Mandoline: To Buy or Not to Buy? Questions Answered

[pcmama910]

I'm not a huge fan of the mandoline for personal use, however, I've been using it at shows and it's always a big seller, even when I have issues with it during a demo such as food getting stuck in the blade or cheese getting all gummed up! Overall it's not my favorite but maybe because I haven't given it much of a chance.

 

[Chef Diane]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I have sold quite a few without even demoing it! It's awesome and really a great price compared toother brands!

Yes, I have compard prices and product and I have to admit its a great deal, even at $60.

 

[pamperedinAlaska]

I just got mine today as a host order...but am wondering what to use it on besides tomatoes and potatoes?

 

[mrssyvo]

I hated the mandoline, I could not get it to work right, etc- UNTIL I watched the video on CC, and it made all of the difference in the world. I know it sounds silly, but it seems to me, it is all in the way you hold the food holder. That enables you to give it just the right amount of pressure. I was AMAZED in the difference. If you are having troubles, watch the video with the mandoline right beside you, and practice how you hold the food holder while it shows it on the screen. I think you will find a difference.

 

[Morvin]

I just got mine today as a host order...but am wondering what to use it on besides tomatoes and potatoes?

i always liked mine for onions!!

 

[mommyhugz1978]

I have the USG at home and the Mandoline......I bring the mandoline to my shows.. but I never demo it.... becasue I do NOT know how to use it...... I should just bring my Dh to my shows... he knows hwo to use it really well..LOL

 

[MissChef]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Ultimate Mandoline. I was never real thrilled with the US&G. Not safe enough and I hated how the food holder thing never stayed on and it use to get tore up by the blades! I also did not like the fact that it didn't stand up that you had to hold it up.
I love the easle on the new one, I love how big the food holder hole is! I love that you can't get cut on it! I love everything about it!
Did I mention that I LOVE IT!?!
I had 9 shows that booked this month with the intention of getting that UM at 60% off!! And they ALL held their original dates and had great shows!
My recommendation to the ones that don't like it, is keep practicing with it and another great thing is that it's almost that really great time of the year when almost all the produce is at it's freshest!
I have sold more UM's in the last 6 months than I ever did US&G's in the 7 years prior!!!
I LOVE IT!!! Oh yeah, I said that already!!!

 

[MissChef]

I just got mine today as a host order...but am wondering what to use it on besides tomatoes and potatoes?

Thin apple slices, if you don't have the APCS, the limes for the recipe on the front of our catalog cover, lemons, for lemonade. Cucumber, carots, zuccini, oranges for orange juice, (leave the peels on!) I have done hard cheesed in it!
Green pepper, any color pepper! onions! Here is a tip I like to tell people at my shows!!!...... core the inside of a cucumber out using our Corer, and then take a peeled carrot and push in in the inside of the cucumber, you could even score a few strips vertically down the cucumber, cut it into chunks that would fit inside the food holder and using the crinkle blade cut it into slices! Makes a beautiful presentation and it doesn't take much work and everyone will be trying to figure out how you got those little carrot peices in your cucumber so perfectly!!! I just love "wowing" my friends making them think I worked much harder than I did! Try this at shows, you WILL get ooh's and awe's! I just love ooh's and awe's!!!
I know I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff but it truely is very versatile. I've even slice up smaller sized turkey ham...worked great!
Keep working with it and as someone said on here already, watch the video on CC. It's very helpful!

 

[MissChef]

I just got mine today as a host order...but am wondering what to use it on besides tomatoes and potatoes?

thin apple slices, if you don't have the APCS, the limes for the recipe on the front of our catalog cover, lemons, for lemonade. Cucumber, carots, zuccini, oranges for orange juice, (leave the peels on!) I have done hard cheesed in it!
Green pepper, any color pepper! onions! Here is a tip I like to tell people at my shows!!!...... core the inside of a cucumber out using our Corer, and then take a peeled carrot and push in the inside of the cucumber, you could even score a few strips vertically down the cucumber, cut it into chunks that would fit inside the food holder and using the crinkle blade cut it into slices! Makes a beautiful presentation and it doesn't take much work and everyone will be trying to figure out how you got those little carrot peices in your cucumber so perfectly!!! I just love "wowing" my friends making them think I worked much harder than I did! Try this at shows, you WILL get ooh's and awe's! I just love ooh's and awe's!!!
I know I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff but it truely is very versatile. I've even slice up smaller sized turkey ham...worked great!
Keep working with it and as someone said on here already, watch the video on CC. It's very helpful!

