Mandoline: To Buy or Not to Buy? Questions Answered

[KellyTheChef]

thin apple slices, if you don't have the APCS, the limes for the recipe on the front of our catalog cover, lemons, for lemonade. Cucumber, carots, zuccini, oranges for orange juice, (leave the peels on!) I have done hard cheesed in it!
Green pepper, any color pepper! onions! Here is a tip I like to tell people at my shows!!!...... core the inside of a cucumber out using our Corer, and then take a peeled carrot and push in the inside of the cucumber, you could even score a few strips vertically down the cucumber, cut it into chunks that would fit inside the food holder and using the crinkle blade cut it into slices! Makes a beautiful presentation and it doesn't take much work and everyone will be trying to figure out how you got those little carrot peices in your cucumber so perfectly!!! I just love "wowing" my friends making them think I worked much harder than I did! Try this at shows, you WILL get ooh's and awe's! I just love ooh's and awe's!!!
I know I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff but it truely is very versatile. I've even slice up smaller sized turkey ham...worked great!
Keep working with it and as someone said on here already, watch the video on CC. It's very helpful!

That trick is what started me with PC!!! My recruiter did this at a show, I decided to book a show so I could get the USG for free (didn't have the $$ to buy it), and after watching her do the original show and then my show, I decided "I could do that!!"

Ta-Da! Three and a half years later I am still going strong!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

How do I know if it is defective?? Mine sticks almost every time I use it.

Stick how? Like the food gets stuck in the blade? Mine was doing that, but after watching the demo online, I tried again and didn't push so hard on the plunger. Worked WAY better if I just let "gravity" do most of the work!

 

[pckrissy]

Just call HO and get it replaced. My Director hated hers and when she was talking to HO they told her they had had some that were defective, they sent her out a new one and she couldn't believe the difference. She loves it now.. I've learned also from using it you can't push too hard and you can't go too fast like the old one...I do love mine. Good luck

 

[TinaOuellette]

I trully love the UM, I try to use it at every show. Everyone is really impressed with it and I had a lot of people booking shows for March, because they wanted to get it at 60% off. I do have to admit that sometimes it's pretty tricky but by not putting to big of pieces and making sure you have a good grip, you will surely impress everyone at your show.

Tina

 

[schel]

As for peppers, that are to big, I also did onions yesterday with the UM and while yes it was slick, I had to slice the onion in 1/2 to get it to fit. Peppers, havn't found one that will fit in the food holder all the way without cutting it in half.
As for cheese.... hint.... and this goes for the Ultimate Cheese Grater also, If you take your chunk of cheese place it in a prep bowl and nuke for 6 - 7 seconds, and then grate it... I will not stick. I have had people complain at shows about it sticking and when I show them that trick, they are all like ahahaaa!!!
If you asked me about the UM vs. the USG, my choice would be the USG all the way!
Schel

 

[Grandmarita]

I've used mine twice this week to make two batches of Scalloped potatoes.
My DH helped yesterday, and managed to slice his thumb as it was large enough to hang over the edge of the guard. It was not that bad but I was
so confident we had solved the injury problems with the new design.

My earlier use was good once I cut the potatoes flat and in half. However, there was a stub of potato that did not go through the slicer on several
potatoes. That meant having to hand slice the final stub or discard. My
food processor used to make fast work of the slicing, and I would probably
still use it, if not for wanting the practice with the UM. I definitely want to
show it this month for the benefit of our hostess'.

 

[crissy11]

mandolineI have already sliced my ring finger on the new one. Never did slice a finger on the old one.. I still can't seem to get the mandoline to work right.
I don't even talk about it anymore. Too aggravating..
About like the new PP+ program... UGH!!! too slow..

 

[DebbieJ]

PP+ is a memory hog, so make sure you close any other programs and clean up your hard drive. Or just install more memory on your machine.

 

[Brandie]

I love my UM, have sold quite a few, but I cut myself on it today during my demo! My own dorky fault--check out my thread in Product Tips for the story! I think it does take some getting used to--especially for those of us who owned the USG, and even the Vario-Slicer (yes--I still have that old thing!). It's very different, but I do really like it!

 

[PCGINA]

Wish you had another catagory...sell many but would like to love it more!! Tomatoes have been a freaking disaster for me. It's too bad because the USG could tolerate something other than a hard as a rock tomato!

Ditto ~ Double Ditto ~ Triple Ditto!! Need I say more?

 

[schel]

I wonder if HO is aware of all of this.... If we are having such a hard time with this item, what do our customers think of it?
Schel

 

[jenniferknapp]

I didn't sell any Mandolines, but had a few people impressed by slicing lemons and making homemade lemonade in the family size pitcher! 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 3 sliced lemons, add water and plunge! MMMMM... (I did sell a few pitchers though...)You definitely have to use it to get comfy with it. If you are wondering whether you want to invest in one, ask a cluster-mate to borrow theirs for a week and try a few things with it!

