Side by Side Comparison of: HIC Harold Import Co. vs Kuhn Rikon vs Microplane vs Benriner

Fabulous! I had a very expensive 3-bowl Cuisinart that was a pain in the butt to wash every time! This mandolin is used at our favorite local Thai restaurant AND potstickers and sushi station in our supermarket. It's sturdy, solid, easy to clean! It can EASILY take the tip of a finger off too! It comes with a guide I don't use but I'm experienced with mandolins and go slowly towards then end, always leaving the last little piece. lol
It's so good I bought a 2nd one to keep for a few years since this one's being discontinued. Great kitchen tool! You're going to eat more fruits and vegetables! Beautiful dishes can be made in a couple of minutes!

Bought this on the advice of several different cooking blogs and I LOVE it. It makes it so easy to shred, cut and slice vegetables. My sister just got braces and loves raw carrots, but she couldn't eat them whole; with this I was able to cut perfectly thin slices for her to eat raw. We also found out that carrots are sweeter when you shred them yourself rather they by them pre shredded. This also works with other fruits and vegetables, such as cucumber, potato, onion, etc... Its easy to clean, easy to use, and easy to adjust. My one caveat is that the hand guard is not always the best depending on the vegetable, but really what one design will be able to go from soft tomatoes, to vertical handles. I just use a dish towel and watch my fingers.

Having been an Amazon customer for who knows how many years, first time ever I have the urge to leave a comment. Not to push anyone to get this item, but to share with you guys -- both the potential buyers and the owners -- how easy it is to fix the imperfections of this product.

When I first got this mandoline, I was as disappointed with the finger guard as many other people. It simply doesn't work. Plus it takes too much muscles and elbow grease to get the job done, because of the awkward ergonomics of angled motion. On the bright side, the blades are all razor sharp. So the slicer itself is still a keeper. I researched a bit on the Internet and saw people use those cut proof gloves. Yes they are awesome and keep you safe. But for the fellow minimalists out there, here's what you need --

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A fork.
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As ridiculous as it sounds, this is all you need. Just stab a stainless steel fork onto the top part of whatever you're slicing, have those fork teeth parallel to the blade, and start rolling! (As opposed to positioning on the side of the veggies when using the default finger guard, you want to insert the fork on the top. Say you're slicing a carrot, you would leave the fork into where the leafy part of the plant goes. I should have took a picture to make this easier but oh well...) It's so much easier, faster and safer. Angle the fork smartly and you'll get a metal shield from the natural curve of the fork. And it requires so much less strength. I mean, if a 5'3 110lbs Asian girl can do it, I don't see any reason you can't.

*** Size doesn't always matter ***
Some people mention the size of the mandoline. I haven't found this to be an issue. American vegetables are notoriously large in size. But you can always cut things in half to fit the working area. Especially for veggies like cabbage and onion, they are going to be in slices or strips or ribbons anyway. I've julienned half of a medium sized butternut squash (pictured) without any problem.

*** Mandoline vs spiralizer vs food processor ***
If you want to make things like zucchini noodles, this mandoline is proved to work well. You will get straight noodles instead of curly spaghetti, which could be great depending on your preference. Plus you could do a lot of other stuff with this slicer. Chips, paper thin ribbons, lasagna sheets, you name it. Spiralizers look a little stupid anyway... Food processor is another workhorse in the kitchen. But it doesn't julienne veggies as beautifully as a mandoline or a spiralizer. The match sticks tend to be shorter...than a match stick.

*** Waste ***
Yeah there will be a little chuck that won't go into the blade at the end. It's more wasteful compared to using a knife. But it doesn't bother me that much as I get so much out of the slicer already. Plus you run into the same problem with a food processor as well.

Awesome and versatile tool. Forget about carefully slicing cucumber or zucchini and forget about those hard to clean machines to make noodles. I bought it in the first place tired of my noodle-maker sharpener. It was hard to clean and not versatile at all (as I only could use it with carrots, cucumbers and zucchini). I didn't want to buy those huge spiralizers (whatever their name is) because they use a lot of storage/counter-top space). This little appliance makes perfect noodles, veggie sticks and slices. You won't regret it. I've seen it in many specialized kitchen and cooking stores with a big price tag! I think I scored one!