 

[pmpdRRT]

I had trouble with tomatoes too. At a show they just fell all apart, I was so humiliated and the cheese gummed up too. I will def. watch the demo video.

 

[pamperedpsalmstress]

It's not a big seller for me...but that's cuz I don't show it!
I still don't feel like I use it "smoothly" enough to show at a party, so I just don't use it. Last night, I sliced some potatoes on it using the crinkle blade and made fried potatoes, but they still got stuck quite a bit where I would have to stop, pull out the stuck potato, and then continue. Not as smooth as it should be. I guess I just need practice...unless someone has tips for us that struggle with the UM!

Would love those same tips. Everytime I try to use mine it get caught towards the end and is a big pain in behind to clear the blade. Sort of defeats the purpose of the guards I think

 

[etteluap70PC]

Green pepper, any color pepper!

how do you do pepers? to me the food holder is too small....

 

[Paige Dixon]

I sell quite a few of these, but my excitement has waned. I think I've already been through at least 8. They misshapen in the dishwasher ( or a sink full of water!) or the food holder never fits on correctly to lift the blade straight from the brand new box. I'd be pissed if I'd paid for it!

The very first one I had worked pretty well. Wish that one lasted!

 

[PamperedCrum]

I hate it - whenever I try to demo it, it fails on me. I can usually make it work at home though... makes no sense. LOL!

I should probably start using it more often, since I cut myself on the USG recently but it really is just more cumbersome.

 

[speedychef]

With peppers, I usually cut the top off and scoop out the guts and then put it in the food holder. If it's too big for that, I just cut it in half then!

BBQ season is coming! Slice your tomaotes and onions for your burgers!

 

[pckrissy]

For those of you who don't love the UM, I know a few of my co-consultants had received defective ones, call and get your replaced if you don't think it is working properly. Otherwise start using it! I did a Home Show and it was the most popular item on the table! Tomatoes are messy, but I love to slice potatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers..... I have sold a bunch and use it at every show!

 

[pckrissy]

For those of you who don't Love the UM, make sure it isn't defective..a few of my cluster had a defective UM once they replaced it, they love. I have sold a bunch and I use it at every show. People are most impressed with the crinkle cut potatoes.. I love to slice peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers...
Start using it!!

 

[KellyRedHead]

My tomatoes stick when using the "V" blade. Wonder if I should replace the blade or the whole thing or its just my way of holding it. I have watched the video and I still have problems??

I don't always think cheese grates that well either? It works better for me when I take the grater blade out of the mandoline and hold it with my hand and grate the cheese that way.

 

[overthyme]

I read somewhere that tomatoes need to be really firm. If they are overly ripe or soft, they will not slice properly. I've grated cheddar & mozzarella on it, but noticed that the cheese has to be really cold/hard.

 

[Francine]

I love mine, one of the reasons why I joined PC is because the U-mandoline was in the kit. Scalloped potatoes are much easier to make, it used to take me over an hour to perfectly cut my potatoes, now 10 mins including clean up. For tomatoes, I use plums tomatoes and refrigerate them for 30 mins before slicing them. Perfection! Loving the UM.

 

[schel]

I read somewhere that tomatoes need to be really firm. If they are overly ripe or soft, they will not slice properly. I've grated cheddar & mozzarella on it, but noticed that the cheese has to be really cold/hard.

