Learning to Use a Vegetable Slicer: A Challenge for Me

[bcowdin]

I was excited about this product. I planned to talk about how helpful it would be making soups and stews. But, it is pretty hard for me to use. It takes both hands for me to slice the veggies. I sliced a carrot, celery stalk, and a jalapeno. Hopefully, Home Office will put a video online that will help me demonstate this product. Until then, I'll stick with the santuko knife.

 

[cookscorner]

That's too bad. I won one from my Director and am getting it the end of this month. I am thinking that it would be great for soups, salads, etc. It will be interesting to try it out. It sure looked easy on the fall products dvd. Thanks for your insight.

 

[lalemom]

I agree. Used it right away after I received it and was disappointed. The blade needs to be sharper.

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Way too hard for my hands with carrots, but the results were great. Not good on green onions. Experimented with tomatoes and black olives for kicks.

Must say I was really excited about this, but am not currently impressed. May have to play awhile with it before I fall in love.

 

[raebates]

The Use & Care says that you may need 2 hands for carrots. I got mine yesterday and used it on celery to show The Furry Guy. worked beautifully. Like many of our products, I think it will be some people's favorite and others' least favorite.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Would I be able to use it for grape tomatoes? That is what I want it for right now. Will eventually use it for other things but my thoughts right now are on wedding things..and I need grape tomatoes sliced for pasta salad.

 

[cookinfletch]

Heidi, that piqued my interest, so I just tried it- not so much! Kind of messy.

 

[bcowdin]

I read the part about using two hands for carrots...but I also had to use two hands for celery. I tried the grape tomatoes, too. My first tomato sliced, but the slices were not pretty. My second tomato squished.

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

I did have to use two hands, but having carpal tunnel on both...it was painful and not one I'll be reaching for unless it's celery or softer items. The tomatoes do not come out pretty....but neither do they with the salad choppers. A trick I noticed is that it's easier if it's skin side up...I used roma tomatoes after wedging with veggie wedger.

I am going to keep playing with it and see if it improves my opinion....I REALLY want to love it because I think it's a GREAT idea.

 

[flemings99]

A agree difficult to press. I used a prep-bowl to chop over and the carrots bounced out all over the place. Guess I'll use a bigger bowl next time.

 

[ChefetteDuJour]

Makes beautiful banana slices ... maybe a little on the thin side for some tastes, but you can't beat the speed.

 

[wadesgirl]

Tried it at our meeting tonight on celery. Def have to have it aimed into a bowl!! Mine went every which way when I tried it. I really like it though. Cannot wait to try it on other things.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I love my knives. Even before PC, I was convinced that good knives were the most important tools the kitchen. Still believe that.

I'm pretty good with my knives, and can chop quickly (although not Iron Chef quick!) and I'm sure this is one tool that won't be used in my kitchen. It just seems unnecessary to me. However, like the finger guard, and Hold n Slice, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who will love it. I'll sell it just like I sell those other products that I don't use in my kitchen.

 

[lt1jane]

I would buy it if it were designed for smaller (aka kids) hands. My son loves to help in the kitchen and something like that would be great for him. Alas, like the Food Chopper, this requires an adult use it. I agree with Becky, I like my knives and can do just as good a job with them just as quickly.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I would buy it if it were designed for smaller (aka kids) hands. My son loves to help in the kitchen and something like that would be great for him. Alas, like the Food Chopper, this requires an adult use it. I agree with Becky, I like my knives and can do just as good a job with them just as quickly.

I would not hand this tool to a child. I think it would be too easy for little fingers to get in there and get cut.

Personally, I don't care for this. I have had trouble cutting with it and also controlling where the pieces end up (they don't usually end up in the bowl). lol. I will practice more with it but like Becky said, it's like a few other things that I don't use. Some people will love it. That's why we have such a great variety in products.

 

[wadesgirl]

I love my knives. Even before PC, I was convinced that good knives were the most important tools the kitchen. Still believe that.

I'm pretty good with my knives, and can chop quickly (although not Iron Chef quick!) and I'm sure this is one tool that won't be used in my kitchen. It just seems unnecessary to me. However, like the finger guard, and Hold n Slice, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who will love it. I'll sell it just like I sell those other products that I don't use in my kitchen.

See, exactly the reason why I like this. I'm not good with a knife and it was tedious for me to hand cut the celery last night. I'd rather have something that I feel like I have more control over.

Now I hated both the finger guard and hold n slice because I am such a klutz it made me feel less in control when I used a knife with them.

 

[carlajanes]

yes...it is a waste of money IMO.....will be passing it on to one of my kids...lol

 

[Teresa LM]

Does it work for cucumbers? I was wishing I had mine to try it out as I was slicing up cukes for supper last night.

