Swissmar Börner VPower V-Slicer Mandoline

Why did I wait so long to buy one of these? To tell you the truth, I was afraid of the blades. Yes, this is definitely a "slicing machine," and it does it remarkably well. I've been putting it through its paces over the last couple of days and as long as I am careful, I will have remarkably evenly sliced and diced fruits and vegetables and retain my fingertips. Why use a mandoline slicer over a knife? A mandoline makes quick and extremely even slices of just about anything you throw at it. You can slice a ripe tomato into beautiful, thin, perfectly even slices faster than you can take the serrated knife out of the drawer. You can make translucent-thin slices of radish or chop an onion for sautéing. And there is very little mess as everything is contained under the mandoline and doesn't go flying around as it is being cut. This Swissmar mandoline is made by Borner in Germany. Everything about it is solid, well thought out and precision made. I purchased the product in white, but it also comes in orange, red, and green. Here are some things you should know: 1) The instruction book is quite thick as it comes in 24 different languages. English is on the last two pages. Go directly to the back and read the instructions, they are important. 2) There are also pictographs. Some are very helpful, some are quite small....too small to be really useful. A larger, easy to understand version is on the Amazon product page. 3) The product page on Amazon has a video by the manufacturer. I found it quite helpful 4) The main part of the mandoline is a molded slab of plastic with a handle on one end and two very sharp, permanently attached blades angled into a V in the middle. The "Plain Insert" is a sturdy, V shaped piece of plastic that is inserted into slots at the bottom of the main part of the mandoline. When inserted fully, and clicked into place, the "Plain Insert" rests against the sharp blades and acts as a "Safety" to close and secure the device for storage and cleaning. The "Plain Insert" can be pulled and clicked into four slicing positions that provide different thickness of slices for varying textures of food. 5) In addition to the "Plain Insert" there are two additional inserts: a 3.5 and a 7mm slicer for cutting strips, julienne, shreds, and cubes. The "Plain Insert" is removed from under the mandoline and one of the others is inserted in its place. Each of these inserts has two positions, one providing a slightly thinner version of the other. 6) There is a plastic holder for the two inserts that snaps on to the back of the mandoline for safe storage. 7) There is a large, round "Safety Holder" or finger guard. It is absolutely imperative that it is used! Cleverly designed, it is a large, dome-shaped plastic disk that has multiple prongs on the bottom and a large tab on the top. You secure the food on to the prongs and, as you guide the finger guard over the blades, you provide slight pressure to the disk on the top. By providing the slight pressure, the tab pushes most of the food through the blades and there is very little waste that remains on the prongs. Arrows on the finger guard ensure that it is moved in the correct direction. 8) As you slide the finger guard (with the food attached to it) over the mandoline with a light back and forth motion, the food is silently sliced and lays in neat piles under the device. The first time I used it, I was slicing a large radish that was totally obscured under the finger guard, and it seemed as if it had almost immediately vanished into thin air! I picked up the finger guard and just a bit of the stem end of the radish remained attached to the prongs. Where was the rest of it? I picked up the mandoline off the counter and there, underneath, was a little, perfect pile of translucent radish slices. 9) Tomatoes require an adjustment for a thicker cut. I also found that one needed to "start" a tomato by slicing a small bit off the end so that the blades could "grab" the fruit and start slicing. Four back and forth movements slices a large tomato. 10) The 3.5mm insert was good for mincing an onion, the 7mm blade chopped it finely. 11) There is a way to dice that requires turning the finger guard 45° before the first cut and then 90° back prior to the next cut. I have yet to master this technique and have strangely cut a potato into peculiarly shaped pieces. 12) Cleaning up requires some attention. Everything detaches and rinses easily but the blades are exposed and possibly dangerous. For this reason, the manufacturer recommends that the "Plain Insert" be placed into the "Safety" position prior to washing the device. I found that I needed to rinse the blades prior to inserting the "Pain Insert" back into mandoline or I couldn't get the blades clean enough. The manufacturer also recommends rinsing the two additional inserts and letting them air dry in their holder which is snapped to the back of the mandoline. This makes very good sense. 13) This mandoline is not dishwasher safe. I'm quite happy with this purchase.