 

[louisecurtishome]

The mandoline is very unpopular with my customers. A friend of mine was considering buying the mandoline so as she was a friend I suggested she borrow mine for a month to see how she got on. This would also provide me with an accurate assessment of its benefits. She was delighted. However, within 24 hours she returned it and said it was just a waste of time and that it was quicker and easier to use a sharp knife. I checked she had been using it correctly and she had. It's been put in my cupboard never to see the light of day again!

 

[[email protected]]

I voted yes, but I'm not really sure. I've sold a couple. After the first show I tried it and ended up slicing the tip of my finger off AT THE SHOW, I've been very reticent. But, now after I've used it quite a bit for the Lime-Berry Mousse Trifle demo, I'm getting the hang of it. It's not for everyone.

 

[ivykeep]

I had problems with the UM at the first two shows I tried to demo it at -- worked ok at home, but couldn't make it work at a show, so I was REALLY hesitant when my SIL asked me to do recipes that focused on the UM (she got it in March at her mom's show when she bought the host bonus from her). I did the show tonight (and made sure I was prepared and watched the video on CC three times). It went relatively smoothly, but don't think grating carrots in it is very effective (limes, tomatoes, cucumbers and zuchini all worked well). I did sell one.

I did have two different people ask me about sharpening the blades... anyone know the answer to that?

 

[pamperedpsalmstress]

Okay I'm new but have to chime in. People keep stating that you need to practice w/mandoline to get the hang of it. Is that what we're telling our customers?!!! Personally I like the mandoline now, but I definitely had to make myself use it and still believe I need more practice w/it. However I would not promote this item strongly as I feel for the cost a person should be able to pull it from box and fall in love w/first use.

 

[mbh06]

I have sold many of them, before they were the host special. I enjoy it mainly for making fried potatos, that is all I have used it for. Does anyone know how to make it work for tomatos?? THey just squish, I have to tomato knife and like it better. Sometimes it just seems easier to get out a knife, but if you keep it handy it is quicker for those of us that aren't very good w/ knives.

 

[ivykeep]

I did tell everyone at my show last night that you have to practice to get a smooth rhythem with it and went over how to make sure that the food holder is on correctly, but they were impressed with the crinkle cut items.

For me personally (not at shows), I'll use the crinkle cut blade on it but that's probably about it -- I have a REALLY large family and we frequently have cookouts and birthday parties for 20+ people (I have 8 siblings, plus parents, spouses, and 12 nieces and nephews and my husbands family) so when I'm doing large amounts of grating or slicing I do use my food processor.

For small quantities of family dinner cooking (DH, DD and I) it's easier and simpler to just use a knife. But for someone without a food processor it's a great tool.

 

[Chef_Tami]

I can't fall in love with the UM because the couple of times I've tried to show it, it won't work. It's embarrassed me twice and I'm dreading doing another trifle show!! I couldn't even get my March host to buy one at 60% off because it didn't work at her show!

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

Does anyone have this problem: as I use it, say on a lime for the Lime Berry Trifle, I slide it down to make a slice but when I try to bring it back up, the lime catches on the plastic that is the lower edge of the blade where it slides in. I get both clicks like I'm supposed to, it just always seems to catch in that same spot as I slide it back. Is it me or might it be defective?

 

[Chef Diane]

I love my mandolinebut I havent sold many. I sold 2 last month to the hostess and past host.

 

[dwyerkim]

I do like it a lot, and sold several in March as the special and one two shows ago when I used it for the trifle. At that show actually I let a guest do the limes and the first time she slid the pusher she pushed to hard and it went flying off--a tad bit embarassing. Part of what I discovered with the limes is that it helps to start with a flat surface against the blade--cut a little slice off of the end with a knife, otherwise that "knobby" thing on the end of the lime means all your pressure is going on a tiny little area.

I tell people that between the food chopper and mandoline, I havne't used my food processor in quite awhile, and it is the truth! Haven't pulled it out once since we moved in January.

 

[schel]

Again.... If we can't get it to work properly.... how can we expect guests or even hosts to get it to work right?
Does anyone agree with me?
Schel

 

[ChefinHarmony]

Stains?!?!?I used mine at home to slice 3lbs of carrots for a soup sale. Now, the cream parts on the guard, blade, and whole thing is STAINED orange!! I tried baking soda and no luck. Any suggestions? Mine sticks a lot too - I think I may have a defective one. I may call HO about it for the stains and the sticking.
Thanks!
Joanne

 

[pamperedpsalmstress]

I definitely agree w/you Schel

And Joanne, first time I used mine I grated carrots and it stained. Freaked me out. I used diluted bleach w/water and it came right off.

 

[schel]

Glad I am that I still have my USG. Wonder if those will be in surprise boxes at conference???!!!!
Schel