Cookware

A great mandoline, especially for carrots?

Cicely | Feb 14, 200809:50 AM 6

Carrots

I've read a bunch of reviews on mandolines, but none address my chief need: one that juliennes carrots well. I've tried the Japanese kind (Benriner), but I really didn't like how unstable it seemed, and I cut myself several times. Then I got the Oxo, because I usually like their products and I had read good reviews, but it did *not* work well for me. The one chore that makes me long for a mandoline is julienning carrots, and the Oxo just wasn't sharp enough for their toughness. A lot of the reviews I've read have people raving about how easy it is to slice potatoes, or zucchini... those things aren't difficult to slice anyway. I need something that will work like a dream on carrots, but I'm reluctant to drop a lot of money on yet another device if it's not going to work out. TIA!

6 Comments

trentyzan 02/14/0811:16AM You may not want a unitasker, but those cheap green papaya shredders work pretty well for julienning carrots. They look like wafffle...

You may not want a unitasker, but those cheap green papaya shredders work pretty well for julienning carrots. They look like wafffle-edged carrot peelers. Maybe not what you want, but cheaper to try than going through several mandolines...
amyzan 02/14/0812:33PM Yeah, carrots are tricky. I julienne them by hand, or if I need only a small amount, I use one of the handheld julienne shredders...

Yeah, carrots are tricky. I julienne them by hand, or if I need only a small amount, I use one of the handheld julienne shredders. The handheld looks a little like a peeler, only with a different blade. You can find them at kitchen shops or Asian groceries. The only other suggestion I'd have is that if you have a food processor and a large shred disc, that might be an alternative for some applications. It's not julienne, but it'll work sometimes.
1. scubadoo97 02/14/08 2:16PM re: amyzan The julienne blades on all the mandolines work but frequently get jammed or clogged. I will usually just do it all by hand with...
  
  The julienne blades on all the mandolines work but frequently get jammed or clogged. I will usually just do it all by hand with knife and board but if I'm feeling a little lazy I will cut the carrot into small logs then plane it on the mandoline to desired thickness and then with my knife cut into thin strips to julienne.
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baloo 02/15/0810:55AM I have a Matfer which I got from Sur La Table a couple years ago. It works really well for what you want. It is very very sharp...

I have a Matfer which I got from Sur La Table a couple years ago. It works really well for what you want. It is very very sharp, so be careful when you first start using it, because you can really cut yourself (I did several times, luckily not too bad). It has a bunch of adjustments and a couple julienne blades that slide in easily.
1. j
  JHM57 08/24/18 3:09PM re: baloo Your comment is not very helpful, since Matfer makes many models of mandolines (which one is yours?), and none of them are currently...
  
  Your comment is not very helpful, since Matfer makes many models of mandolines (which one is yours?), and none of them are currently available on Sur la Table.
tim irvine 08/25/18 5:20AM There are usually Brons on eBay for very low prices. I wouldn’t buy one at store prices but they are an attractive option at a...

There are usually Brons on eBay for very low prices. I wouldn’t buy one at store prices but they are an attractive option at a much lower price.