My first Swissmar Borner mandolin was purchased 20 years ago. As a former chef, I had purchased mandolins for over $200 and returned them because they were a disappointment. When I received my first Swissmar mandolin I was disappointed and thought it was a cheap piece of crap...until I tried it and realized that they put all the money in the blades. You can slice a ripe tomato in slices so thin you can see through it...great for pizza! I kept that unit for 15 years and threw it out figuring the company had updated the unit and made the body as awesome as the blade. It cut as well after 15 years as the day I bought it...then I found there had been no change and bought another of the same unit 5 years ago. I have that unit to this day but when I saw they FINALLY updated the body I jumped at it. First of all I LOVE the new safety feature that protects the blade flat...I now have a grandson and always worry he will find it in a drawer and cut himself...and those blades are sharp. Unlike the old unit where you flipped the plate over for thick or thin, you have several options for thickness. The grip feet at the base are nice and the holder for the other two blades is an improvement. Although it's still plastic, it doesn't look as cheap as the older model and the plastic is better quality. The blades are the gem here and it remains the same. You can still slice that tomato paper thin or nice and thick or in between. I paid a fortune for my food processor but this is what I break out 90% of the time. When my daughter found out I bought this unit she begged me for my old one...I ordered her one of these instead. Now if they would only make this in stainless steel I would pay the high price tag...maybe someday. In the meantime enjoy a really well made mandolin for a bargain price...and please don't ignore the safety holder...20 years ago I thought I could do without it until it took a good chunk of my knuckle...now I might start slicing a carrot or cucumber without it but once I get halfway I put the guard on...these blades are REALLY sharp. I have always put it in the dishwasher and never had a problems with warping, rusting or dulling.

The V-7000 takes a bit of getting use to. The button on the side that is suppose to lock the selected plate in, isn't very substantial and doesn't really lock it in completely. It's sort of a gimmick, if you ask me. But the slicer is good. It will slice wonderfully and fast. I had wondered if it would slice cabbage etc very thin. It definitely will do that well. It would be nice if they would make a stand or a bowl that will fit under the mandoline so that you don't have to hold it up in order to slice more than a few times (as it tends to get clogged up and jam if you don't lift it up to give it the space for the cut items). I also wish that the safety food pusher had some prongs that were closer together so that you can cut carrots that are longer narrower. It doesn't quite attach to, and hold secure the narrower carrots. You need at least 2 prongs in the carrot to attach securely. To remedy this: I hold the big end of the carrot and do my slicing (without the safety pusher) until I get down toward the fatter end. Then I attach the pusher to the carrot. Be careful, don't wait too long before you attach the pusher to the carrot. For carrots, I also don't go direct into the "V" part of the blade, as it tends to jam up more there. And I definetly hold the mandoline up so that the cut carrots don't pile up underneath and then begin to jam up while cutting. All and all, I do like it and will use it. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the older models without the "lock" button on the side.

As the title says, I tried three other mandolines before giving this one a go. Two of the others were from Oxo, the other was a Bed Bath and Beyond branded mandoline that came highly recommended by a co-worker. All three were horrible. The blades just weren't sharp enough to cut anything but potatos or very firm veggies. anything else was turned to pulp as you smashed the food against the blades. I ordered the Swissmar V-7000 based on the reviews here and a couple of other sites. The reviews were pretty spot on. This thing is great. :) The blades are incredibly sharp and very thin. There is very little resistance when pushing food through. I can't stress enough how sharp the blades are. They sliced through an almost over ripe tomato without crushing it at all. It's easily sliced, and diced, everything I've thrown at it. Even the upright dicing blades are very sharp. The construction is simple, but very sturdy. Two of the other mandolines I tried had a stand. I wasn't sure about having a mandoline without some way to brace it and hold it firmly while slicing. But because the blades on this are so sharp, it doesn't take much effort at all to hold while using it. It also has these nice rubber indents so it will sit over a bowl. The blade adjustment is done by pushing the red button on the side and sliding the deck forward or back to make cuts thinner or thicker. There's even a nice little holder for the dicing blades that will hold the blades after you wash them so they dont just sit in the sink waiting for you to accidentally run your hand over them. The deck will also lock into place to keep you from running your hand over the main cutting blades while cleaning it. If I had to nitpick, I'd say that it would be nice if the adjustment went just a little thicker. But really, I'd be splitting hairs. Great product!

