Swissmar Börner VPower V-Slicer Mandoline – Professional Kitchen Tool with Adjustable Thickness – Precision Food Slicer for Vegetables, Julienne, Shredding – Includes Safety Holder & Inserts - White

Why did I wait so long to buy one of these? To tell you the truth, I was afraid of the blades. Yes, this is definitely a "slicing machine," and it does it remarkably well. I've been putting it through its paces over the last couple of days and as long as I am careful, I will have remarkably evenly sliced and diced fruits and vegetables and retain my fingertips. Why use a mandoline slicer over a knife? A mandoline makes quick and extremely even slices of just about anything you throw at it. You can slice a ripe tomato into beautiful, thin, perfectly even slices faster than you can take the serrated knife out of the drawer. You can make translucent-thin slices of radish or chop an onion for sautéing. And there is very little mess as everything is contained under the mandoline and doesn't go flying around as it is being cut. This Swissmar mandoline is made by Borner in Germany. Everything about it is solid, well thought out and precision made. I purchased the product in white, but it also comes in orange, red, and green. Here are some things you should know: 1) The instruction book is quite thick as it comes in 24 different languages. English is on the last two pages. Go directly to the back and read the instructions, they are important. 2) There are also pictographs. Some are very helpful, some are quite small....too small to be really useful. A larger, easy to understand version is on the Amazon product page. 3) The product page on Amazon has a video by the manufacturer. I found it quite helpful 4) The main part of the mandoline is a molded slab of plastic with a handle on one end and two very sharp, permanently attached blades angled into a V in the middle. The "Plain Insert" is a sturdy, V shaped piece of plastic that is inserted into slots at the bottom of the main part of the mandoline. When inserted fully, and clicked into place, the "Plain Insert" rests against the sharp blades and acts as a "Safety" to close and secure the device for storage and cleaning. The "Plain Insert" can be pulled and clicked into four slicing positions that provide different thickness of slices for varying textures of food. 5) In addition to the "Plain Insert" there are two additional inserts: a 3.5 and a 7mm slicer for cutting strips, julienne, shreds, and cubes. The "Plain Insert" is removed from under the mandoline and one of the others is inserted in its place. Each of these inserts has two positions, one providing a slightly thinner version of the other. 6) There is a plastic holder for the two inserts that snaps on to the back of the mandoline for safe storage. 7) There is a large, round "Safety Holder" or finger guard. It is absolutely imperative that it is used! Cleverly designed, it is a large, dome-shaped plastic disk that has multiple prongs on the bottom and a large tab on the top. You secure the food on to the prongs and, as you guide the finger guard over the blades, you provide slight pressure to the disk on the top. By providing the slight pressure, the tab pushes most of the food through the blades and there is very little waste that remains on the prongs. Arrows on the finger guard ensure that it is moved in the correct direction. 8) As you slide the finger guard (with the food attached to it) over the mandoline with a light back and forth motion, the food is silently sliced and lays in neat piles under the device. The first time I used it, I was slicing a large radish that was totally obscured under the finger guard, and it seemed as if it had almost immediately vanished into thin air! I picked up the finger guard and just a bit of the stem end of the radish remained attached to the prongs. Where was the rest of it? I picked up the mandoline off the counter and there, underneath, was a little, perfect pile of translucent radish slices. 9) Tomatoes require an adjustment for a thicker cut. I also found that one needed to "start" a tomato by slicing a small bit off the end so that the blades could "grab" the fruit and start slicing. Four back and forth movements slices a large tomato. 10) The 3.5mm insert was good for mincing an onion, the 7mm blade chopped it finely. 11) There is a way to dice that requires turning the finger guard 45° before the first cut and then 90° back prior to the next cut. I have yet to master this technique and have strangely cut a potato into peculiarly shaped pieces. 12) Cleaning up requires some attention. Everything detaches and rinses easily but the blades are exposed and possibly dangerous. For this reason, the manufacturer recommends that the "Plain Insert" be placed into the "Safety" position prior to washing the device. I found that I needed to rinse the blades prior to inserting the "Pain Insert" back into mandoline or I couldn't get the blades clean enough. The manufacturer also recommends rinsing the two additional inserts and letting them air dry in their holder which is snapped to the back of the mandoline. This makes very good sense. 13) This mandoline is not dishwasher safe. I'm quite happy with this purchase.

