Best Mandoline Slicers (5 In-Stock Picks From Kyocera and de Buyer)

A mandoline slices vegetables thinner and more evenly than most people can with a knife. It turns a pile of potatoes into gratin slices in a minute.

It is also one of the sharpest tools in the kitchen. The right mandoline is the one with a good guard that you will actually use.

The short version: The de Buyer Kobra Mandoline is the best mandoline slicer for cooks who slice often. It adjusts from 0.2 mm to 5 mm with a knob in the handle and stands steady on anti-slip legs. For occasional use, the Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline Adjustable Slicer costs $29 and fits in a drawer.

Our Picks at a Glance

• Best overall: de Buyer Kobra MandolineJump to review ↓
• Best budget: Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline Adjustable SlicerJump to review ↓
• Best for cabbage and large produce: Kyocera Wide Adjustable Mandoline SlicerJump to review ↓
• Best set: Kyocera Multi-Slicer SetJump to review ↓
• Best compact julienne: De Buyer Komi MandolineJump to review ↓

Every mandoline above was listed as available on its maker’s own store when we checked. Prices are the makers’ own and change often.

Mandoline	Blade	Thickness	Extra Cuts	Dishwasher	Maker’s Price
de Buyer Kobra	Micro-serrated stainless steel	0.2 to 5 mm	None	Hand wash	$110.00
Kyocera Adjustable CSN-202	Ceramic	0.5, 1.3, 2.0, 3.0 mm	None	Yes	$29.00
Kyocera Wide Adjustable CSN-402BK	Ceramic	0.5, 1.3, 2.0, 3.0 mm	None	Yes	$46.00
Kyocera Multi-Slicer Set CSN-550	Ceramic	Adjustable	Julienne, grater	Not listed	$75.00
de Buyer Komi	Not listed	0 to 5 mm	Julienne (2 blades)	Hand wash	$75.00

1. De Buyer Kobra Mandoline: Best Overall

The Kobra is a full-size, stand-up mandoline from de Buyer, a French cookware maker. It stands on legs over a board or bowl, so both hands are free for the food and the pusher.

The thickness adjusts from 0.2 mm, paper thin, to 5 mm, thick enough for potato gratin. You set it with a knob built into the handle, so you do not need to swap plates.

De Buyer says the micro-serrated blade preserves the texture of fruit and vegetables. Serrations grip soft skins like tomatoes, which smooth blades tend to crush.

The pusher holds the food and keeps your fingers away from the blade. Anti-slip legs keep it steady.

It is hand wash only. Wash it right after use, while food is still soft.

The Amazon listing linked here is model 2011.00. De Buyer USA sells it as 2011.01. Check the model on the listing.

Who should buy it: Home cooks who slice often and want a steady, adjustable, stand-up mandoline.

2. Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline Adjustable Slicer: Best Budget

This is a hand-held mandoline. You rest its notched corners over a bowl and slice straight into it. There is nothing to set up.

The blade is ceramic. Kyocera says it stays sharp up to 10 times longer than steel, and it will not rust or react with acidic foods like lemons and tomatoes.

A dial sets four thicknesses, from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. That covers cucumber salad, onion rings and potato chips.

It is light and goes in the dishwasher. It stores in a drawer.

Ceramic can chip if you drop it or slice very hard foods. It is best for vegetables, fruit and hard cheese, not frozen food.

Red is linked here. Kyocera also sells it in black.

Who should buy it: Cooks who slice now and then and want a simple, cheap, compact mandoline.

3. Kyocera Wide Adjustable Mandoline Slicer: Best for Cabbage and Large Produce

This is the wide version of Kyocera’s adjustable slicer. Its 4-inch blade handles cabbage, lettuce, large onions and big potatoes that will not fit a standard hand-held mandoline.

The blade is angled. Angled blades slice more smoothly than straight ones, because they cut with a slicing motion rather than chopping straight down.

It has the same four thickness settings as the smaller model. It is dishwasher safe and needs no setup.

At 16 inches long, it needs a bigger drawer or a spot in a cabinet.

Who should buy it: Anyone who makes coleslaw, sauerkraut or large batches of sliced vegetables.

4. Kyocera Multi-Slicer Set: Best Set

The Multi-Slicer Set gives you three ceramic tools and a container to store them in. The adjustable mandoline slices. The julienne slicer makes matchsticks for stir-fries and salads. The grater handles ginger, garlic and cheese.

