Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus Mandoline V5000-BORNER

This is the second time we have bought this product. The previous one lasted over 10 years. We changed it as the blades were no longer as sharp, and the plastic body had got scratched --- but it still performed beautifully.We have in total purchased 6 times --- the other 4 have been gifted to family --- and ALL are very happy with the product

As a home cook, I've got decent knife skills, but it is still time consuming prepping meals.The Swissmar Borner V slicer helps alot, especially with salads. Look up the American Kitchens review on YouTube for the details.In summary is you can get french fries, julienne carrots, make slaws, dice onions, get zucchini ribbons, etc in seconds. The base is sturdy, change out blades is quick and its very safe to use with the handle provided.You do need to apply some pressure and speed with harder vegetables, but I quickly got the hang of it. Like any sharp steel blades, unfortunately the diswasher is out of the question. Using a dishwashing brush is ideal for longevity.From my homework, this is still the best mandoline on the market, very sturdy, and everyone should have one in their kitchen.

Producto de buena calidad, simplifica mucho el trabajo de la cocina. Lo califico con 5 estrellas porque funciona excelente, pero se debe tener MUCHO cuidado cuando se usa, debe hacerse de acuerdo a las instrucciones, las cuchillas son MUY FILOSAS, y en un descuido me corté un dedo de manera muy fea.

I am a gadget person. Over the past 40 years, I have owned many kitchen mandolins. This is without doubt the best.As a total gadget freak, on Prime Day I went hunting to see if there might be something better. The simple answer is "no," there is not. While looking I also noticed that my current Swissmar, purchased on May 30, 2013, had just passed its 10th birthday. It seemed a good time to write a review of a product that has stood the test of time.During the past 10 years, I have used it on average about once a day. It has, without a doubt, been the kitchen tool that has been the single most used, best-value kitchen tool I have. (And I pretty much have them all.)For most of the past 10 years, it has been sitting on my kitchen counter where it has been exposed to sunlight. I also wash it in the dishwasher sometimes. As a result, the top and the standard blade I use 90% of the time have yellowed somewhat. Besides that, it is little changed from when I received it 10 years ago. The two blades I use less frequently are still quite pristine looking because they are stored in the mandolin container box out of the sun. (They have both had several hundred uses.)After 10 years of daily use, it seems absurd to claim the blades are just as sharp today as when I received the mandolin. However, whatever dulling has occurred, it is too little to notice. After 10 years of daily use, there is no issue whatsoever with the blades being dull. They *seem* just as sharp as the day I received it.Safety: I am a klutz. I am absent-minded and easily distracted. Yet, after literally several thousand uses I have yet to cut myself while either using or washing it. (I can not say that about my kitchen knives.) Yes, like any sharp kitchen tool, it should be kept away from young kids and it should be used with suitable care. Personally, I worry far more about cutting myself with my knives than with this mandolin.Cleaning: I have purchased some fancier mandolins with adjustable blades and/or safety shoots. They are fun for a bit and if doing a fair amount of cutting they can be a bit faster on the cutting end. But "oh my God," the cleanup on all those adjustable parts takes longer than cutting veggies up the old-fashioned way by hand with a knife. I use my fancier, "safer," adjustable mandolin only every few months because getting into all the nooks and crannies is too time-consuming.Cleanup on the Swissmar is really quite easy. Use any kitchen brush, soap, scrub back and forth parallel with the blades, rinse and you are done. There are no nooks and crannies for yuk to hide in.The pictures up-loaded are of my 10-year-old Swissmar mandolin which goes in the dishwasher, is stored on the counter where it is exposed to sunlight, and is used on a daily basis. You will see that the mounted blade is a bit yellowed, but that the others are not. If this concerns you, then store your unit out of the sunlight.5 or 7 pieces?: I would never consider not getting the 7-piece version. All the cuttings go in this holder, none on the floor. It saves a mess every use. I have no doubt that it has paid for itself several times in rolls of paper towels not used for cleanup. And also again in bits of food that did not escape to the floor. (Sorry doggies!)Also - this is my first review. Quality reviews short of 6 months seem silly to me.

Most mandolines sold anywhere are horrible products that just waste your time and you'd instead be better having a sharp knife to cut your veggies.... But not this one ! This one is actually good.I want to leave a prop to the seller Swissmar who sent me a new mandoline under warranty after I sent pictures of a defect in the manufacture of the blade of the first I received. I was passed my Amazon return window having not actually tested my mandoline right away and I was afraid I'd have no recourse but they replaced the whole mandoline under warranty. I was very pleased with the customer service and that made the whole difference for me. I recommend making a close inspection of the product as you receive it in case you'd suffer a similar defect. The first unit I received had blades that were like warped in two places. The new one I received fulfilled my expectations.The Borner German made blades are very high quality and stay sharp a long time. I have had several Borner mandolines over the years and even my 5+ years old ones are still way sharper than most competing products in a brand new state. No other brand compare. You can cut very fast and very precise cuts that makes using such a tool actually faster than a food processor.I really like the box it comes in both to protect against children putting their fingers on these ultra sharp blades and also during the preparation, you can cut horizontally and fill the box and use it to carry your slices veggies.