My first Swissmar Borner mandolin was purchased 20 years ago. As a former chef, I had purchased mandolins for over $200 and returned them because they were a disappointment. When I received my first Swissmar mandolin I was disappointed and thought it was a cheap piece of crap...until I tried it and realized that they put all the money in the blades. You can slice a ripe tomato in slices so thin you can see through it...great for pizza! I kept that unit for 15 years and threw it out figuring the company had updated the unit and made the body as awesome as the blade. It cut as well after 15 years as the day I bought it...then I found there had been no change and bought another of the same unit 5 years ago. I have that unit to this day but when I saw they FINALLY updated the body I jumped at it. First of all I LOVE the new safety feature that protects the blade flat...I now have a grandson and always worry he will find it in a drawer and cut himself...and those blades are sharp. Unlike the old unit where you flipped the plate over for thick or thin, you have several options for thickness. The grip feet at the base are nice and the holder for the other two blades is an improvement. Although it's still plastic, it doesn't look as cheap as the older model and the plastic is better quality. The blades are the gem here and it remains the same. You can still slice that tomato paper thin or nice and thick or in between. I paid a fortune for my food processor but this is what I break out 90% of the time. When my daughter found out I bought this unit she begged me for my old one...I ordered her one of these instead. Now if they would only make this in stainless steel I would pay the high price tag...maybe someday. In the meantime enjoy a really well made mandolin for a bargain price...and please don't ignore the safety holder...20 years ago I thought I could do without it until it took a good chunk of my knuckle...now I might start slicing a carrot or cucumber without it but once I get halfway I put the guard on...these blades are REALLY sharp. I have always put it in the dishwasher and never had a problems with warping, rusting or dulling.

Let me start with saying that this is my first mandoline ever, so it's possible that the few complaints I have may exist in other slicers as well. I looked around a lot before buying, and the other Borner slicer had amazing reviews, so I decided to go with this slightly updated version, figuring it too must be great, and for the most part was pleasantly surprised. The slicer blade itself is VERY sharp. It makes easy work of most vegetables (and fingers if you don't use the safety holder). It has 4 settings for thickness for each insert, allowing for very thin slices, and is easily changed. The inserts allow you to do strips of either very fine or small sizes, but even the largest is a bit smaller than I prefer for fries or veggie sticks (but the ones it does make are very nice). It is quick and easy to clean, change inserts, etc., and overall does its job quite well. The color options are a nice touch, as we like to have colorful kitchen gadgets/appliances to compliment their functionality. Everything washed nicely in the dishwasher (top rack), and is very easy to pop together / apart. The safety handle grips things quite well, but as the instructions say, make sure to cut the item to be sliced down to fit in the holder, or it is not going to be easy to use, and will catch (especially with harder to slice vegetables like the previously mentioned potatoes). One downside is that there is no rail for the handle to slide along, so it shifts a little bit with use, and if someone (read in-laws) go to use it without being careful, they can scrape up the handle by running it the wrong way (thin direction) along the inserts. If it had a rail that the handle slid along, it would make the slicing easier and alleviate this problem. I did see that the handle is sold separately though, so I could replace that if the scratches really bothered me. The other downside (maybe) is that there is only one cutting blade which does not seem replaceable. This means that when it dulls, you'll need a new mandoline, instead of only replacing the blade. According to previous reviews of other versions though, these blades last a long time, so unless you're using this daily for extended periods, it should last you a very long time. I haven't gotten there yet, so can't say for sure Otherwise, the blade is very sharp, cuts beautifully, the inserts have a nice storage caddy, it cleans well, looks nice, and feels like it should last a while. Even with the couple of problems, it's still a pretty good product and I'm overall happy with my purchase. It saves a LOT of prep time, and keeps me from nicking my fingers as much with a knife.

A couple of days ago, I had a recipe that required a lot of slicing, so I pulled out this mandoline for its first test. I needed to do a lot of thin slicing. Every time I cooked this recipe before, I pulled out my sharpest high-dollar knife and started slicing with a lot of fear. This time, I pulled out this mandoline and set it on the lowest setting. I sliced thinner than I had ever been able to with the highest-quality German-made knife. It was easy and fast to set up, and it performed its intended function quickly.

