# Which is a Better Mandoline? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918 "2009-07-31T21:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/1 "2009-07-31T21:19:35Z")
One with a straight edge or V-shaped? And why? Thanks for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/2 "2009-07-31T21:34:46Z")
I spent some time pondering this and reading reviews a while back. I finally wound up buying an OXO V-slicer. I had used it in a cooking class and liked it fine, and thought it was sturdy enough for my use while not costing a blue fortune. So, I don’t have a definitive answer, never really found one, but I like my V-slicer fine. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/3 "2009-07-31T22:54:43Z")
I have one with a straight edge and it works great for potatoes, onions, cucumber, carrots, basically anything hard. It is a nightmare for anything softer though. Tomatoes? Mush. I really like being able to sharpen the whole length of the blade. My mother’s mandolin(which I bear a scar on my left thumb from) was a diagonal(not a v, more like half a v) and worked fine for tomatoes, but the hard stuff slid along the blade until it just ran right off the edge. I keep meaning to try a v-shaped to see if it’s the best of both worlds, but most likely it has its own problems. I can’t see how it would be possible to sharpen the crevice of the v, at least not at home. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/4 "2009-08-01T16:51:30Z")
Thanks guys. We’re actually going to go with the one **Claire** mentioned. Hopefully it’ll do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/5 "2009-08-01T18:08:31Z")
Williams Sonoma has a wonderful one with a straight edge that you can also buy an attachment for which cuts things like a Japanese turning slicer does. When it comes to kitchen stuff though, I always tend to go top of the line, since cooking is kind of a hobby for me. Maybe that one might be a little more than you need if you just want something more basic, but it’s very, very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/6 "2009-08-01T20:17:52Z")
> [@Cherry2000](#): > > Williams Sonoma has a wonderful one with a straight edge that you can also buy an attachment for which cuts things like a Japanese **turning slicer** does. Indeed, after purchasing your regular mandolin slicer, you should next consider a [benriner turning slicer](http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-BN5-Kanekichi-Turning-Benriner/dp/B00032RZUS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1249157156&sr=8-2). My nephew, the chef, recommended I get one and I complied. It does a great job and I use it often. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-a-better-mandoline/504918/7 "2009-08-01T23:09:58Z")
I have an inexpensive diagonal-edge mandoline. It cuts everything well enough, hard or soft. It has two julienne attachments, but is otherwise not adjustable.