I've had this exact model for about a decade. It's clunky and inconvenient. The sliding range for the first of two cutters is too narrow so the sliding part slips off the tracks and then binds up. It's easy enough to clean though. I mean it works, sure. But the pressure plate is small and round inside of a large rectangular crevice and comes down at too high of an angle to really hold a collection of radishes well. They slide around so I have to struggle with arranging them. The veggie holder area is quite small so you can't do long pieces beyond about 2.5 inches. I think this would useful to someone in a cafe who used it all the time so they got used to it, but for occasional use it's kind of a drag. I gave it 3 stars since it's certainly very high quality. The first of two blades is a bit chipped even though I haven't used it but a couple times a year. It's old world design though has me online as I write this, searching for other options to make zucchini and radish slivers. Maybe a rotary slicer? When I try to clean this it swings around in the sink and threatens to break my heirloom dishes since the support bracket is free swinging. It's like a violin I'm not good at playing and I can't quite tell if it's me or the violin. It doesn't finish the last 1/8" of a zucchini, so I get a snack that way. Slivers of zucchini and radish do make perfect low carb Atkins diet friendly salad bases though, so either I need to tweak this thing by bending the slots further closed that the moving part slides on or I need to get a more modern design. This beast is too clunky. I want to like it but I can't. This represents the perfection of an old world design. I think it makes more sense to look at either the $400 Shun Pro or something cheap that's perfected in plastic. I'm much more picky than most. If I say I kind of like something it means it's *fine*.
Edit: for making julienned zucchini and radish slivers my old Robot Coupe food processor grating blade disk works PERFECTLY. Instead of slicing long it cuts short 1" long very thin slivers so the zucchini peel gives a very nice visual effect on the ends instead of becoming inconsistent tough dark green noodles mixed in with the white pump noodles. Perfect for scoop-able salad. I don't need a working mandolin after all. I used to associate a grating blade disk with grated cheese, meaning little bits, but I'm getting perfect little toothpick like pieces that really bring out the flavor of the crunchy veggie without turning it into a pump whatsoever! It actually is so noodly that I get a pasta sensation from it, a very good thing for an Atkin diet lifestyle. So I would highly suggest that people look into food processors instead of $$$ mandolins.
I researched mandolines thoroughly online before ordering this model. The day after I ordered it, a dear friend gave me a Japanese plastic simple one that only slices thin. it does nothing else. It actually is easier to use, in part because the surface is uninterrupted. In addition the plastic one, being totally simple, has no little places for pieces of food to hide at clean up time. Nevertheless, the Bron does have more features, such as wavy cuts and lattice cuts. It also has infinitely graduated thicknesses and can make julienne cuts. However, the cuts are not always easy or elegant to make. Cucumbers, for example, usually get stuck on their skin. I am not willing to peel them because they are organic and most of the nutrients are in the skin. So my cuts are imperfect, and, while not ideal, it's ok.
Buy Stainless Steel Mandolin Slicer Now
This mandoline is a sturdy and well-made tool, excellent for making even and precise slices, shoestring potatoes (pommes allumettes), waffle-cut potatoes, ordinary French fries, and so on. I have had mine for about 15 years, and it works like new.
The main problem with it is that it's expensive. There are inexpensive plastic slicer/shredders available, such as Benriner (often sold in Japanese and Korean grocery stores), which work just as well. In fact, they're actually better for very fine slices and shredding. If you only want to make French fries, you're probably better off getting a French-fry cutter, which is faster, but it's hard to get blades fine enough for true shoestrings.
The Benriner plus a French-fry cutter together will cost about half as much as the mandoline, and work as well or better; of course, they are nowhere near as heavy-duty, but that won't matter for most home users.
The Bron mandoline has a couple of minor disadvantages. On older models, the feet would scratch countertops, but I believe this has been fixed now. Although most parts are stainless, the rivets and screws do rust a little; this has not been a problem.
The pusher does not work very well. On the other hand, this is a dangerous tool used without the pusher -it produces especially ugly cuts if you're julienning. My solution is to use a cut-resistant fillet glove (also good for the Benriner). This gives you far better control and thus less waste.
Read Best Reviews of Stainless Steel Mandolin Slicer Here
My husband loves fancy cheeses and I got this for him as a present to go with a cheese-of-the-month subscription. I ordered it in a size small and it's a nice size for about 3 cheeses, some crackers, a few nuts & some fruit. The board is beautiful and unique. I give it 4 stars rather than 5 only because a little of the bark had crumbled off in the packaging when I opened it. This is to be expected, I think, but just keep in mind that the bark may not stay on forever and it's a board you'll have to wash and store with care if you want to keep it looking nice.
