Vegetable slicers are a common kitchen gadget used in place of a knife when cutting or slicing vegetables. Choosing a vegetable slicer should be done with two thoughts in mind: how many options you want the slicer to have and what price range is acceptable. The vegetable slicer has become more popular than the traditional kitchen knife due to the uniform size of the sliced vegetables it produces. Choosing a vegetable slicer is as important as choosing a set of knives, as it will be a utensil you will have in your kitchen for a long time. You can choose the best slicer by determining your own cooking needs.
The reason that cooks prefer the uniform size of vegetables produced by vegetable slicers is that uniformity aids in the cooking process. Whether steaming, baking, or deep frying, vegetables that are cooking together and are all of the same thickness will cook at the same rate. When vegetables are of varying sizes, cooking is uneven, leaving some vegetables overdone while others are still hard and barely cooked. When choosing a vegetable slicer, it is therefore important to see what size blades are offered or if the slicer comes with just one blade.
Also considered a vegetable slicer, the mandoline is a kitchen utensil that is used specifically for creating the popular julienne presentation of vegetables. Most common is the mandoline that produces the traditional small, spiked-cut vegetables. There are now mandolins that come with a variety of cutting surfaces, allowing you to crinkle cut your vegetables and finely slice them, among other options.
Spiral vegetable slicers are designed to create decorative ribbons when they slice vegetables. For the cook who wants to do some decorative slicing, this is the right slicer. Spiral slicers can be used with carrots, zucchini, and many other vegetables. These slicers comes in a number of varieties, from those that are operated manually and come with one slicing size option to those that are machine operated and have any number of slicing attachments. These slicers range in price, largely dependent on the options they offer. Though specifically designed for vegetables, they can also be used on hard fruits such as apples and pears.
A vegetable slicer is a handy kitchen gadget that saves times for the cook in a home kitchen or a chef in a restaurant. You should choose your own slicer to meet your own needs. This way, it will afford you all the necessary options for the most pleasant cooking experience.