Each tool has corner notches that sit over a prep bowl. The container keeps the blades covered in a drawer, which is safer than loose blades.

It costs more than buying the adjustable slicer alone. It is worth it if you want julienne cuts without a big multi-cut mandoline.

Who should buy it: Cooks who want slicing, julienne and grating in a compact, stored set.

5. De Buyer Komi Mandoline: Best Compact Julienne

The Komi is de Buyer’s compact slicer. It works like a Japanese hand-held mandoline. Rest it over a bowl or board and slide the food down the plate.

Unlike the Kyocera hand-held slicers, it includes two julienne blades. That gives you matchsticks for stir-fries, slaws and garnishes without buying a separate tool.

Thickness adjusts from 0 to 5 mm with a quick, graduated control. A food guard protects your fingers. Everything packs into a small storage box.

It is hand wash only, and de Buyer’s page does not list the blade material.

Who should buy it: Cooks who want slicing and julienne in a small tool that stores in a drawer.

Want waffle and crinkle cuts too? De Buyer also sells a full-size, fold-flat mandoline called the Access, at $210 on its US store. It has a double-sided straight and crinkle blade, a double-sided 4 mm and 10 mm julienne blade, and 1 mm to 10 mm thickness. It is made in France, and its blades come out for the dishwasher.

What Changed From Our Old List

The older version of this guide listed Benriner, Bron, Swissmar Börner, OXO, KitchenAid, MIU France, Prepworks and a no-name mandoline. We check each product on its maker’s store before recommending it.

We could not confirm most of those on a maker’s store. Benriner is sold through dealers, and OXO’s product pages did not show a price or stock. We found a site calling itself Swissmar’s official store with heavy flash-sale discounts, and we could not confirm it belongs to Swissmar, so we did not use it. Kyocera and de Buyer both list their mandolines as available on their own stores.

How to Use a Mandoline Safely

Mandoline injuries are common, and they are almost always avoidable. Follow these rules every time.

1. Always use the guard or pusher. Never slice with bare fingers near the blade.
2. Wear a cut-resistant glove. It adds a second layer of protection for the hand holding the food.
3. Set it on a stable surface. A stand-up mandoline needs a flat board. A hand-held one needs a steady grip over a bowl.
4. Start with the largest piece. Cut food in half so it has a flat side against the blade.
5. Use steady, even strokes. Do not force it. A sharp blade does the work.
6. Stop when the piece gets small. Finish the last bit with a knife, or save it for stock.
7. Wash carefully. Clean the blade with a brush, not your fingers.

Our full guide on how to use a mandoline walks through setup, cuts, gloves and cleaning in more detail.

Cut-Resistant Gloves: The Cheapest Safety Upgrade

A cut-resistant glove is the single best thing to buy with a mandoline. It costs little and protects the hand that holds the food.

Look for a glove with a cut rating printed on it. Many kitchen gloves list an ANSI cut level. A higher level means more protection. Food-safe gloves are usually machine washable.

Wear the glove on the hand holding the food or the guard. Your other hand steadies the mandoline and stays away from the blade.

A glove is not armor. It resists slicing but not stabbing, and a very sharp blade can still get through with enough force. Use it together with the guard, not instead of it.

Gloves also help with other sharp jobs. Grating and cleaning a food processor blade are both safer with one on. For hot jobs, you need a different glove. Our guide to the best heat-resistant gloves for cooking covers those.

Getting Even Slices Every Time

A few habits make mandoline slices look professional.

• Chill soft produce. Cold tomatoes, zucchini and cheese slice more cleanly.
• Trim to a flat side. A flat face sits firmly against the plate.
• Keep pressure even. Uneven pressure gives wedge-shaped slices.
• Use one smooth stroke. Sawing back and forth tears the food.
• Slice onto parchment for baking. It keeps slices in order for gratins and tarts.

If your cutting board slides, put a damp towel under it. An over-the-sink cutting board gives you a stable spot with scraps falling straight into the sink.

Ceramic vs Stainless Steel Blades

The blade material changes how a mandoline behaves.

Ceramic blades are extremely hard and sharp. Kyocera says its ceramic holds an edge up to 10 times longer than steel. Ceramic will not rust and does not react with acidic foods. It can chip if dropped or used on very hard foods.

