How to choose a kitchen mandoline based on the cuts you need?

The blade, the thickness adjustment, the pusher, and the format: the 4 points that make a good mandoline, and the model that suits your kitchen.

By Mohamed El Manssouri Kebriti · Updated October 23, 2026

To know how to choose a mandoline, first look at what you want to cut. Even slices for a gratin or chips require an adjustable plate and a very sharp blade; julienne and grating require interchangeable blades. Then comes safety, with a pusher that holds the vegetable all the way through, followed by stability and storage. This guide reviews each criterion, compares formats, and explains what distinguishes a Japanese mandoline, with examples from our catalog. Our models, hand-held, on feet, vertical, or with multiple blades, are in the kitchen mandoline and vegetable cutter collection.

The essentials

• The blade: stainless steel, straight, V-shaped, or angled, it makes the difference.
• The adjustable plate: from 1 mm for chips to 9 mm for fried potatoes.
• The pusher: essential, it keeps fingers away from the blade.
• The format: hand-held for small quantities, on feet for gratins.

Table of contents

1. What criteria to look at to choose a mandoline?
2. Which mandoline is the most practical?
3. What is the difference between a mandoline and a Japanese mandoline?
4. Safety: the pusher above all
5. Errors to avoid when choosing a mandoline
6. To go further

What criteria to look at to choose a mandoline?

A mandoline is like a small inclined plane: each part has a precise role in the quality of the cut and in your safety.

For thickness, keep three benchmarks: about 1 mm for vegetable chips, 3 mm for a gratin, 6 to 9 mm for fried potatoes. A mandoline that covers these three settings serves almost all recipes.

Complementary blades

Beyond slices, look at the other cuts offered: julienne comb, wavy blade for fries or waffle chips, fine grater for garlic and ginger. The more blades there are, the more the mandoline replaces tools, but the more space is needed to store them. A box or holder for the blades prevents them from lying at the bottom of a drawer.

Which mandoline is the most practical?

The most practical is the one you will actually take out. The right format depends on your quantities and the space in the kitchen.

• The hand mandoline: light, no assembly, placed on a bowl. Ideal for an everyday cucumber, lemon, or carrot.
• The mandoline on feet: stable, often in stainless steel, with several thicknesses and julienne combs. For gratins and large quantities.
• The vertical mandoline with container: we cut without a board, and the slices fall into the container.
• The vegetable cutter with interchangeable blades (5, 6, or 9 in 1): slices, julienne, and grating on the same support.

What is the difference between a mandoline and a Japanese mandoline?

We often call a compact plastic model, with a very sharp blade, a "Japanese mandoline", as opposed to the large stainless steel mandoline on feet.

• The Japanese mandoline: light, flat, with a blade often angled and an adjustment by knob or by plates. It excels for very thin slices and julienne.
• The classic stainless steel mandoline: heavier, placed on feet, with several integrated combs. It holds better in place for large volumes.

The choice therefore depends on your quantities. A compact mandoline is enough for raw vegetables; a mandoline on feet tires less when you have to slice a kilo of potatoes.

Safety: the pusher above all

The blade of a mandoline cuts very well, including fingers. The gesture is mainly played on the last centimeters of the vegetable.

Choose a mandoline delivered with a pusher that wraps well around the vegetable, and use it from the first slice. Cut-resistant gloves add safety, especially for beginners. A stable base, on feet or propped on a salad bowl, prevents the slipping that makes the hand slip.

Slow down when the vegetable becomes small: it is on the last centimeters that most cuts happen.

Our guide how to use a mandoline without cutting yourself details the gestures, from adjustment to cleaning the blade.

Errors to avoid when choosing a mandoline

These errors give mandolines that we no longer use after two tries.

• Choosing a model without a pusher, or with a pusher that does not grip the vegetable.
• Taking a lot of blades without planning where to store them.
• Neglecting stability: a mandoline that slips cuts poorly and becomes dangerous.
• Aiming for cubes: a mandoline slices and cuts into sticks, but for cubes a vegetable chopper is more suitable.
• Forgetting cleaning: prefer blades that disassemble and a brush provided.

To go further

In summary, a good mandoline has a sharp stainless steel blade, an adjustable plate from very thin to thick, a pusher that holds the vegetable and a stable base. Hand-held for small quantities, on feet for gratins, with interchangeable blades if you also want julienne and grating. All formats are gathered in our collection kitchen mandoline and vegetable cutter.

• You hesitate with a grater? Read mandoline or grater: what difference.
• For fries in quantity, see how to choose a french fry cutter.

To discover all our other appliances, go to hachoir-cuisine.fr.