I found an amazing recipe for sweet potato fries. The only problem is that cutting sweet potatoes is a pain. I wound up just cutting round slices instead of fries, but even that was difficult.
So I’m thinking of getting a mandolin slicer. Based on reviews I’ve seen online, not all slicers seem to be up to the task.
Without spending a fortune (under $50 if possible), what’s a decent mandolin slicer to get that would be up to the job?
For those wondering, the recipe is below. It’s not really spicy at all in the traditional sense. More like spiced. Soooo good!! My apologies for not putting the link in properly, but I can’t get it to work on my hubby’s laptop.
Then again, America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated recommends the Swissmar Borner V-1001. It is made in Germany–you know the Germans always make good stuff.
I don’t know about mandoline brands, but I do know that if you don’t already have one, go get a cut-resistant glove for your potato-hand. Cheap insurance for sure.
If all you want are fries, I wouldn’t get a mandolin. I’d get one of these types of doohickeys.
Mandolins are great, but they wouldn’t be my first choice for making fries. If you do get a mandolin, make sure it goes thick enough for fries; mine, for example, even at the top setting is far too thin for fries.
I purchased a mandolin for almost the same reason. It worked well but was not worth the cleanup it took after use nor the space it took on my (limited) shelf. After sitting unused for ten months it went to the local animal shelter thrift store. So consider space consumed and frequency of use.
And this was excellent advice from Bump: “…go get a cut-resistant glove for your potato-hand.”
What both Athena and bump said, IMO. I use the glove on my (Oxo Good Grips) mandoline, and it’s saved me from nasty cuts - but for fries, I would use that fry-cutter gadget if I were you.
Or, this, even sturdier fry-cutter-gadget-thingy. One of the reviews for the other device mentioned that Harbor Freight sold a more substantial version, and–what do you know–they do.
I am curious about the one on Amazon, because while theoretically it seems to be a great device, I get the impression from looking at it that it will break the second time it is used.
Yeah, the Harbor Freight one looks great, if you’re eating fries every single day. Wall-mounted? Good God, man, how many fries do you eat?
For the record, my parents have a much more modest version, sort of like the one I linked, and they’ve had it for 40 years or so. It does the trick. Then again, at their fry heyday, they had fries about twice a month.
Personally, I’d use a knife and cutting board. First off, it makes it so that homemade fries are a labor of love, and secondly, because the more I work to make fries, the less I’ll end up eating fries, which is good for my health and well-being.
I’ve often wanted to get better at fry-making and deep-frying in general, but man, I don’t need THAT temptation in my life all the time! It’s bad enough I know how to bake!
Doesn’t really matter. They are the same price, so go for the industrial equipment. Mount it on a stud in the garage out of the way and you don’t have to worry about where to put the silly thing in the kitchen when you aren’t making fries.
