What is your favorite kitchen tool this week?

Well, I must admit that I have never had a slicer of any kind.  Last week I got a mandolin slicer, and I have to tell you I am in love.  Although it is currently more of a love/hate relationship.

I researched many mandolines over the years and always was left undecided and unaffected.  When I decided I wanted to start dehydrating food for my family I realized it would be a necessity.  So, back to the reviews I went.  I found the Progressive International HGT-11 Folding Mandoline Slicer to have the best reviews, but I was skeptical because of the great price.  I decided to give it a shot, I bought it on Amazon and I knew I could return it if I was not satisfied with its performance.

The fear and anticipation I felt over the next few days was intolerable.  The fear of course was that I would slice my fingers, as several reviewers have always cautioned.  At last it arrived.  I opened the box to find my pretty new Mandoline Slicer in its own lovely case with 4 interchangeable plates and a warning label, explaining that the blade is sharp.  I should have read that twice. 

I washed it carefully with a very long scrub brush keeping my fingers away from the blade.  I did notice pieces of the scrub brush falling into the sink.  This should have been my first inclination that I was in trouble.

So, I set the mandoline up on the counter top and began to slice an apple.  Oh, what a beautiful thing it is to create such perfect slices.  I then sliced a banana.  Well after I accomplished these two, I guess I got a little cocky.  What is better than to slice strawberries on an incredibly sharp mandoline???  Well a lot I guess, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  3 strawberries in and it happened...  My beautiful, symmetry creating slicer BIT me.  Oh my, what a great bite too.  I must tell you it was not just sliding the fruit to the blade that got me.  I was trying to free up a piece of cut fruit, and it happened.

Regardless of the little love bites I have gotten (2 now to be honest), I am still in awe of the beauty that this slicer creates with such little effort.  I use it every chance I get.  I even use it to make a salad - it slices a cucumber in no time flat, I have not had anything but great experiences with my mandoline and it is certainly my favorite tool this week!!!