Stainless steel blades are tougher. They handle hard vegetables and heavy use without chipping. They need sharpening or replacement eventually.

Ceramic knives and blades need special sharpening. Our guide on how to sharpen ceramic knives covers the method. For steel, our knife sharpener guide covers the options.

What to Make With a Mandoline

A mandoline is at its best when you need a lot of thin, even slices.

• Potato gratin and scalloped potatoes. Even slices cook evenly. Our guide to the best bakeware sets covers baking dishes, and our guide on how long potatoes last helps with storage.
• Homemade chips and fries. Thin slices make crisp chips. A crinkle blade, like the one on the de Buyer Access, makes crinkle-cut fries. Our guide on how to cook frozen french fries in an air fryer gives times you can adapt, and our guide to the best oil for an air fryer covers oils.
• Coleslaw. Shred cabbage fine on the wide Kyocera.
• Cucumber salad. Paper-thin slices soak up dressing.
• Stir-fry vegetables. Julienne carrots and peppers cook fast in a wok. Our guide to the best wok for an electric stove covers pans.
• Sushi. Thin cucumber and radish strips roll neatly. See our guide to the best sushi making kit.
• Apple tarts. Thin, even apple slices bake beautifully. A crank peeler speeds up peeling. See our apple peeler corer slicer guide.

Mandoline vs Food Processor vs Knife

Each tool has a place.

A knife is best for small jobs and control. A sharp chef’s knife handles most daily prep. Our guide to the best knife set under $100 covers affordable sets.

A mandoline is best for thin, even slices. It is faster than a knife and more precise than most food processors.

A food processor is best for big volumes. Its slicing disc is fast but gives less control over thickness. See our picks for the best food processor under $100.

For dicing, a vegetable chopper is often quicker than any of them.

Cleaning and Storing a Mandoline

Clean a mandoline right after use. Starch and juice dry fast.

• Rinse immediately. Hold it under running water, blade facing away.
• Use a brush. Never wipe the blade with a sponge or cloth in your hand.
• Check the dishwasher rules. Kyocera’s adjustable slicers are dishwasher safe. The Kobra and Komi are hand wash only.
• Dry fully. Steel parts can spot or rust if left wet.
• Store it covered. Keep blades in their case or container.

Store a mandoline where you will not reach blindly for it. Our tips on organizing kitchen drawers in a small kitchen and small kitchen cabinet organization cover safe storage. Moving your knives to a magnetic knife strip frees drawer space for a mandoline and its blades.

Which Mandoline Should You Buy?

Buy the de Buyer Kobra if you slice often and want a steady, finely adjustable, stand-up mandoline.

Pick the Kyocera Adjustable CSN-202 if you want a cheap, simple slicer that fits in a drawer.

Choose the Kyocera Wide Adjustable CSN-402BK if you slice cabbage and large vegetables.

Get the Kyocera Multi-Slicer Set if you want slicing, julienne and grating in one stored set.

Go with the de Buyer Komi if you want slicing and julienne in a compact tool, or step up to the Access for crinkle and waffle cuts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best mandoline slicer?

The de Buyer Kobra is the best pick in this guide for most home cooks who slice often. It adjusts from 0.2 mm to 5 mm with a knob in the handle, stands on anti-slip legs and comes with a protective pusher. For a cheaper, lighter option, the Kyocera Ceramic Mandoline Adjustable Slicer costs $29 and has four thickness settings.

Are mandoline slicers dangerous?

They can be. A mandoline blade is extremely sharp, and most injuries happen when the food gets small and fingers get close. Always use the hand guard or pusher, wear a cut-resistant glove, and stop when the piece gets too small to hold safely.

Ceramic or steel mandoline blade: which is better?

Ceramic blades are very sharp, do not rust and resist acidic foods, and Kyocera says its ceramic holds an edge up to 10 times longer than steel. They can chip if dropped or used on very hard foods. Steel blades are tougher and suit heavy use and harder vegetables.

What can you slice with a mandoline?

Potatoes for chips and gratins, cucumbers, onions, cabbage for slaw, carrots, radishes, apples, zucchini and hard cheeses. Multi-cut mandolines like the de Buyer Access also make julienne and crinkle cuts.

Can you put a mandoline in the dishwasher?

It depends on the model. Kyocera says its adjustable ceramic slicers are dishwasher safe. De Buyer says the Kobra and Komi are hand wash only. Check your model before washing.