I have posted on this before... Firm hard tomatoes? I love tomatoes. However,I am a very picky tomato person and If I am given a hard firm tomato to eat, I will choose not to. On the other hand, the UM does work well with all other things I have sliced. As far as tomatoes, I am still glad I have my original USG. Which works with tomaotes which are perfectly ripe, and not hard and taste like your eating a peice of cardboard. So If I had to pick Love it or Not... I am in the Gray area.
Schel

 

[pamperedtara]

How do I know if it is defective?? Mine sticks almost every time I use it.

 

[KellyTheChef]

thin apple slices, if you don't have the APCS, the limes for the recipe on the front of our catalog cover, lemons, for lemonade. Cucumber, carots, zuccini, oranges for orange juice, (leave the peels on!) I have done hard cheesed in it!
Green pepper, any color pepper! onions! Here is a tip I like to tell people at my shows!!!...... core the inside of a cucumber out using our Corer, and then take a peeled carrot and push in the inside of the cucumber, you could even score a few strips vertically down the cucumber, cut it into chunks that would fit inside the food holder and using the crinkle blade cut it into slices! Makes a beautiful presentation and it doesn't take much work and everyone will be trying to figure out how you got those little carrot peices in your cucumber so perfectly!!! I just love "wowing" my friends making them think I worked much harder than I did! Try this at shows, you WILL get ooh's and awe's! I just love ooh's and awe's!!!
I know I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff but it truely is very versatile. I've even slice up smaller sized turkey ham...worked great!
Keep working with it and as someone said on here already, watch the video on CC. It's very helpful!

That trick is what started me with PC!!! My recruiter did this at a show, I decided to book a show so I could get the USG for free (didn't have the $$ to buy it), and after watching her do the original show and then my show, I decided "I could do that!!"

Ta-Da! Three and a half years later I am still going strong!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

How do I know if it is defective?? Mine sticks almost every time I use it.

Stick how? Like the food gets stuck in the blade? Mine was doing that, but after watching the demo online, I tried again and didn't push so hard on the plunger. Worked WAY better if I just let "gravity" do most of the work!

 

[pckrissy]

Just call HO and get it replaced. My Director hated hers and when she was talking to HO they told her they had had some that were defective, they sent her out a new one and she couldn't believe the difference. She loves it now.. I've learned also from using it you can't push too hard and you can't go too fast like the old one...I do love mine. Good luck

 

[TinaOuellette]

I trully love the UM, I try to use it at every show. Everyone is really impressed with it and I had a lot of people booking shows for March, because they wanted to get it at 60% off. I do have to admit that sometimes it's pretty tricky but by not putting to big of pieces and making sure you have a good grip, you will surely impress everyone at your show.

Tina

 

[schel]

As for peppers, that are to big, I also did onions yesterday with the UM and while yes it was slick, I had to slice the onion in 1/2 to get it to fit. Peppers, havn't found one that will fit in the food holder all the way without cutting it in half.
As for cheese.... hint.... and this goes for the Ultimate Cheese Grater also, If you take your chunk of cheese place it in a prep bowl and nuke for 6 - 7 seconds, and then grate it... I will not stick. I have had people complain at shows about it sticking and when I show them that trick, they are all like ahahaaa!!!
If you asked me about the UM vs. the USG, my choice would be the USG all the way!
Schel

 

[Grandmarita]

I've used mine twice this week to make two batches of Scalloped potatoes.
My DH helped yesterday, and managed to slice his thumb as it was large enough to hang over the edge of the guard. It was not that bad but I was
so confident we had solved the injury problems with the new design.

My earlier use was good once I cut the potatoes flat and in half. However, there was a stub of potato that did not go through the slicer on several
potatoes. That meant having to hand slice the final stub or discard. My
food processor used to make fast work of the slicing, and I would probably
still use it, if not for wanting the practice with the UM. I definitely want to
show it this month for the benefit of our hostess'.

 

[crissy11]

mandolineI have already sliced my ring finger on the new one. Never did slice a finger on the old one.. I still can't seem to get the mandoline to work right.
I don't even talk about it anymore. Too aggravating..
About like the new PP+ program... UGH!!! too slow..

 

[DebbieJ]

PP+ is a memory hog, so make sure you close any other programs and clean up your hard drive. Or just install more memory on your machine.