Sharp vs Safe: Finding the Best Mandoline Slicer for Your Kitchen

1. Super Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer – Razor-Sharp and Wide

Best overall

Benriner’s slicers are the plastic-bodied Japanese mandolines found in a lot of restaurant prep kitchens, and the Super Benriner is the wide version. Its slicing surface is 3.25 inches across, enough for a whole white onion, a large potato or a wedge of cabbage, and a dial sets the thickness anywhere from 0.5 to 8 millimeters.

In America’s Test Kitchen’s mandoline review, the Super Benriner is the top pick, and the reviewers wrote that “its razor-sharp blades can handle even the toughest produce.” ATK’s top priority was a wide range of slice thicknesses, and this one covers paper-thin radish for pozole and tostadas through thick potato slices for papas.

In the box are a fixed straight blade and three interchangeable toothed blades (coarse, medium and fine) for julienne. The non-skid rubber base keeps it steady, the end hooks over a bowl to catch slices, and Benriner rates it top-rack dishwasher safe.

The weak point is the hand guard. ATK said not to “expect much from its hand guard, which is pretty much useless,” so plan on a cut-resistant glove for the hand that holds the food.

Why we like it

• ATK’s top pick in its mandoline review
• Dial adjusts from 0.5 to 8 mm
• Wide 3.25-inch slicing surface
• Straight blade plus three julienne blades
• Hooks over a bowl; non-skid base

Why we recommend it

Choose it if you want the sharpest, most adjustable slicer and will wear a glove: paper-thin radishes, onion rings for pickling, cabbage for pozole, potatoes for gratin or chips. It is the one to buy if you slice often and in volume.

Skip it if you will not wear a cut-resistant glove. The included guard does little, and a blade this sharp is unforgiving.

Pros and cons

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2. Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer – The Classic, in a Smaller Size

Best compact

This is the standard Benriner, the narrower sibling of the Super. It works the same way, with a fixed straight blade, three interchangeable toothed blades for julienne and a dial from 0.5 to 8 millimeters, on a slimmer body of 12.75 by 3.625 inches with a 2.5-inch slicing surface.

America’s Test Kitchen rates it highly recommended alongside the Super, noting that “it allows you to cut in a wide variety of thicknesses.” The narrower runway suits radishes, jalapeños, cucumbers, limes and small onions, the things most home cooks slice most often, and it takes up less room in a drawer.

The same caution applies: ATK says it “lacks a functional hand guard—you’ll want to wear a cut-resistant glove during use.” Benriner rates it top-rack dishwasher safe, though ATK advises hand-washing blade components so the blades keep their edge.

Why we like it

• Highly recommended by ATK
• Dial adjusts from 0.5 to 8 mm
• Three julienne blades included
• Slimmer to store than the Super
• Non-skid base; hooks over a bowl

Why we recommend it

Choose it for radishes, jalapeño rings for escabeche, thin cucumber and lime slices, and small onions. It gives you the Super Benriner’s blade and range in a smaller package.

Skip it if you slice whole cabbages or large potatoes often; the 2.5-inch runway is narrow for big produce, and you will still want a glove.

Pros and cons

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3. de Buyer La Mandoline Revolution – Solid Build, a Guard That Works

Best hand guard

The French option is a different kind of tool: a sturdy mandoline on non-slip feet with an ergonomic pusher that holds the food and keeps your hand above it. de Buyer’s listing describes a removable double-sided blade with micro-serrated and crinkle edges, plus three julienne blades, for slicing, shredding, dicing and cubing.

America’s Test Kitchen recommends it, calling it “pricey but very solidly built,” and its guard “kept our hands away from the blades.” It was one of only two models in ATK’s review with a spring-loaded guard that both protected hands and pushed the food. The trade-off ATK noted for spring-loaded guards is arm fatigue on long jobs.

The crinkle edge gives wavy slices, and the julienne blades cut matchsticks of jícama or carrot for a salad. de Buyer’s listing does not state the thickness range or dishwasher guidance, so check the product page, and hand-wash the blades to keep them sharp. It is made in France.

Why we like it

• Guard kept hands away from the blades, per ATK
• Double-sided blade: micro-serrated and crinkle
• Three julienne blades
• Non-slip feet; solid build
• Made in France

Why we recommend it

Choose it if safety is your first concern but you still want julienne and wavy cuts. A pusher that holds the food is the best protection a mandoline can give your fingers.

Skip it if storage space or budget is tight. It is a large tool, and ATK calls it pricey.

Pros and cons

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4. Dash Safe Slice Mandoline – Hands Never Near the Blade

Safest design

The Dash Safe Slice turns the mandoline upright. You drop food into a chute, push it down with a handle, and the blades stay hidden inside the body. Dash says the design keeps your hands from ever going near the blades, and gives more than 30 options: slices from 1 to 8 millimeters, julienne, matchsticks and dice.

America’s Test Kitchen recommends it and wrote: “No hands ever come even close to the blades themselves.” For a cook who has been put off mandolines by the thought of a cut, that matters more than ultimate sharpness.

It folds down for storage, a food catch container keeps slices off the counter, and a brush is included for cleaning the blades. The listed size is 14 inches high, 4.7 inches wide and 11 inches long. The chute limits the size of food you can slice, so a whole cabbage needs cutting into wedges first.

Why we like it

• Blades stay inside the body
• Recommended by ATK
• 1–8 mm slices plus julienne, matchstick and dice
• Folds for storage
• Catch container and cleaning brush

Why we recommend it

Choose it for a household where anyone nervous about blades will be slicing, or if you want dice and matchsticks as well as slices. It is the safest way to slice cucumbers, potatoes and onions on this list.