It was perfect . love it would recommend you.

Best peelers on the market for the price. Let's be honest no one is ever going to take the time to replace the blade of their peeler when it isn't sharp anymore, might as well just replace them as needed, and the price point on these fits that.These are shaped strangely because they are meant to be held differently from the traditional peelers, and in holding these Y peelers properly you are afforded more dexterity, control and ultimately speed when using this device. I've peeled a ton of potatoes in my day, and Y peelers are most efficient for the task, same story for carrots.If you work in kitchens and peel things, put one of these in your knife bag! You wont regret it if you lose it, and you'll be glad you have it when you need it.

I bought these because they were recommended on a blog that I was following (can't remember which one). When I got them, I was pretty sure I didn't need three and I'd probably gift the extras to family members. However, they work so nicely and are always in use, so they will all be remaining in my utensil drawer!

After having used one of these little peelers at a friend's house many years ago, she gave me two to take home. This has to be at least 20 years ago... One of the peelers was "borrowed" by one of my daughters when she left for college (not sure what happened to the other... the other daughter perhaps?). Anyway, it finally broke just before Christmas. She had been using it for over 10 years! She even messaged me a photo of her holding the "corpse"..... These three should last us another 30 years or so!!

Great peeler. It is sharp and it works smoothly. So far no issues with rust but I will update this if there is any change. Nice colors. I like that it comes in a 3 pack since I'm always losing peelers! I also like that it is lightweight and easy to hold

This has long been my favorite peeler for apples, potatoes, and the like. I find it to be much faster to use a harp-style peeler, making the strokes away from my hand and toward the sink rather than going round and round with one of those slow, traditional peelers. This particular model is my favorite heart style peeler because it fits into my hand so beautifully.This three pack deal was much cheaper per unit than buying these peelers individually at Williams Sonoma, as I used to do. Eventually, of course, the blade will become dull, and it will be time to move on to a new one. With this three pack, you can set aside two out of the three and use them in turn as you wear out the blades.

Based on recommendations from Cooks Illustrated I bought this even though I was very happy with the peeler I'd bought a couple years ago. I read the reviews here on Amazon also and thought surely this cheap looking little plastic thing could never be as good as what people were saying. Now I'm a pretty new cook so I freely admit I'm a very slow potato peeler. However, I was really surprised when I noticed that while using this peeler I was actually peeling potatoes about twice as fast as with my other peeler. I like it so much I will be ordering more of them and passing them out to others as gifts to make others prep time in the kitchen go faster. Buy this you will not regret it!

OMG, this microplane is amazing! What have I been doing all those years without one? It is sharp so needs to be careful to not scrape yourself. I used it on garlic and the flavor is much more pungent than any other way (cutting, dicing, smashing, etc). Can't wait to use on gingers next. It is also very easy to clean. I just rinsed it under water and all clean. You are my new best friend!

I bought this over a year ago. I user the plastic sheath for storage, wash and dry it immediately after use. This is frequently used in my kitchen and I am very happy with its performance.software makers like Microsoft need to step up and take more responsibility for protecting older versions of their operating systems. If you use hard cheeses or zest fruit with cooking, this does the job without fail.The construction is solid and the sharpness hasn't deteriorated.

One of the best kitchen tools I ever purchased. I used to try to use a grater to "zest" citrus fruits. I would grate my fingers and knuckles during the process and I wouldn't get much zest as so much of it got stuck in the grater. I held off buying a zester forever thinking "well just how often do I zest anyway."After one particularly painful knuckle grating/"zesting" experience, I got on Amazon and bought the microplane zester.What the heck took me so long?? I love this thing so much I try to incorporate more zesting into my cooking. Seriously it's like "how can I incorporate zest into this dish?" It's amazing! Easy to use, easy to clean. Lots of zest, even from small lemons. And the microplane design makes it "safe" to use... And you don't get any pith (that bitter white part). Oh microplane zester I'm sorry I resisted you for so long.