When I saw the latest fad, a vegetable "spiralizer" that makes veggie "spaghetti" out of things like zucchini, I thought veggie sphaghetti was something actually worth giving a try. The problem is that I didn't need another cheaply made, single-purpose gizmo in my kitchen. So I bought this. It doesn't make long "spaghetti" like the spiralizer does, but julienning a zucchini lengthwise works just as well. I then quickly sauté the strips in butter and season with salt and pepper. That's a new family favorite, which is something because zucchini is a vegetable and there aren't many of those on the favorites list. Best of all you can julienne a zucchini with this thing in a couple of seconds; it's way faster than using one of those chintzy spiral gizmos. In fact everything this device does, it does insanely FAST. With it you can slice, dice and julienne your way through a mountain of vegetables far faster than you can with a knife. The only problem is that the speed with which this thing works is slightly terrifying, and I speak as someone who's cooked with *very* sharp knives all my adult life. The safety holder is a good thing, but it works best with spherical stuff like tomatoes. Julienning zucchinis is slightly awkward because the little tines that hold the vegetable secure aren't quite long enough, but it still works. I also wear an anti-cut glove on my working hand, just in case my attention wanders. This thing is beyond razor-sharp; it'd be so easy to julienne the tips of your fingers off in a moment of distraction... Clean-up is another thing that requires some initial thought. Tossing the the blades into a tub of soapy water could be very bad for someone's groping fingers. A quick rise with the sprayer, a dunk in soapy water, followed by another spray does the job. One really thoughtful feature is that the mandoline and auxillary blades fit into a caddy that also doubles as a drainer. So after you give your mandoline and julienne blade their quick cleaning, you pop them into the caddy and put the whole thing in the dish draining rack. That's a really nice touch because ou do not want to leave a mandoline around disassembled. I don't mean to scare you off a mandoline; they're a very useful addition to your kitchen if you already have a good set of knives. You just have to give a little thought about how to approach each task as you're getting used to using one. Figure out what works safely and stick to that. This model in particular has a well-thought out safety features. I still use knives for most small slicing and dicing operations. If I were dicing just two onions, I'd definitely use a knife. It's sitting right there in the knife block and it cleans up in just an instant. If I were dicing four onions I'd definitely take the mandoline out.

I wanted a mandoline slicer for some time but didn’t want to spend a lot of money nor did I want to buy a cheap product that was hard to use and didn’t work. I spent a lot of time searching for the best product. Finally I made my decision to purchase a Börner V-Slicer. There were many good reviews that persuaded me to buy this unit. I decided on this mandoline. It has 2 blade inserts and 1 plain insert. It comes with a holder so everything is stored nicely. I also purchased the bowl that fits nicely and has a slot that hold the slicer on the bowl. The slicer cuts so easily that when I first started using it I had to check to see if it sliced the vegetable. The first couple passes over the blade I didn’t notice any tension. It cuts everything with ease and all the cuts are even. This product makes cutting so easy and everything comes out perfect. So far I’m very happy with this purchase. It did cost more than some mandoline slicers but I’m confident after using it that this slicer was well worth the price. I’m excited to have the opportunity to own this and look forward to using this daily. Edit: After using the v slicer many times with different types of vegetables and fruits I’m amazed at how well it cuts. It’s very sharp and cuts through things with ease. I bought the bowl and it clips into the bowl very nicely which makes slicing so easy and my food stays put in the bowl. It’s definitely worth the purchase. I almost use it daily.

