Customer Reviews

Progressive International Multi Slicer

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

This is a good item for the price but I would say it is more of a disposable item... I have owned several of them. It doesnt stay sharp all that long. Even when its new it works best on hard-ish vegetables like carrots or zucchini or potatos and less well on *juicy* veggies like onions or cucumbers. The more watery veggies tend to slice more unevenly and break apart. It also slices best with just straight slicing even tho there are other slicing heads. It comes with a *safty* grip to put in the veggies so you dont cut your hand but i have found it isnt sharp enough to hold most vegetable, nor are the spikes long enough to grip the vegetable even if they will go into them. This is an *okay* unit... for as inexpensive as it is. Mandolines can be very expensive but I am at the point where I have bought several I am thinking that it might be more cost effective to buy a more *professional* model... If you dont do much slicing and would only use something like this rarely, this might be a cost effective way to go. But if you would want to use this on a more regular basis, I would go with something more high-end.

I have owned this mandoline for 3 years. I used it extensively for several months. Its defects caused me to use it less and less, to the extent that I have not used it at all for the past 6 months.

The Good - different blades, reasonably sharp, good protection for the fingers.

The Bad - the plastic is simply flexing too much - if you are cutting something even remotely hard (such as celeriac, or even an old big carrot) it will flex so much that your slices will not conform at all to the size you want them to be, and the blade will not be in the proper position to cut. As a result, it is somewhat awkward and difficult to do a reasonable slicing job with it. In addition, the holder sometimes slips from the veggie at the worst possible moment (its plastic is also flexing too much...) which results in your hand suddenly moving quickly in the vicinity of the blade but not in the intended direction.

This slicer was designed to cheaply replace an expensive metal mandoline - well, it is a cheap replacement for it in all senses of the word. To be honest though, since being dissatisfied with it I have bought a true metal mandoline, which does not suffer from these problems but has others - it takes a while to take it apart and clean it, and you cannot use up the veggies. So I am still using primarily my chef's knife for most slicing jobs. I am looking for a better solution still...

My guess - I you use it rarely and on the right veggies only, you'll be fine. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a universal slicer to take the place of other tools for juliennes, fries etc. this tool will be a waste of money.

Best of luck,

camisdad

I've owned this close to 8 years. I find myself using it more recently--as I was initially disappointed in it. Disappointments: 1) the grater is not very sharp. It mashes potatoes rather than shredding them. Fine for latkes-not so good for hash browns. I prefer other stand-alone graters. This is troubling, as I was looking for a way to save my fingers! 2) The slices can be thin and consistent--but I'd prefer one even thinner setting. 3) The grip/vegetable holder is designed so that a fair amount of vegetable is left when slicing or grating. It's impossible to rig it to grate/slice to the end. Therefore, it's not that much better than using another tool. Pluses: 1) It's very cheap. 2) It's easy to store. 3) It's easy to assemble/take apart. 4) It's easy to clean. Worth the money, but if you're a frequent cook--it's probably better to invest in the $... model! It was good for me to become acquainted with the value of a mandoline before I decided whether to spend more money on a better one.

This gadget is nice ... conceptually. However, in execution, it is flimsy, very difficult to use, the blades are almost impossible to change out, and it is an overall waste of money. It works ok for easy things like carrots and cucumbers, but you could slice those just as easily by hand. On the more difficult items (such as potatoes or other dense vegetables), the slices get jammed in the opening and you end up cutting your fingers fairly frequently. It just isn't worth spending [money] for.

So far I have had a few occasions to use this device and enjoyed it for the most part. I haven't tried the "grater/zester" insert simply because it's all plastic and doesn't (in my not so humble opinion) seem as if it would do a good job. The basic product design is sound and the bowl hooking handle is nice. Works on several sizes of bowls comfortably and securely. The inserts don't seem terrifically varied as far as thickness and there is not a lot of granularity of control, however it is quite nice for slicing radishes, carrots, cucumbers, etc. for salads. The safety handle does quite nicely on tomatoes, potatoes, etc provided that you have already flattened one side of the vegetable (I usually take about 6 or 7 strokes and then start using the handle. The blade is nice and sharp, keep your finger out of the way if you are at all attached to them. The tape that was on the blade does tend to leave some adhesive on the blade when removed, a little rubbing alcohol will take this off in no time.

All in all, the product is exactly what it purports to be: a low-cost, functional tool for those who don't want to invest in an expensive mandolin. A great buy for beginners, home chefs, and college students.

This has got to be one of the nicest kitchen tools ever made.. It slices perfectly and it has 4 attachment total! It makes the perfect hasbrown shavings! It's very easy to clean and small enough to fit in a small cuboard! The attachments come on ring so you will never loose them!

I thought this product was going to be great because my parents had the "original Borner V-slicer" and it was awesome but I was totally disappointed when I received this. I have to admit that the blades are sharp but the most disappointing thing was the round guard that is supposed to grip the food. Perhaps this just happens with mine, but I have alot of problems getting it to hold on to a tomato or potato (they hook on then when I try to slide it over the slicer it rolls off, the prongs are just not long enough).

This Mandoline slicer is very good. It is light weight and easy to use. The different blades are easy to change. I also like that you can put it on a bowl or pan and cut right into what ever you are making, and it doen't move around while on the bowl. It is also very easy to wash. Another thing I like is the gripper for the food you are cutting so you don't slice your fingers. If you are in the market for nothing to fancy this one is it. It is reasonably priced also.

A mandoline is only as good as how frequently you use it (this is probably true of any 'gadget'). I bought the Hoffritz model a few weeks ago an would recommend the upgrade for a few important features:

1) the bowl -- the Hoffritz model has a built in bowl (large) that allows absolutely no slippage when you're working. This allows for zero danger with the blades, and no wrestling when it comes to stubborn vegetables.

2) the bowl -- the bowl doubles as a storage for all the blades (there is a little rack as well) and parts. You pack it up and it takes up very modest space.

3) the blades -- the Hoffritz blades are so sharp (they make knives) that you occasionally have to check to see if you're actually cutting anything.

4) the body -- very well constucted. If all goes well, this will survive a busy kitchen for a long time.

I bought this one for simply slicing some potatoes for a dish where I needed all the sliced to be the same. When I used it I was disappointed! The blade is not very sharp and when I use the other blades to make fries it ends up mincing instead of slicing. So it best for slicing and that is it!