Two Words: Absolutely AmazingJust zested 13 lemons for limoncello. The first lemon I zested was with a veg peeler, next two with a sharp knife and the rest with the Microplane. I'll say the Microplane took as long as the first 3. On top of that, it feels like it wants to stop when it gets to the pith so you don't over cut into the fruit and get the bitter parts in your cooking.I highly recommend this for any user whether you zest a couple lemons a year or a couple pounds a day.~~06Mar2016~~I still have this and am very happy with it. Its also great for getting ultra fine ginger for dressing. Only con is that it may be a pain to wash/clean. Zest or fibers from fruit/veg get stuck and only come out with a brush, which the bristles get stuck sometimes while scrub in. Complaint is not enough to lower from a 5-star rating

I use my microplane at least once a day. It is insanely sharp, cleans in seconds, very durable (can take a lot of force against it--see update below), and is THE tool for zesting and grating anything at a pretty fine level.These last for years, I've never seen them bent unless someone tried to do so, and they are always very even in their grating.One note: don't use this for any cheese unless its very cold and you want it to become string-thin. If at all warm, the cheese will basically reclump since it has been grated so fine and had so much friction applied to it from the fine microplane.UPDATE 1/28/14I've now had my microplane for a year and a half, and the blade is just as sharp as when I first received it. Really--it is incredibly well made. The handle has also not given out at all but is still firmly attached to the blade and has excellent grip. I use it 5 times a week on average I would say. The only thing that gave out was the plastic cover. A few days I found a crack on one side which quickly ran down the entirety of it, splitting it in two. I only ever handwash the grater and cover, so I was a little disappointed that it broke. But I called microplane customer service (very short hold time, very nice representatives) and with no questions asked had a replacement sent out free of any charge within minutes. I didn't expect any less from microplane, but great to know that they take care of their customers :)My one minor gripe with this zester that has come out over the past 18 months of use: the end doesn't have any kind of rubber cap, so if you use the microplane by leaning the end against a cutting board and holding it at a 35 or 45 degree angle to it, it wont slip (the two end corners are so sharp that they hold onto the wood), but it does etch little cuts/grooves into the board that are deeper than I like. Of course cutting boards are meant for being used and not artworks, but still--I don't want them to get roughed up from grating of all things. This is really a minor problem, and if you grate by pressing the grater horizontally above whatever bowl you're grating into, you won't have this problem (though in that case it can slip back and forth if it is a metal or glass bowl, and if its plastic or wood you may experience the same cutting into the material from the edges that I described from the end.) All in all, this brings my experience of the microplane down to 4.8 stars--something like that does not change how delightfully effective the blade is, and how easy it is to clean (always be hand!).

This is a serious grater/zester. Not like your traditional graters. Not like your traditional zesters."Looped" teeth, I think that's the way to describe it, takes a bite out of anything that rakes across it (including fingers and knuckles).The shape is perfect for fresh nutmeg, ginger, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemons or limes. I does better with the dryer ingredients though, because the moister ones will stick to the back somewhat.The length is long enough to fit into or over bowl edges. Cleaning is easy with a rinse sprayer.Exercise caution when using and have fun!

Boy is this thing sharp! Very adjustable for thickness, which is a good thing. The box & instructions are in Japanese so if you need help changing blades or adjusting thickness of cuts, you'll need to watch a YouTube video. I mainly bought for slicing potatoes for chips & veggies for salads, but discovered I can slice a chicken breast that is almost completely frozen to dehydrate for doggie chicken jerkies.

I really like this handy little slicer. I had a bigger one when we lived in a proper apartment, but now that we live in a 40ft home on wheels that big boy could not make the cut in our tiny kitchen. This one isn't QUITE as flawlessly sharp - it occasionally sticks on one side, and the ribs make it so you can only slice things of a certain width. But for the things I can use easily on it ohhhhhhh is this a time saver. I am so much more inclined to cook soups and stews because slicing carrots, celery, etc doesn't take me way too long. I haven't used all the blades yet, I just love the main one!