Amazing tool for this newbie chef. I purchased this based on a product review on America's Test Kitchen which rated it highly on performance and safety. Apparently, safety is extremely important with all mandolines since it is so so very easy to slice of a portion of your hand along with the food. ATK rated the Swissmar highly in part because you can change the blades with touching any sharp parts and that you can store it while in a safety position so that you don't accidentally cut yourself while moving it either in or out of the cupboard. I find that there are dishes that I now cook on a regular basis which I would never have attempted before because I don't have the knife skills to attempt the recipe in one lifetime. With this mandoline, I am able to very efficiently go through a lot of veg in a small amount of time and that the veg is exactly the same thickness which makes for even cooking times and spectacular presentations. The blades are extemely sharp and will go through the veg like butter. I do find that I have to pause on a very periodic basis to remove the veg from underneath the mandoline. I really dislike placing this at an incline by leaning it against a bowl or placing it on top of the bowl. That just doesn't provide enough stability to make me comfortable because I do sometime have to use a little bit of force at the end of a long stroke when I'm slicing squash of eggplant lengthwise. As with anything that is extremely sharp, you do have to be very careful. There is a hand guard that is provided that will hold the food as you slice it. I would highly recommend its use especially as you get closer to the end of whatever you're slicing. **** Melissa Clark from the New York Times has an excellent suggestion. Please purchase a cut resistant glove along with the mandoline **** I really really love my mandoline and with this suggestion, intend on using it even more often.

I’m a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York. I say that so you know that I’m not “new” to the world of food and cooking. I’ve used stainless steel mandolins many times. . . and, for the most part, I’ve felt “safe” using them. Not so with this one. Not so at all. This product is SCARY! First of all, the makers need to have a “REAL” instructional video on the proper and safe way to use this mandolin. They have a long video on YouTube, but it’s far from being an “instructional video”. It’s a “sales pitch” video. There’s no talking. . . just “cheesy” music. The man in the video is obviously talking, but you can’t hear what he’s saying (and it’s probably in German). He’s going. . . . zip. . . Zip. . . ZIP . . . TA-DA. . . sliced carrots!! He’s going as fast as he can. . . showing how you can slice all types of things. DON’T DO THAT! I HIGHLY recommend you do NOT try to zip through as fast as you can. One slight turn, and you’ll take a slice out of your hand. Not everything is going to fit in the “holder”. Eggplant, for example. You’re going to have to hold it with your hand. Again. . . scary. Slow-and-steady is the way to go. Don’t try to zip through it as fast as you can, like it shows on the videos. On the other hand, don’t “stop-and-start”. You need to have a smooth and even speed. Is there “waste”? Yes there is. . . but not a lot. It all depends upon what you’re cutting. For example, last night I shredded cabbage to make sauerkraut (one of the main reasons I purchased this item). I cut the head of cabbage into quarters, and removed the core. I started slicing the cabbage using my hand to hold it, as it was too large for the “holder”. But as soon as it would fit in the holder, I used the holder to finish. The very last little bit, on each quarter, would not go through. So I simply hand-cut that bit. No big deal. The same for other items such as carrots and elephant garlic. The holder works. . . as long as whatever you’re slicing will fit into it, and can be held by the metal “needles” inside it. When I was watching the video, it showed that you could put several small items in at the same time . . . .radishes, for example. Yes and no. I think it all depends upon what it is you’re slicing. I tried it with carrots with mixed results. You just have to see what works best for you. This is a VERY expensive item for a lot of plastic and a few bits of metal. I know it’s Made in Germany, and not China. . . but. . . I still think it’s expensive. The “blade holder” that you put on the back isn’t great. . but I guess it works. You’re supposed to be able to put round veg holder on the top somehow, but I don’t have a lot of luck with it staying put, and so I just store it separate. PLEASE make sure you “close” the slicer (pressing the guide all the way forward from the back) so that you, or someone else, won’t get cut by simply handling the mandolin while not in use and moving it. Does this item work? Yes it does. Will I be using it on a daily basis? No way. I have “knife skills” where I really don’t need to use this item very often. I purchased it mainly for shredding cabbage and other items I want to ferment. I’m sure I’ll cringe each time I use it.

