his fingers!

I use mine all the time, usually for slicing potatoes. I keep the potato away from my fingers by using a stout fork and stop slicing well before the end. I either bin the piece left or finish slicing by hand.,

Mine has a thingy you put the veg into and then a pusher thingy that holds the potato (in my case!!) in place. I do use the Kenwood for coleslaw etc or my trusty ikea 'big knife'!

Lethal implement - DH had one, he worked for a Company which supplied all manner of kitchen goods. Don't think he'd ever used it as it was stuck at the back of a drawer!!

I worked in Restaurant Kitchens & studied Catering at College but I would never use one - I prefer to keep my fingers intact. Now I use my Food Processor or a very sharp knife.

DH's eventually ended up in the Metal Bin at our Re-Cycling Centre

With you on that one !! DH is a gadget man and in the past has had every kind of mandolin going (except Captain Corelli's) but I have always refused to use the things ...ending up with shredded fingers ..I even shread my knuckles with the cheese grater ....and with that and arthritis it is very painful ...so now I slice it as thinly as possible (he doesn't like chunks ! and keeps asking why I don't use the gadgets ! I just tell him all I need are my ceramic knives (done quite a bit of damage to the fingers with them as well !) and the potato peeler ...nothing else ! I am not Sweeney Todd !....every time we pass a shop with kitchen utensils in he gazes admiringly at the latest shredder (better name for the things !) mandolin, etc etc ....he used to love cooking until vasculaire dementia set in (mild at the moment !) so now he is not allowed near the kitchen ...having burnt the teatowel on the gas hob (I have now replaced that with a halogen hob he doesn't luckily know how to use ) and deep cuts in the worktop (also replaced !) .....so I am totally with you ...everything is going in the bin !!

I got one for Christmas I'm looking forward to making vegetable crisps and dauphin potatoes but at the moment it's still in its box. Have taken notes though on how not to use it ?

I have one from Lake Land which works by pulling the blade underneath instead of moving the veg on the top. Can't remove pieces of finger! I'm not describing it very well but you can find it on their website and very good for small amounts. The slicing attachment for my mixer is also good but a bit of a faff if only doing one potato

Mrs JamJam is www.lakeland.co.uk/19283/Chefn-Pulln-Slice-Mandoline the one that you are describing? The write up seems to suggest that it would be impossible to cut yourself with it.

I've been looking at protective gloves too (Ive fished the wretched mandoline out of the bin) and wondered about those that incorporate metallic threads.

Thank you all for your helpful responses. I don't feel quite so daft now that I know how many other people have had problems!

Yes, that's the one. Your fingers will be safe!

Thanks!

The first time I've started a thread and it's on 'What we're talking about today'! Now I feel like a real gransnetter.

My late DH husband loved using the mandolin but I can't manage it, just cut my fingers instead.

Remember the famous occasion when Rick Stein sliced his finger on a mandolin - having just told us that when you'd done it once you would never do it again I remember him hopefully asking the director not to use that shot - as if!