Super sharp, the guard is not the best, I read many warnings, and I have never cut myself on a mandoline, but the first day I sliced a small chunk of thumb off when the guard slipped, thankfully I had set the blade to very thin for onions. I would get the wider one if I had it to do over but despite that it is a great mandoline, love the adjustable blade, you can sharpen it when necessary, stores pretty flat. I kept the guard for my old mandoline as it was much bigger (and safer) I would recommend this to others

I'd never used a mandoline before, but wanting to make sweet potato chips I decided to buy this after reading the reviews on Amazon. I haven't used any of the accompanying blades, only the slicer; but I feel it was well worth the price.
PROS:
The first time I used it, I sliced two medium-large sweet potatoes, potato chip thin, in less than four minutes, being careful since I didn't use a cut-proof glove. The slices were of uniform thickness even though I paid minimum attention to using even pressure. The mandoline is sturdy and the thickness of slices is easily adjusted. Since my sweet potatoes were wide enough to use the entire blade's width, I was initially concerned about food getting stuck behind the blade and in crevaces, especially on the sides; but this was not the case. I cleaned it easily and completely with no problem.
CONS:
Having used this product a number of times now, I tend to go faster with my slicing so use a cut-proof glove to stay safe. The other reviewers were correct in saying that the guard is, at best, a holder that can slip if you're not careful. Also, the instructions are primarily in Asian characters, with only brief English descriptions. However, between the clear illustrations, and the accompanying words, it didn't take me long to figure out exactly how to use it. I mention this as a negative only because some people might be daunted by the minimal English in comparison to the amount written in other characters.

Overall,I couldn't be more pleased and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this product to anyone, even a beginner. It's simple to use and does a great job! As far as I'm concerned, this is a real keeper!

Honestly, how did a live without a mandoline? I had not known there was such a thing as a low cost but good performing mandoline until I read about it in a cookbook from Mark Bittman. The mandoline has made my prep work in the kitchen so much easier. The blades are sharp and have lasted through a lot of fruits and veggies. I use it primarily for slicing carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, squash and other veggies. It slices easily through the tough carrots and is gentle on delicate tomatoes. I also make baby food on a weekly basis and this makes the process so much easier! Prior to having my mandoline I would spend quite a bit of time prepping the veggies to be steamed and now it's a simple process. I just set the straight blade on the thickest setting and along I go!However, there are a few drawbacks to this slicer:SAFETY GUARD IS USELESS. The first time I used the slicer I was being extra cautious and I still cut my thumb. The cut was pretty severe. I tried to use the safety guard with slicing but it wouldn't hold the zucchini I was cutting. Call me an amateur but even experienced chefs can cut themselves.PLASTIC PARTS. Be aware that Amazon shows the slicer as having metal parts that adjust the thickness. However, the mandoline I received had neon green plastic parts. I have read in other reviews that it used to have metal parts but it had a tendency to rust so they updated the product to include plastic parts. I haven't had this slicer for more than a few months so I cannot confirm how the product holds up with time. I will update if there are any issues with its performance.SMALL SURFACE AREA. I didn't realize this until I purchased the mandoline but this will definitely not hold a full sized onion or tomato. I'm a little disappointed in that because I am a gardener and have a lot of tomatoes and onions that I cut during the summer season. Unfortunately, onions are one of my least favorite vegetables to cut! I will now have invest in the Super Benriner Slicer (Large, 5"x13") of this mandoline that is available on Amazon if I want to cut a full-sized tomato or onion.Even with these drawbacks, I am happy with this mandoline. It's a great value for its price!

These peelers are exceptionally sharp, lightweight and all-around great – but know they rust immediately. No matter how quickly you dry the blade, they seem to rust. I think that might be why there is a three pack for sale! I would avoid the dishwasher.

I am surprised how well this works. At first I thought it was going to be too flimsy to work well as it is a light and appears to be a rather cheaply made item

I grew up with peelers whose blades were inline with the handle, so it seemed counter intuitive to for the blade to be perpendicular or sideways, however this is perfectly comfortable and efficient. The one thing that's hard to get used to use that the blade is so efficient that it often leaves the peel in place, which you then must brush aside in order to get a subsequent cut. Also, these feel less substantial than the all metals ones I've been using for fifty years. But they do work and I haven't gone back to the old peeler.

