Most problems with a mandoline fall into a short list, and almost all of them are habits rather than faults with the tool. Correcting them takes no skill and changes both the output and the safety picture considerably.
Discarding the Guard
The most consequential mistake and the most common. The guard feels clumsy, obscures the view and grips imperfectly, so it gets put aside after the first few uses.
It is also the single feature standing between a rhythmic repetitive motion and a serious injury. Where the supplied guard grips poorly on a particular vegetable, the correct response is to stop rather than to continue barehanded. Slicers that include a proper finger protector as standard, of the kind in benriner mandoline ranges, make this easier since the guard is part of the tool rather than an optional extra.
Slicing to the Last Centimetre
Injuries cluster at the end of the vegetable, when there is too little material left for the guard to hold and the fingers are close to the blade.
Stop with a usable piece remaining and finish it with a knife, or put it in the stock pot. Two slices are not worth the alternative.
The Technique Errors
- Not cutting a flat face first, so the vegetable rocks and slices vary
- Varying downward pressure, which changes the effective thickness
- Using short jabbing strokes instead of the full length of the bed
- Persevering with a dull blade, which tears and requires dangerous force
- Setting the thickness once and using it for every vegetable
Washing in a Full Sink
A blade submerged in soapy water is invisible, and hands go in after other items. A substantial share of mandoline injuries happen at the sink rather than during use.
Wash under running water, holding the tool by the frame with the blade facing away, using a brush with a handle rather than a cloth in the hand.
Storing It Loose
A mandoline in a drawer among the utensils is a hazard for whoever reaches in next, particularly if that person is not the one who put it there.
Use the supplied blade cover or folding position. Where blades are stored separately, keep them in a marked container rather than loose.
Leaving It Wet
Japanese blades resist corrosion but are not immune, and the vulnerable point is the fine edge. Acidic residue from tomato or citrus, left overnight, marks the steel and eventually causes the pitting that people mistake for bluntness.
Rinse immediately, dry completely, and store dry. This one habit determines whether a blade lasts years or months.
Expecting Too Much From It
A mandoline slices and julienne cuts. It does not dice, does not handle anything with a stone or hard core, and struggles with anything that will not sit flat.
Trying to force an unsuitable vegetable through is both frustrating and the situation where slips occur. The knife is the right tool more often than enthusiasm for a new gadget suggests.
