A mandoline used for slicing a carrot
A mandoline (US, ) or mandolin (British, /ˌmandəˈlɪn/, /ˈmandəlɪn/, /ˈmandl̩ɪn/), is a culinary utensil used for slicing and for cutting
juliennes; with suitable attachments, it can make
crinkle-cut
Crinkle-cutting is slicing that leaves a corrugated surface.
Waffle fries
''Pommes gaufrettes'', grid fries, waffle fries, crinkle-cut or criss-cross fries are fries obtained by quarter-turning the potato before each pass over the corrugated bla ...
s.
Design
A mandoline consists of two parallel working surfaces, one of which can be adjusted in height. A food item is slid along the adjustable surface until it reaches a blade mounted on the fixed surface, slicing it and letting it fall.
Other blades perpendicular to the main blade are often mounted so that the slice is cut into strips. The mandoline juliennes in several widths and thicknesses. It also makes slices, waffle cuts and crinkle cuts, and dices firm vegetables and fruits.
With a mandoline, slices are uniform in thickness,
which is important with foods that are deep-fried or baked (e.g.
potato chips
A potato chip (North American English; often just chip) or crisp (British and Irish English) is a thin slice of potato that has been either deep fried, baked, or air fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appe ...
), as well as for presentation. Slices can be very thin, and be made very quickly, with significantly less skill and effort than would be required if cutting with a
knife
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
or other blade.
Operation
A mandoline is used by running a piece of food (with some protection for fingers) along an adjustable inclined plane into one or more blades. On some models vertical blades cut to produce julienne, or a wavy blade is used that produces crinkle cuts. In these models a quarter turn to the food between passes produces dice and waffle cuts.
A mandoline can cause serious injury if not used correctly.
See also
*
Food processor
A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate repetitive tasks in the preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as "food ...
– chops food using motorisation in multiple ways.
*
Grater
A grater, also known as a shredder, is a kitchen utensil used to grate foods into fine pieces.
Uses
Food preparation
Several types of graters feature different sizes of grating slots, and can therefore aid in the preparation of a variety of ...
– produces smaller pieces rather than thin sheets.
* – Japanese version, used to shave , dried blocks of skipjack tuna.
*
Meat slicer
A meat slicer, also called a slicing machine, deli slicer or simply a slicer, is a tool used in butcher shops and delicatessens to slice meats, sausages, cheeses and other deli products. As compared to a simple knife, using a meat slicer requires ...
– a tool used to slice meats and other deli products.
*
Microplane Microplane is a registered trademark of Grace Manufacturing Inc., a company that makes photo etched steel tools ( surform tools) for grating, grinding and sanding. It was created by Richard Grace in the mid-'90s. Grace set out to make a wood-carvin ...
– used for the grating of various food items.
*
Microtome
A microtome (from the Greek ''mikros'', meaning "small", and ''temnein'', meaning "to cut") is a cutting tool used to produce extremely thin slices of material known as ''sections''. Important in science, microtomes are used in microscopy, allow ...
– the laboratory-grade equivalent, for much finer slicing thicknesses.
* – graters used in Japanese cooking.
References
External links
Mandoline parts overview
{{Authority control
Food preparation utensils