Very sharp to start with, and it feels natural in my hand. With this peeler I tend to prop vegetables to be peeled against the cutting board and cut down along them, which keeps the blade away from the meat of my palm. My wife doesn't like it as much, because it doesn't sit right in her slightly smaller hand and feels awkward.The bluing on the blade quickly wore away in the center of the blade where it is used most, and there the blade has begun to rust a bit, but that is the nature of steel peelers. It hasn't stayed as sharp as I would like, dulling a bit in only a month or two of moderate use. I don't believe there is an obvious and convenient way to sharpen this item.

Works like a charm. It would be nice if the handle was longer. I have large hands for a woman but I imagine that most me would find it hard to hold onto. The blade is sharp and doesn't cut too far into the surface. Pieces fall off and don't get stuck in the handle.

I purchased this set because I bought one similar years ago and it lasted forever. I really like this type of peeler rather than the long version. These work really well but I would prefer all metal rather than the plastic handles. I like that the set has three so you should have them for a long time. The peelers work really well, I just would prefer that they be all metal. They do a pretty good job on potatoes and carrots which are pretty firm to peel.

Zester part works fabulously.I was hoping to get similar results with a garlic plate but this tends to make garlic paste instead garlic crumbles.Good design for everything else.

consistent quality microplane is known for, although i found a brand named "dragon" has a much sharper and long lasting "edge" microplane.it is also a couple bucks cheaper https://www.amazon.com/DRAGONN-Zester-Grater-Stainless-Handle/dp/B00UGYGGJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488395603&sr=8-1&keywords=dragon+zester

The microplane does a great job zesting a lemon into nice, fine pieces, so I am really happy with it. It also came with a nice cover that slides over the blade for storage, which was an added bonus. My only complaint is that it is a little hard to get the zest off and it is a little difficult to wash by hand, but it's worth the little bit of extra effort.

This appears to be a great zester. Unfortunately, I have never used it as such. I have only used this grater for ginger. It is fairly easy to use. Just need to be extra careful not to cut yourself. Additionally, it is a little hard to clean. It takes sometimes several minutes to get the stringy ginger out of this thing. Still, my love for grated ginger empowers me to continue to use this thing. I wish there was an easier to way to grate ginger.

This is a nice microplane. I've used cheaper ones before and they don't hold up or they clog. As cheap as this is I was worried. This one has a good handle and it feels pretty solid in the hand. The blade looks like stainless and is a nice sturdy gauge, no flex or give so it's not likely to bend unless I abuse it. It also comes with a plastic cover to protect the blade (and whatever else may near the blade in the drawer). So far I've grated some Parmesan and zested a few oranges and it works like a microplane should. Grating hard cheese and zesting citrus maybe some ginger is my intended use so it should last me. I'm not a fan of nutmeg due to some bad experiences in high school so the taste in food turns me off; therefore preground is fine by me if a recipe calls. If I were I would buy a dedicated nutmeg grinder or another microplane; I wouldn't want to dull my citrus zester after all. It's stamped made in the USA, lets hope with steel manufactured there as well.

I have owned four of these 40020 zesters. Overall the product is made well and does what it is suppose to do. I just wanted to mention that this grater is nowhere near as sharp as ones purchased a few years ago. I originally started buying this zester for its sharpness. Although the design and quality still appear to be the same I will be buying other brands I have seen for less because they are easily twice as sharp.

Great mandolin however the guard doesn't work well and I've sliced my fingers up almost every time I've used it. Another thing I wasn't fond of is when I received it, it would have been nice to have some sort of English directions or packaging.

No as sharp as expected. Often I end up destroying the vegetable with the clear blue handle before I manage to get many slices. It only has a couple gripping pegs on the clear blue handle so the vegetables often catch on the blade and the grippers pegs make huge gouges in the vegetables leaving them un-slicable. Would not purchase as a gift. More of a pain than it's worth.

I ended up returning this because it was way more narrow that I originally thought it would be. To put it into perspective, I think this would be good for slicing carrots, roma tomatoes, kiwis, and smaller potatoes. I'm sure it would have worked just fine, it was just much smaller than I was expecting and I returned it for the larger size so that I could slice large potatoes and tomatoes and a half head of cabbage along with everything else.

