Product Review: OXO Handheld Mandoline

Editor's Review: Maxine Glass

Overall I really enjoyed this product. I used it to slice potatoes and it went so much faster than if I had sliced with a regular knife. I was also able to achieve the desired thickness quite easily! I will definitely be using this tool again.

Recipe Used

Sicilian-Style Potato Gratin

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, halved
Olive oil for brushing plus 4 Tbs.
2 C. chopped onions
Coarse kosher salt
2 1/4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced
8 Tbs. (packed) grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
3 Tbs. drained capers
2 C. low-salt chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with cut side of garlic clove. Brush dish with olive oil. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, sprinkle with coarse salt, and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes.

Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in even layer in prepared dish. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Scatter half of onions over. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. Pecorino Romano and 1 Tbs. capers. Repeat layering with half of remaining potatoes, coarse salt and pepper, remaining onions, 2 Tbs. Pecorino Romano, and 1 Tbs. capers. Drizzle with 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Arrange remaining potato slices over. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and remaining 1 Tbs. capers. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Pour chicken broth over. Press down firmly on potatoes to compact gratin.

Cover gratin tightly with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 4 Tbs. Pecorino Romano. Bake gratin uncovered until cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let gratin stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Reviewer
Brenda Nugen, Merritt Island, FL

Recipe Used
Super Cheesy Sliced Potatoes

Ingredients

3 1/4 C. thinly sliced potatoes (#1 OXO on mandoline)
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. water
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 pearl onions, sliced (#1on OXO mandoline)
1/4 C. and 2 tablespoons milk
1 2-C. chicken boullion cube, crumbled
1/4 C.and 2 Tbs. sour cream
3 tsp. all purpose flour
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Place the potatoes, water, onion and bouillon in an ungreased microwave-safe 2-1/2-qt. dish. Cover and microwave on high for 12-14 minutes until potatoes are tender and bouillon is dissolved, stirring once.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and garlic powder; stir in milk until smooth. Pour over potatoes. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes or until thickened, stirring twice. Stir in sour cream; sprinkle with cheese. Cook 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Review

Easy grip holder for holding vegetables, etc. Great gripper feet that hold well to bowls, and clear grate so you can see what you are cutting without picking the whole mandoline up. The three different slicer sizes pretty much cover any slice size you would need for any recipe. Does excellent with tomatoes as well as potatoes. It made quick and easy slices, clean up was a snap and cut way down on prep time before cooking. It is small enough to store in even the smallest kitchen but has a large capacity to cover most kitchen slicing jobs.

Reviewer
Burt Rubenstein, Carlisle, MA

Recipe Used

Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients

sweet potatoes (1 lg. potato = 2 servings of chips)
1 tsp. cinnamon per potato
1 tsp. chili powder per potato
Spray oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet (foil is optional but it simplifies cleanup).

Prepare as many baking sheets as your oven will accommodation. .
Use the mandoline set for thin slices (#1 on the OXO mandoline). Slice the potato into thin slices (I got about 80 chips per potato). Spray oil onto the foil/baking sheet – I use an olive oiler spray bottle, but canned spray oil works too. Spread the chips onto the baking sheet (about 20 fit per sheet). Spray oil lightly and evenly onto the surface of the potatoes. Sprinkle the cinnamon and chili powder lightly onto the slices. Put in the oven for about 4 minutes, take the sheet out, turn the chips over spray lightly with oil and cook for about another 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the chips – they are thin and can burn quickly. Remove chips to a plate for serving, while cooking up the rest of the chips.

The recipe also works for white potatoes, except I substitute onion powder for cinnamon.

Review

I have been a user of another brand of mandoline for about a year now and have learned to love it for preparing vegetables. When I I first opened the OXO Mandoline I was a bit taken aback – it was smaller, simpler and seemingly more cheaply made than my existing one. Then I began to use it, and my opinion changed dramatically. Although my other mandoline is rugged, highly adjustable and rife with changeable blades and accessories, it is hard to set up and hard to clean. Given that, I only pull it out when I have a large job to do. Totally different story for the OXO mandoline – it is trivial to set up and trivial to clean (it is even dishwasher safe). There are no extra parts to lose. I just take it out and start using it, and then a quick wash and I’m done with it. I have been using it every day since I received it.

