Cool New Kitchen Gear: The Shun Mandoline
You might get sticker shock when you look at the price on this new mandoline from Shun. But, let me tell you, this is the Mercedes-Benz of mandolines. I saw a demo of this mandoline recently and was amazed by three things: safety, results, and styling.
Safety: The clever design team at Shun deduced that the reason many people don't buy mandolines is because they're afraid. Either they've had a bad experience or heard horror stories. I could tell a first-hand--ahem, no pun intended-- story, but I'll spare you the gory details. Anyway, when using the Shun Pro Mandoline, it's nearly impossible to run your fingers or hand across the blade because the carriage features an offset handle. So, your hand never hovers over the super-sharp blade.
Results: I was amazed at how thin you could slice your produce. Think of the thickness of the ginger you get on the side of your sushi order. This mandoline could slice thinner than the thinnest slice of that ginger. So, what's the benefit in this for you? For starters, I'm thinking potato gratin, maple sweet potatoes, etc. And, how could those not be beneficial?
Styling: This is one pretty piece. The mandoline's legs are made of Pakkawood, which is known for its strength and durability. The black finishing on the wood offers a classy look to match other Shun Pro products. And, the sturdy stainless-steel deck matches more modern kitchen appliances. Overall, this piece is heavy, but that's what you'd expect of the Mercedes-Benz of mandolines, right?
Move over stand mixers, there's a new countertop king in town--the Shun Pro Mandoline.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
JTHC on May 01, 2008 at 06:26 PM
This is complete overkill. I use a cheap $20 Benriner mandoline that I bought ten years ago and it's still going strong. I can make paper-think potato chips with ease and I don't need to spend $300+ to do so. The key to not slicing your fingers is to slow down when your vegetable gets whittled down, and toss the end piece. Why risk your fingers to slice up the last 2 cents of potato?
JTHC on May 01, 2008 at 06:26 PM
This is complete overkill. I use a cheap $20 Benriner mandoline that I bought ten years ago and it's still going strong. I can make paper-think potato chips with ease and I don't need to spend $300+ to do so. The key to not slicing your fingers is to slow down when your vegetable gets whittled down, and toss the end piece. Why risk your fingers to slice up the last 2 cents of potato?
dholway on May 01, 2008 at 06:52 PM
The newest issue of Cook's Illustrated has a comparative testing of various mandolines, and it relegates the Shun to the Not Recommended category. Among other things, they write that it is "A colossal disappointment with an equally colossal price tag."