When I bought this there was only one size available- it works ok, but most of the things I want to slice (potatoes, zucchini, apples) are too wide to fit the slicing platform (there are ridges on the sides to stabilize your food item).

Go for the wider size so your food will fit- I wish I had!

I like the idea of this thing more than the reality of it. It's just hard to use. I didn't have any safety gloves so I was sure to use the guard and man what a pain it was to place that properly in the zucchini and press firmly enough but not TOO firmly to get even slices. Well, I was about 50% successful at it. about half the slices I had to throw away because they were either too thin or too thick. I never changed the blade width so theoretically, they should have all come out the same. I'm thinking that even if I did have the gloves that it wouldn't make it a whole lot easier. Wearing big, bulky safety gloves while attempting a fairly delicate procedure does not sound conducive to success. Anyway. I don't know about this. I'll probably use it again when I have no other choice, like last time.

Peeler works great - best peeler I've used. Unfortunately, the blade was rusted before the 3rd use (handwashed, no dishwasher). Not sure if it's still safe to use with a rusty blade or if there is a way to remove the rust. Even at a low price, I can't afford to replace it every 2 uses.

Very narrow, maybe 2 inches. Guess it is for peeling tiny fruit. It is not 4 inches. My old peeler was 4 inches. I measured it.

Not as effortless as other peelers I tried but it saves more product than others. Also this one is very lightweightUpdate: the blade is not stainless steel. Had to replace the peeler because of the rust

The blade has been sharp and peels things wonderfully but its CRAZY how fast this tool has rusted. :( We still use it whether we should or not. I was pretty disappointed, even with how inexpensive these were.

I'm trying to teach my kids some basic cooking skills, and we're doing much peeling and chopping. I've always used the classic peelers with the vertical blade, but read that this style might be easier for children to use. I chose this set for that reason ( plus it's a multipack so no squabbling over who's peeling and who's not). These work but feel very flimsy. I don't anticipate that they'll last more than a year. Still, a good practice set.

to date Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen has yet to let me down when it comes to their equipment reviewsthis may be the firstfor starters, we ARE just talking about a 7 buck peeler so I won't be too harsh as it does do its jobthe good-it's sharp and peeled fastthe side hole works well at digging out stubborn potato eyesthe bad-I found the construction to be on a the cheap side, the plastic handle seems chincy to me and I question what the durability will be compared to other peelers I've had in the pastI find the motion of peeling towards yourself or to the side to be awkward in lieu of peeling away from you, I even ended up peeling off a part of my finger nail due to this. Perhaps it's something you need to be used to before you go peeling like a speed demon but I has a boo-boo and I am going to tell the world about it, darn it!so there you have it, I am bitter about losing an eighth of an inch of a finger nail, but peelers shouldn't be nail clippers

I don't use it as often as I thought I would. I have since seen a larger microplane that I would like better that is wider.

Sharp, but I don't like how the metal is bent around on the edges and the grated zest sticks behind the curve and you have to kind of use your finger or spoon and push it out.

Mine did not come branded as the Microplane brand. It came from China and took weeks for delivery. Some seller called Trader Joe. That being said the first time I used it on ginger it didn't quite work the way I expected. But later I tried again and realized you need to press pretty hard and shave more than I thought before it starts to come out the other end, but it does indeed work. Works fairly well on cheese. If I bought again I would use a trusted seller and get the name brand.

I am old but not feeble. It is a fine tool, well made and sharp. But for me it is not very good at grating garlic as it is too narrow and too easy to lose the garlic in the pot. It would be fine for grating zest on an orange lemon or lime. I have used it for that but then it becomes a one trick pony.

I have no complaints about its functionality -- it works great. That said, after about a year and a half it has started to rust where the grater meets handle. As it turns out, "surgical stainless steel" is basically a meaningless, throwaway term that can be applied to pretty much any grade of stainless steel. Live and learn, I guess.