I’m a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York. I say that so you know that I’m not “new” to the world of food and cooking. I’ve used stainless steel mandolins many times. . . and, for the most part, I’ve felt “safe” using them. Not so with this one. Not so at all. This product is SCARY! First of all, the makers need to have a “REAL” instructional video on the proper and safe way to use this mandolin. They have a long video on YouTube, but it’s far from being an “instructional video”. It’s a “sales pitch” video. There’s no talking. . . just “cheesy” music. The man in the video is obviously talking, but you can’t hear what he’s saying (and it’s probably in German). He’s going. . . . zip. . . Zip. . . ZIP . . . TA-DA. . . sliced carrots!! He’s going as fast as he can. . . showing how you can slice all types of things. DON’T DO THAT! I HIGHLY recommend you do NOT try to zip through as fast as you can. One slight turn, and you’ll take a slice out of your hand. Not everything is going to fit in the “holder”. Eggplant, for example. You’re going to have to hold it with your hand. Again. . . scary. Slow-and-steady is the way to go. Don’t try to zip through it as fast as you can, like it shows on the videos. On the other hand, don’t “stop-and-start”. You need to have a smooth and even speed. Is there “waste”? Yes there is. . . but not a lot. It all depends upon what you’re cutting. For example, last night I shredded cabbage to make sauerkraut (one of the main reasons I purchased this item). I cut the head of cabbage into quarters, and removed the core. I started slicing the cabbage using my hand to hold it, as it was too large for the “holder”. But as soon as it would fit in the holder, I used the holder to finish. The very last little bit, on each quarter, would not go through. So I simply hand-cut that bit. No big deal. The same for other items such as carrots and elephant garlic. The holder works. . . as long as whatever you’re slicing will fit into it, and can be held by the metal “needles” inside it. When I was watching the video, it showed that you could put several small items in at the same time . . . .radishes, for example. Yes and no. I think it all depends upon what it is you’re slicing. I tried it with carrots with mixed results. You just have to see what works best for you. This is a VERY expensive item for a lot of plastic and a few bits of metal. I know it’s Made in Germany, and not China. . . but. . . I still think it’s expensive. The “blade holder” that you put on the back isn’t great. . but I guess it works. You’re supposed to be able to put round veg holder on the top somehow, but I don’t have a lot of luck with it staying put, and so I just store it separate. PLEASE make sure you “close” the slicer (pressing the guide all the way forward from the back) so that you, or someone else, won’t get cut by simply handling the mandolin while not in use and moving it. Does this item work? Yes it does. Will I be using it on a daily basis? No way. I have “knife skills” where I really don’t need to use this item very often. I purchased it mainly for shredding cabbage and other items I want to ferment. I’m sure I’ll cringe each time I use it.

Superior quality, easy to use and clean, different blades for all slicing needs and you cannot be the price for the sharpness of this tool in your kitchen.

Muy bien

Swissmar is best in the world, I watched so many review videos about it, ordered it and find it extremely useful. But please remember, the blades are extremely sharp. I was saved just buy luck '. Please be careful. But otherwise it's excellent product, don't look at the price, it wil last a lifetime

Purchased this exact model 12 years ago, great quality, still like new. Days ago I needed very thin slices of ham, I knew this mandoline wasn’t designed for meat but had nothing to lose apart from a couple of slices of ham all mangled up. Amazingly this mandoline sliced the ham perfectly. Tried three different thicknesses, all perfect. Just shows how sharp the V blades have stayed after 12 years of moderate use. Thumbs UP!

I kinda love this tool! I mostly use the plain blade and slice onions, mushrooms, celery and peppers to fry up for a morning omelette. The super thin slices are paper thin for those vegetables. I have also used that setting for beets, to make beet chips which are amazing! It is trickier though with hard vegetables like beets, rutabegas, and yams to keep the slices that thin; it takes more force (using the holder of course!) to push them against the blade, and this can make the plastic under the item flex downward slightly so the slices come out a little thicker. The holder is a must for most vegetables or you risk shaving the skin off your fingers. One tiny radish can be sliced into about 20 thin slices. I don't use the other attachments much because they are more awkward and the multiple "daggers" that stick up seem scary. I have used them to make coleslaw though. I always rinse everything under the tap as soon as I'm done slicing. Beets and carrots leave a slight stain, but if I put dish liquid (Dawn) on the stains they will get fairly cleaned off. I use this mandolin almost every day. It stores easily in a cupboard, and the uniform slices are great for making vegetables stretch further. Good for pizza toppings and salads too. Tomatoes are best not sliced quite paper thin, but the next thickness up is good. I used to use a food processor to slice vegetables, but the mandolin does a cleaner cut. Great tool for garnishing salads or meals in general

As expected a good product from Borner but the delivery was very late . The cuts of veggies were like a pro. Must have in the kitchen . Helps for the busy schedules of Moms.No fuss no mess.