Skip it if you want paper-thin radish slices. Its thinnest setting is 1 mm, against 0.5 mm on the Benriners, and the chute limits the size of what you slice.

Pros and cons

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5. OXO Good Grips Simple Mandoline – Spring-Loaded Holder, Few Settings

Best for beginners

OXO’s Simple Mandoline is a stripped-down version of its Chef’s Mandoline. A tab slides between three slice thicknesses, a julienne setting and a storage setting that covers the blade, and the blades are built in, so there are no loose inserts to wash or lose.

The spring-loaded food holder pushes food down for even slicing and, OXO says, leaves little to no waste, and its wide rim protects your fingers. The angled stainless blade slices even soft foods, and a textured runway stops slices sticking. OXO lists it as dishwasher safe.

OXO’s Chef’s Mandoline 2.0 was America’s Test Kitchen’s easiest model to use, praised for its spring-loaded pusher, but it was low in stock when we checked. The Simple Mandoline shares the spring-loaded idea at a smaller size; the listing does not give the three thickness figures.

Why we like it

• Spring-loaded food holder with a wide rim
• Three thicknesses plus julienne
• Built-in blades, nothing loose
• Storage setting covers the blade
• Dishwasher safe

Why we recommend it

Choose it as a first mandoline. Few settings, a holder that pushes the food for you and a covered blade setting for storage make it easy to learn on cucumbers, radishes and onions.

Skip it if you need a wide thickness range or very thin slices; three fixed settings are limiting next to a dial.

Pros and cons

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6. Kyocera Adjustable Ceramic Mandoline Slicer – Thin Slices Straight Over the Bowl

Best handheld

Kyocera’s handheld slicer is a paddle with a ceramic blade, sized to rest across a bowl or a pot. Corner notches hold it steady over the container, and a dial gives four thicknesses: 0.5, 1.3, 2.0 and 3.0 millimeters. That thin range suits the jobs a Mexican kitchen asks of it: radish coins for pozole, thin onion for pickling, cucumber, lime.

Kyocera says its ceramic blade keeps its edge up to ten times longer than steel and helps fruit and vegetables keep their natural color. It comes with a five-year limited warranty, the longest stated here.

America’s Test Kitchen recommended the soft-grip version of this slicer with two caveats: “It can make only thin slices, it can’t make julienne,” and “Its hand guard is useless.” The model here is the standard red version with the same four settings. Use a cut-resistant glove.

Why we like it

• Four settings from 0.5 to 3 mm
• Ceramic blade, per Kyocera, holds its edge longer than steel
• Corner notches rest over a bowl
• Compact and light
• Five-year limited warranty

Why we recommend it

Choose it for small, thin jobs done straight over a bowl: a few radishes for a tostada, onion for pickled red onions, cucumber for a salad. It stores in a drawer and costs little space.

Skip it if you want julienne or thick slices; it does neither, and its guard is weak.

Pros and cons

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7. OXO Good Grips Large Adjustable Handheld Mandoline – See Slices as You Go

Handheld with window

OXO’s large handheld mandoline is a wider take on the paddle design. A knob sets three thicknesses, 1, 2.5 and 4 millimeters, and a window in the body shows the slices building up underneath, so you can stop when you have enough.

You can slice directly onto a plate or cutting board, or hook it over a bowl. A food holder is included, and the handle, knob and foot are non-slip. OXO lists it as dishwasher safe.

The 4 mm setting gives it a thicker option than the Kyocera, which helps for potatoes or onion rings, while 1 mm is fine enough for cucumbers and radishes. The listing does not give the slicing width beyond calling it large.

Why we like it

• Three thicknesses: 1, 2.5 and 4 mm
• Window shows the slices below
• Food holder included
• Slices onto a plate or hooks over a bowl
• Dishwasher safe

Why we recommend it

Choose it if you like a handheld slicer but want a thicker setting and a dishwasher-safe body. It is a good middle ground between the Kyocera and a full-size mandoline.

Skip it if you need julienne, or slices thinner than 1 mm for paper-thin radishes.

Pros and cons

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8. Gramercy Adjustable Mandoline Slicer, 12 Settings – Comes with Cut-Resistant Gloves

Gloves included

Gramercy’s mandoline is built on a stainless steel frame with a thickness dial that runs from paper-thin to thick-cut, and a rotating blade cylinder that switches between cutting styles. Gramercy says the blade is 4CR15 stainless steel.

Its strongest point is what comes in the box: cut-resistant gloves, a removable blade guard and a cleaning brush. Gloves are the safety measure reviewers keep coming back to for mandolines, and having a pair in the box means you start with one. Non-slip feet hold the frame steady, and the whole slicer is top-rack dishwasher safe.

The listing names 12 slice settings but does not list each thickness or say which styles the blade cylinder offers, so check the product photos to make sure it does the cuts you want. No major reviewer we read covered this model.

Why we like it

• Cut-resistant gloves included
• Thickness dial from paper-thin to thick
• 4CR15 stainless blade, per Gramercy
• Stainless steel frame with non-slip feet
• Top-rack dishwasher safe

Why we recommend it

Choose it if you want a full-size mandoline and a pair of cut-resistant gloves in one purchase. It suits a cook who will wear the gloves every time.

Skip it if you want independent reviews behind your choice; we found none for this model, and the listing leaves the exact settings vague.

Pros and cons

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