I've lived without a grater of any kind for years. So I have nothing to compare this too. But I bought this primarily to grate ginger into tea. I've been using it for a week. And I can already tell that the part of the grater I prefer to use is already noticeably less sharp. A week, mind you. *On ginger!* I'm not grating rocks here. I read reviews with folks complaining, saying it was so razor-sharp it was dangerous...yeah, not so much. Its bumpy, so you can definitely scrape a knuckle, but dangerously sharp it is not. Some of those reviews are older. Perhaps production moved overseas and is using cheaper materials? Or maybe they listened to your complaints and made it duller?It's also a weird design for something semi-wet like fresh ginger--the grooves on the underside collect the ginger and I have to scrape it out with a knife.Again, I don't have a lot of comparison in terms of graters. I use a peeler and some good old-fashioned knife chopping for most things. But I use ginger for tea a lot and I wanted something more efficient. Does it work? Yes. It grates. But it doesn't work quite as well as I'd hoped. And I am a little annoyed that it already seems to be dulling. I could have picked up an okay, kind-of-dull grater for a hell of a lot cheaper than this. I thought I was paying for superior quality. Apparently, I just overpaid.

The safety guard is not very effective. The guard places your fingertips in danger. Also, this has no feet so you have to hold it with one hand while slicing with the other. On top of the other problems, the product seems cheaply made. Further, as has already been said by some other reviewers, I do not believe this is the item that was pictured. This one is very narrow. I personally would have sent it back but another member of the household wanted to keep it. Why, I don't know, as he never uses it.

There are several tiny crevices that food can get into and it's exceedingly hard to get it back out so after one use, the mandoline is never really clean.

Reconsider this purchase. I would be returning it, but since I bought it in June, it is no longer eligible for return. The only slicing I was able to complete successfully were hard vegetables such as cucumbers, which sliced well since the blade is new and sharp. So, it's OK for that use while new. The other blades jam and do not work to shred, as advertised. The "holder" for the vegetables does not hold them securely, so one is exposed to the very sharp blade or finding another way to secure the item to avoid being cut badly. Lastly, once opened, the slicer and all parts do not fit back in the box easily, creating a storage issue. I suggest you keep looking for a better slicer.

This is second one I purchased. The first one, the blade with the 1/4" cut, had bent hook shaped blades.

The second was upgraded version and had better hardware, knobs and screw.

1/4'' cut blade times were straight but after first use of making shoestring fries the had the bent hooked shape as well.

I would say this slice needs to be used very carefully and lightly to avoid damaging it and hurting yourself.

Along with the slicer, I purchased some cut resistant gloves which any one in the kitchen should have.

the safety device included is a waste of time and potentially dangerous.

The one thing this is good for is slicing very thin.

Makes for great caramelized onions, thin cukes or zucchini but there are probably much better designs on the market.

This one is sufficient for now but does not deliver as you would expect from video and description.

Once I wear out the blades, I would look for another.

The protective part of the Mandoline slid off the potato as I was slicing and I ended up slicing part of my thumb. The Mandoline is very sharp and I had a Chef teach me how to use it properly. He said never us the protective cover they don't work,as with what happened with me. Other then tah works great.

These peelers are sharp and lightweight but with in the 1st year, the blade of one of them disappeared in the dishwasher. After 18 months, the blade of the second peeler disappear also. The plastic that secures the blade is just too flexible or not substantial enough to keep it in place.

Disappointed. Americas Test Kitchen "recommended" this unit, so I bought two. They are light, sharp, and inexpensive. But, the blade rusted after one trip through the dishwasher, and, it peels in just one direction. I like to peel back and forth, like we learned in culinary school. I would not buy another one.

I bought these peelers because I have had a 'swiss' peeler for years (literally...years) that was very inexpensive and it finally broke. I wish I knew the original manufacturer because these definitely are not it. While they are sharp, they rust quickly, even with hand washing. I am already on the 3rd peeler in the pack and I bought them just 2 months ago! I recommend a different brand for sure!

Good reviews but I hated this. Didn't work well and my husband ended up throwing this out after less than a week. Part of the problem is that my husband wasn't used to this type of peeler but it was still poor quility and not sharp enough.