 

[[email protected]]

Has anyone tried it on POTATOES? or beets?

 

[Ginger428]

Has anyone tried it on POTATOES? or beets?

they won't fit....

 

[KamrynsKitchen]

My biggest issue with it is that it's closed one side making it awkward for me as a left handed person, to use. If it was open on both sides then I could have control over how to load and grip. It just feels cumbersome and clutzy.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Heidi, that piqued my interest, so I just tried it- not so much! Kind of messy.

Darn it..I am really not looking forward to hand cutting 8 pints of tomatoes. Thanks for trying it out though.

 

[esavvymom]

Darn it..I am really not looking forward to hand cutting 8 pints of tomatoes. Thanks for trying it out though.

I don't think much of anything can work well for slicing tomatoes. I haven't tried, but I wonder if the Egg Slicer plus would do the cherry tomatoes for you.I haven't gotten mine yet, but it doesn't strike me as a tool I'd care much for. By the time you readjust the veggie (thinking of carrots- if they take two hands), you can slice faster with a GOOD KNIFE...and we have those! I don't care if it's "perfectly sized". We shall see. I'm willing to give it a try (if it's in the package I'm ordering).

 

[Brenda.the.chef]

You can cut your cucumber (or potatoes) into spears and they will fit. I think it's pretty cool. It comes in Kit A, but one of the consultants I'm sharing the kit with wants it, so she can have it. I tried it at a cluster meeting and really was not impressed enough to 'need' one for myself.

 

[sherylscooking]

Hi ladies
I found that its all in the positioning of the veggie, if you place the veggie inside and as close to the handle it was way easier,if I tried it anyother way I could not slice anything.
So just play around with it, at conference those demonstrators were not laboring at all.

 

[Ginger428]

Darn it..I am really not looking forward to hand cutting 8 pints of tomatoes. Thanks for trying it out though.

OK...I've been putting off replying, but I can't any longer....
Why are you slicing grape tomatoes? Either leave them whole or at best just slice them in half! Its a pasta salad, which means they will be a lot of other things in it....JMHO :chef:

 

[raebates]

Small, new potatoes fit, depending on the size.

Cucumbers fit if they're small, or if you cut them into halves or quarters lengthwise.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

OK...I've been putting off replying, but I can't any longer....
Why are you slicing grape tomatoes? Either leave them whole or at best just slice them in half! Its a pasta salad, which means they will be a lot of other things in it....JMHO :chef:

LOL! (actually, I was thinking the same thing. )

 

[wadesgirl]

OK...I've been putting off replying, but I can't any longer....
Why are you slicing grape tomatoes? Either leave them whole or at best just slice them in half! Its a pasta salad, which means they will be a lot of other things in it....JMHO :chef:

That's what I was going to suggest!

 

[chefheidi2003]

OK...I've been putting off replying, but I can't any longer....
Why are you slicing grape tomatoes? Either leave them whole or at best just slice them in half! Its a pasta salad, which means they will be a lot of other things in it....JMHO :chef:

Because everytime I find grape tomatoes around here they are huge..I always cut them in half and then cut each half into quarters. I like tomatoes..but I don't like the big in my pasta salad.

Maybe I will just do them in quarters for this rather than halves.

 

[bcowdin]

I had mentioned this item to the lady who manicures my nails, and she was very interested because she grows and cans jalapenos. So, when I went to get my nails done today, I took the veggie slicer, two jalapenos, and two stalks of celery. She loved it and went all around the shop demo ing it. Of course, her hands are a lot stronger than mine! When making a salad today, I cut my cucumber into 4 long spears and they worked out fine in the veggie slicer. I also put pepper strips in there to slice.
Barbara

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Love the jalapeno tip!

I used in with semi frozen sausage and it worked great. Made it speedier and the slices were all even. Going to try out the suggestion with positioning! Thanks!

 

[bcowdin]

The sausage idea is great! Now I am wondering about semi frozen cookie dough.

Barbara

 

[cochef]

I tried rhubarb today and that definitely did not work - just wouldn't cut through it :cry:

 

[nancycookspc]

Mine BROKE! trying to cut a carrot-

one of the metal pieces pushed out-

 

[PamperedchefDaly]

Because everytime I find grape tomatoes around here they are huge..I always cut them in half and then cut each half into quarters. I like tomatoes..but I don't like the big in my pasta salad.

Maybe I will just do them in quarters for this rather than halves.

Why not try the Veggie Wedger?