Once you get used to using a mandoline (just a little practice on a potato or carrot and you will get it), you will use it for all your slicing needs. My wife, who has avoided using our other mandoline ("too hard to use and too hard to clean") says she will be using this one regularly. I have used it on carrots, onions, eggplant, zucchini, squash, and sweet and white potatoes – all with great ease and great results. It makes consistently thin slices (3 slice width adjustments) very rapidly. I can slice a potato for chips in about 30 seconds with every chip exactly the same thickness!

Reviewer
Carol Wheaton, Wapakoneta, OH

Recipe Used

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

1.5 lb. apples, sliced (OXO mandoline recommended)
butter, sugar and cinnamon (see directions)

Dough:
2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 C. butter
1/2 C. milk
2 tsp. baking powder

Syrup:
1 C. hot water
2 C. sugar

Directions

Combine dough ingredients and mix (I put it all in my mixer bowl and use a dough hook and let it do itself). Roll out on floured surface to desired thickness (they will rise a little when they bake, so how thick you make them depends on how much dough you like - I like dough, so I make them a little thicker) and cut into 9 squares.

Place a dot of butter, sprinkle of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon inside each square of dough. Place peeled, sliced apples in the center of each square and fold edges up, pinching together to seal it. Place each one folded side down into an 8 or 9 inch square pan.

For syrup, ombine hot water and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Pour over dumplings, making sure to get some on the tops of each one. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Review

I used the OXO Mandoline for slicing apples for my apple dumplings. My mother always stressed how important it was for the slices to be uniform so that they cooked at the same time. I peeled and cored my apples and then used the mandoline to slice them. It handled so smooth and effortless and I got the uniform slices needed for this recipe - right down to the last slice of the apple without cutting my fingers! What a delight it was to use this item.

Reviewer
Amanda Edwards, Jacksonville, AR

Recipe Used

Sliced Herb Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes
Salt to taste
3 Tbs. melted butter or margarine
2-3 Tbs. of dried herbs (your choice)
4 Tbs. shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Directions

If the skin in tough on potatoes peel them, otherwise just rinse and pat dry. Cut the potatoes into thin slices but not all the way through. Place potatoes in a microwave safe dish. Drizzle melted butter over them and sprinkle with herbs. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, turning the dish after about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Microwave for another 4-6 minutes on high until cheeses are melted and the potatoes are soft. Salt to taste.

Review

For my recipe, I prepared the sliced herb baked potatoes. This was a very simple dish to make because it was so quick and easy to slice the potatoes using the mandoline slicer. The recipe called to use the microwave to prepare this dish, however I plan on preparing the same dish using 3 or 4 types of cheeses and baking in the oven in the future. I love this mandolin slicer. Before I even tried the recipe, I used it to slice apples for my kids for snacks and to assist me with slicing onions, shallots, even firm avocadoes for salads! It was so easy to use, and you can use it for everyday slicing and for making preparation for everyday recipes easier and quicker. My next uses will include homemade potatoe chips, which you can season any way you like, and baked apple chips!

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Ratatouille de Provence
Sliced Mushroom Pinwheels
Alice Waters’ Apple Tart
AuGratin Potatoes - Crockpot
Grecian Tomato Salad
Speedy Summer Ratatouille
Pear Tart

Company Profile

Name: OXO International
Website: www.oxo.com
Short Description: With over 500 products, OXO International is dedicated to providing innovative consumer products that make everyday living easier.
Products: Kitchen Tools, Household Cleaning Tools, Bath Products, Barware, Barbecue Tools, Gardening Tools, Storage and Organization Products, Automotive Cleaning Tools,
Product Tested: OXO Handheld Mandoline

Hillary Marshak is a writer and editor for Recipe4Living.com, an up and coming recipe sharing Website. For more articles like this, or for a large collection of recipes, visit the site at http://www.Recipe4Living.com.