I bought the V-1001 model in March of 2009, and still have it since I also bough the waffle cutting blade for it. I bought this V-7000 model because of the available thickness options. The V-1001 has the same blades as this one, but only one thickness is available for each of the julienne blades, and 2 thickness are available for slicing by turning the plate one way or the other. On the V-7000 model, you can choose between 4 thicknesses for slicing and the julienne blades. I bought this mandoline In July of 2012 five years ago, and so far, I have had no problems with it. Yes, you do have to make sure that it is clicked into the thickness you choose, but this hasn't been a problem for me. I tend to use this mandoline more than the V-1001 because of the thickness choices. After 5 years of use, the blades are as sharp as they were when it was new, and I have not had any parts break off of it. I also like that the part that stays in it for slicing closes up so that you can't get cut on the blade. I do only hand wash it which is simply slishing it in soapy water and rinsing it. I towel dry the blades and as much of the base as I can, and then let the rest air dry. Granted, I don't use it for all cutting jobs since just using a knife makes more sense and takes less time depending on the job. I usually use the mandoline when I have a lot to slice or process. This is a very useful tool that will last you a lifetime unless you decide to buy a new model with more options.

I bought a Swissmar Borner V Slicer over 25 years ago, used it thousands of times and threw it in the dishwasher everytime. Just recently it formed a tiny crack so I replaced it with this - which is almost the same design but with more options. There are no height or thickness dials to loosen or strip out (which happened on other Mandolines I tried). This one has a clever notch design to adjust thickness. It is sturdy, easy to use, blade is very sharp. I'm looking forward to another 20+ years with this slicer! I note cleaning in the dishwasher is not recommended, but it is easy to hand wash - no little crevices for scraps to get caught up in.

Swissmar is best in the world, I watched so many review videos about it, ordered it and find it extremely useful. But please remember, the blades are extremely sharp. I was saved just buy luck '. Please be careful. But otherwise it's excellent product, don't look at the price, it wil last a lifetime

جميل جدا جدا و لكن سعرة غالي جدا جدا بدرجة كبيرة

I kinda love this tool! I mostly use the plain blade and slice onions, mushrooms, celery and peppers to fry up for a morning omelette. The super thin slices are paper thin for those vegetables. I have also used that setting for beets, to make beet chips which are amazing! It is trickier though with hard vegetables like beets, rutabegas, and yams to keep the slices that thin; it takes more force (using the holder of course!) to push them against the blade, and this can make the plastic under the item flex downward slightly so the slices come out a little thicker. The holder is a must for most vegetables or you risk shaving the skin off your fingers. One tiny radish can be sliced into about 20 thin slices. I don't use the other attachments much because they are more awkward and the multiple "daggers" that stick up seem scary. I have used them to make coleslaw though. I always rinse everything under the tap as soon as I'm done slicing. Beets and carrots leave a slight stain, but if I put dish liquid (Dawn) on the stains they will get fairly cleaned off. I use this mandolin almost every day. It stores easily in a cupboard, and the uniform slices are great for making vegetables stretch further. Good for pizza toppings and salads too. Tomatoes are best not sliced quite paper thin, but the next thickness up is good. I used to use a food processor to slice vegetables, but the mandolin does a cleaner cut. Great tool for garnishing salads or meals in general

This has been an immensely useful tool in my kitchen. It makes prep so much easier for many different recipes. I have owned this for over 2 years and the blades are still very sharp and cut through most things very easily. I have noticed some difficulty when julienne cutting thick carrots, but other than that everything else cuts great. The removable and adjustable cutting blades are a nice feature and it all stores nicely together. The safety is big so it can give you peace of mind when first using it, but as you use it more you find it to mostly useless since it doesn't get very close to the blade. I would recommend getting a cut resistant glove and doing that instead or to just take your time cutting and be careful just like you would with any other sharp blade.

Very good product, was using earlier model since 2 decades. New upgraded, sturdy, easier model. Options are convenient to handle. Best gift to home kitchen, rather must have. Enjoy fresh restaurant style salads, curries, chips, what not....