 

[flemings99]

I don't think much of anything can work well for slicing tomatoes. I haven't tried, but I wonder if the Egg Slicer plus would do the cherry tomatoes for you.I haven't gotten mine yet, but it doesn't strike me as a tool I'd care much for. By the time you readjust the veggie (thinking of carrots- if they take two hands), you can slice faster with a GOOD KNIFE...and we have those! I don't care if it's "perfectly sized". We shall see. I'm willing to give it a try (if it's in the package I'm ordering).

DO NOT use the egg slicer for cherry tomatoes. You'll spring a wire. Trust me on this one. :blushing:

 

[ChefCKHall]

Just used it to try cutting celery for the risotto recipe. Celery flew everywhere...I got my santoku out. That's enough for me!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I am wondering about this one too ... what about mushrooms and strawberries? My people whine and moan about the egg slicer for these items.

 

[wadesgirl]

I am wondering about this one too ... what about mushrooms and strawberries? My people whine and moan about the egg slicer for these items.

I tried strawberries. It was okay. Maybe if you had some that were a little on the almost ripe side and not mushy at all.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Why not try the Veggie Wedger?

I hadn't thought of that..not sure how it will work since even though the are large in this area they are still small..I will try that though..hhmm..thanks.

 

[ChefCKHall]

OK, sorry but I now hate it. tried to do celery..took two hands. At my open house today, three people tried it and shook their heads. It will be buried in my drawer from this moment on....give me a knife. Now, the simple slicer on the other hand was a HIT!

 

[otisbg]

finally tried mine.....was able to cut celery with 2 hands, but it did fly all over.....then tried baby carrote...baby carrots, mind you that are the "heart" of big carrots....and the side came off. I did an online adjustment and they want me to send it back...and then are sending me a new one. I am hoping maybe an improvement has been made in the 2nd - or how many subsequent batches??:cry:

 

[mmmsarah3]

I am hoping it will grow on me, but I had the same problems, it was very hard for me to use. I tried it on celery and it was really hard to slice. I told my husband it didnt work very good. He took it and it worked for him. I guess you need to be strong to use it.

 

[nancycookspc]

I think alot of the comments need to be forward to the test kitchens- I personally thin k the item is not sharp enough. I sent a question into test kitchens and here is the response-

Hi Nancy,

Thank you for contacting The Pampered Chef with your product question.
During our testing the Veggie Slicer cut celery, carrots and green
onions/scallions cleanly. We did not have any problems while cutting
those foods, since the blades were very sharp. How many scallions and
stalks of celery did you try to slice at one time? While testing, we
found that slicing one stalk of celery gave us the cleanest cut. We
placed the firm side of the stalk towards the presser foot and the
hollowed side to the blades while slicing. In addition, the Veggie
Slicer was able to cleanly slice through 3 small scallions at one time.
Can you let me know how many of each food you were slicing, so I can be
of more assistance. Also, where did the product break?

Thank you,
Tracey

Test Kitchens




Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 7:31 AM
To: Test Kitchens
Subject: Test Kitchens (Product Use and Care, Recipes)

Message = HI Can you give me some insight on our new veggie slicer- When
It was introduced I was super excited. Now that I am using it I do not
like it- Maybe I am using it wrong- It seems very hard to cut anything
and the cuts come out with the edges of the food jagged- (except
carrots) Celery has a jagged edge, does not work on scallions( which I
was super excited thought it would) and the last time I used it on
carrots I broke it! ( awaiting adjustment) Seems like the blades need to
be sharp , which they are not. Please share tips and ideas for this
product.
btw- i LOVE the simple slicer and the chip maker is SO cool!!!
nancy

 

[lkbcovington]

I keep reading these comments and wonder if they just had a bad batch. Mine worked great on carrots and cucumbers. It wasn't the greatest on strips of bell peppers, but I didn't really expect that to work. That's all I've tried to date, but it cut those easily enough that I'm confident it would do other things well too.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

It's definitely not on my list of favorite products, but I had my Fall Preview Show tonight, and set it out with carrots for people to try. Several people loved it! They didn't even seem to care that it shot the carrots all over the place. LOL!

 

[esavvymom]

I used it for the first time tonight, on celery. Hated it! It made my hand hurt! My fingers were tingling by the time I was done with 3 stalks. I kept muttering that we should have a 30-day return policy on samples too! Because that is one that would definitely be going back (along with the Simple Slicer....not a favorite either. Prefer the UM.)I will NOT be recommending this to anyone. If they ask, I'll be honest that I don't like it. I won't say anything otherwise, but yuck. With all of the other products we have for dicing, chopping, etc, this ranks at the bottom of the heap.PC needs a place where we can give a Product Review.