Mandolin-how dangerous?

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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen

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agreer

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 11:08 pm

I really want a mandolin slicer for veggies.

I am also klutzy in the kitchen - I have sliced my fingers with all sorts of knives and I burn myself on the oven/pots at least once a week.

My DH is terrified of the idea of leaving me in the kitchen alone with a mandolin.

I would use the safety slicer, but he knows me and thinks it's a terrible idea.

WWYD?

FranticFrummie

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 1:25 am

A friend of mine lost the entire tip of a finger, and had to rush to the ER to have it sewn back on. She was lucky and the surgery worked. She got most of the feeling back.

This woman was being super careful. It just takes one slip! I want one too, but I just don't trust myself.

little_mage

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 4:34 am

I have a kevlar glove for my mandolin. It much safer then using the hand guard, which admittedly is (was) a big pain.

Motherlee

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 4:40 am

little_mage wrote:

I have a kevlar glove for my mandolin. It much safer then using the hand guard, which admittedly is (was) a big pain.

Great idea!

Just thinking about using a mandolin unguarded makes my stomach drop.

Rutabaga

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 5:41 am

Don't they all come with finger guards these days? I know ours did.

bigsis144

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 5:59 am

Mine has a finger guard above the slicing blades (but not the julienne blades) as well as a plastic hand guard with metal spikes for impaling the food as you move it up and down, but one erev Shabbos as I was turning particularly hard sweet potatoes into fries I just gave up on using the hand guard. The metal spikes were shredding the back of the sweet potato instead of sticking well enough to let me drag it toward the blades.

So I took the sweet potato off the hand guard and held it carefully to finish slicing it. I still had to use a considerable amount of force because that sweet potato was really hard.

Well, next thing I know I have five tiny but deep parallel slashes on my wrist and I'm on my way to the emergency room.

B"H I didn't end up needing stitches as the cuts were very neat (hey, the mandolin packaging *said* the blades were made of surgical-grade steel...) and bandaging alone would keep them together enough to heal, but they did give me a tetanus shot just in case.

mummiedearest

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 6:02 am

these are great:

http://www.amazon.com/Presto-0.....=1-21

and I have one of these:

http://www.lifetimebrands.com/......html

it's a little more of a pain in the neck than a regular mandolin, you have to cut the veggies to fit in the box, and pieces sometimes get stuck between the blade and the rest of the contraption. but it accomplishes the same kind of cut, and your fingers are safe. I got one for $5 at amazing savings ages ago. I don't know if they still sell them.

mille

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 9:13 am

OXO mandolines come with a finger guard. Otherwise, these are what some chefs wear while cutting stuff with super sharp chefs knives: http://smile.amazon.com/Epica-.....glove They work very well

If you don't use proper safety techniques, yeah, they will slice you up. A friend also lost the tip of her finger with a mandoline. So use the finger guard or a chain link glove!

amother

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 10:18 am

I won't use my julienne slicer any more as I have cut myself so many times. I keep meaning to get a hand guard but it is a wierd slicer and is difficult to use with it.

little_mage

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 11:18 am

Rutabaga wrote:

Don't they all come with finger guards these days? I know ours did.

Mine did, but is was the kind that you impale the food on and it was a pain. I actually bent the spikes when cutting something hard. I much prefer my glove; this is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....psc=1

It's a little too big for me, but otherwise it works great.

octopus

Thu, Aug 14 2014, 12:05 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

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