I picked up one of these Kyocera slicers/mandolins a few months ago and I LOVE IT. I've only used it twice: once for making a scalloped potatoes dish for Christmas and last week for slicing veggies for fajitas, and I really liked the results. I find the easiest way to use this is to put a bowl on the counter or in the sink, brace the mandolin against your stomach with your off-hand holding the back of the slicer, and slice away. When I did the potatoes, I had a bowl in the sink with water in it, so the sliced potatoes went straight in to it and never had a chance to oxidize and brown. For the fajitas, I did an onion and three bell peppers, and the uniformity of the slice thickness was really great.
The mandolin is adjustable for cut thickness through a four-sided bar on the back, I believe the thickest slice is up to 3 mm which has been a very good thickness for what I've been using it for.
I would strongly suggest NOT using the included guard/guide for your own safety. Buy yourself a cut-resistant glove or two instead, such as http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cut-resistant+glove&x=0&y=0&sprefix=cut-resistant+glove, this is a trick that I picked up from watching Good Eats and I heartily recommend it. I bought one when I bought my mandolin, and having the ability to properly and securely grip the item being sliced is a big bonus. However, the one that I bought is kind of disappointing, and after two uses, has already worn through in three places and will have to be replaced soon. It's a Microplane glove, I'm not sure which model, but I'll be trying a different brand.
I have no comment on the knife as the store from which I bought it sold the mandolin by itself.
This knife is wonderful. The slicer, I'm still not sure how to adjust it, but it makes a fairly good slice. Maybe I need to look on the internet to get some help with that. I love that they will resharpen the knives if you send them in later. Just be careful not to drop as I've heard they can break.
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I love these ceramic knives. I've been using them for nearly 20 years and just love the way the blade holds an edge, as long as you avoid chipping it. I was a little leery of the slicer due to reviews, but if used properly the mandolin slicer is a dream especially if enjoy whipping out some potato chips with the kids once in a while. No brute force is required, in fact, if you push too hard it will flex the deck of the slicer and jam it up on the return. Ideally, a light touch is all you need and don't push your luck trying to get that last slice. I do use flimsy holder handle if I can find it for the last several runs. It's not worth the cut!
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I mostly bought this to replace my knife. I had the same knife for over 1 year (different color) that I broke. I was cutting open an uncooked acorn squash and the knife got stuck near the stem. I tried to removed it... and it was when I carelessly started to pry the knife out that the knife broke. Anyway, that was really my fault.
The good thing is that, despite breaking, I replaced the knife with the same knife. I love this knife. It is indeed very sharp, which means I pay attention while using it. I watch my fingers! I used my old knife exclusively for over 1 year and never sharpened it. This new one is of the same quality. I expect it to continue my love affair with this knife (really, it makes chopping fun). The knife gets 5 stars, but....
The adjustable slicer was very underwhelming. The plastic frame seems very flimsy, even though the blade is sharp. The adjustment mechanism is a plastic cube that you rotate. I do not have much confidence in that either. I have only sliced carrots successfully with it. I tried with raw beets, but then gave up and sliced them with the knife instead.
Anyway, this set cost less than what I paid for the knife alone, so I am not griping at all. My recommendation is to just buy the knife alone on Amazon... and if you need a slicer, go with a Japanese Slicer instead. They are built better.
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The slicer is the best part of this. Also note that it is not the double edge one as shown in the video. Only their non adjustable ones are double edge. Still the slicer goes through veggies like crazy always smooth cuts just be careful not to run them down to fast and cut yourself. I have not yet but it may happen in the future if im not careful.
The knife is good. It is sharp enough to shave hair off my arm. Its very light but solid feeling. Very easy to clean with just soap and water. Make sure you don't put this in a sink with the rest of the dishes it may get broken against plates or cups. Also you might get cut pretty badly if you just brush up against it. I will update this when the blade starts to get dull whenever that may be.
UPDATE. Chipped the slicer blade had it less than 24 hours. Chipped it with the handguard. Hopefully the small very sharp piece is in the plastic and not in my food.
This tray is a great price and the dividers and frame seem very sturdy and appear to be real bamboo. However, the bottom is a particle board of some kind with a bamboo veneer. This veneer was peeling up in one corner when I opened the package. I know that this is significantly cheaper than apparently 100% real bamboo trays, so I'm not overly disappointed, but I am debating on the hassle of an exchange or not to see if I can get one that isn't peeling. As far as the long term durability because of the veneer at the bottom, I suppose we will see how it goes!
