When working in a kitchen, one is guaranteed cuts, burns, and bruises in every variation that they come in. The most annoying of them all, in my opinion, is a fresh cut from the mandolin. There is this strange type of “tough guy” rule set that nobody ever tells you but everybody practices in professional kitchens. Utilizing your palm to push that last 1/4 inch of a carrot through without cutting yourself is a skill that takes many slices to get down properly.
There is no need for this nonsense, though. If a person cooks often, chances are the small remaining pieces of certain vegetables will be needed for stock soon. For non-commercial use, they make those guards that plant its spike firmly into the back of the item you are slicing and pretty much eliminates the chance of cutting yourself. There are different types of mandolins and different uses for each of them. For home cooks, my recommendation would be a Japanese mandolin. Here is a picture for reference:
A guard can be purchased separately as well:
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