I bought this set because America's Test Kitchen had tested peelers, and this set had come out on top. I was very impressed with the first use---they were easy to use and very sharp. Loved it! Then, after one wash/dry cycle in the dishwasher, the blades emerged rusted. If you're going to purchase these, I'd suggest only hand-washing and IMMEDIATELY drying them. Don't leave them wet for any period of time.

This puny plastic thing arrived in the mail. It is as sharp as a razor, so one must be careful not to bump one's knuckles as you use it. The handle design makes it almost impossible to use it with a motion away from you. It does peel well, but it is dangerous to use and The sharpness doesnt last. The design also prevents removing pits on the potato surface the way you would with the tip of a conventional peeler. It did a great job of peeling a ripe pear, but I caught my knuckles twice. I wouldnt buy it again. I am upset that COOKS ILLUSRATED promoted it. I will not longer rely on their reviews.

I've used microplanes for years. A recent move left my older ones in storage, so I bought a new one. After six weeks of occasional use, the handle has snapped off. I'll start looking at other brands if Microplane is letting quality slip like this.

Purchased for a 2nd home: Compared to one I purchased several years ago - same brand - this one has courser teeth and grates into the lemon or lime peel more deeply. It isn't as smooth as the one bought previously - it grinds the rind vs shaving the rind. The teeth stick our more and function more like a file than a plane. These are great tools for zesting BUT something has changed over the years.

Started off ok. But i was grating Parmesan cheese and the grater bent right in half cutting my finger. Buy the flat one . This is too long and cannot handle the harder cheeses. I was so annoyed I threw it away otherwise I would have posted a picture.

Grater portion worked well, especially zesting lemons. However the blade was stuck in the cover and as I struggled to pull it out, the entire grater portion came out of the handle and I am unable to get it back in. Only had for a few months and always hand washed it.

I am always buying things that I see chefs on TV using. I bought this but do not really like it because it has (I am not sure how to describe it) a curve or rounded edge under the bottom. So it is sometimes hard to get the food material from off or out of it. I have gone back to my old grater. I only use this when I need to zest, which is hardly ever.

I like microplanes, I use them for zesting, grating hard cheeses, and sometimes even in place of a garlic press, so when I lost my last microplane while moving, I got on amazon and bought this one. This was a mistake. Every microplane I've ever used has the cutting edges facing forward, away from the handle, so that you use a pushing motion to zest or grate your food, but this model has the cutting edges facing backwards so that you use a pulling motion. This is considerably less stable and can result in the microplane slipping off, flinging food and cutting your fingers. Needless to say, I am in the market for a new microplane. :/

I would give it 5 stars,maybe, but I ordered green and got beige instead.So ugly and not what I paid for.

Terrible - not adjustable enough - mushed my vegetables. Prefer to chop with a chef knife.

First of all, i didnt get it in the 2 days guaranteed by amazon prime. Then when i opened it all the writing on the box and instructions was wrote in a foreign language. Lastly, it is cheaply made. Im not happy with the price i paid for it.

I have had this Mandoline Slicer for 10 days and have sliced my finger three times. The so-called finger guard is worthless and the unit is very difficult to handle while slicing..

This is a misleading ad. The item pictured is the wider version of the slicer I received. I should have read the reviews as several people had pointed this out, but I quit reading reviews here after having many good experiences with products that had bad reviews.

Amazon was awesome as usual with the return!! That's why I shop here first!

This rusted about a month after I bought it. I didn't do anything fancy with it - just washed it in the dishwasher and let it dry like I would any other peeler. I think the metal may be low quality for it to rust so quickly.

I bought this peeler in late July. It works just fine but after a couple of use, there was a watermark on it. I usually use it at least five times a week and I rinse the peeler and let it air dry. It has been until yesterday. I do not know what happened but a couple of hours after washing, the blade part was cover with rust. There are ways to get rid of it but I am just too lazy to deal with it so to the trash can it is.

Rusted after a few months of VERY sporadic use and good care. Highly disappointing.

Rusted after few washes.

I purchased these based on reviews. I need to remind myself that not all reviews are written by actual persons that bought the product.As a graduate of culinary school and lifelong hospitality worker, I sadly must say these peelers are "awful" the blade(s) continually break free and they stop functioning after about 90 days of use.

Too small and dinky. My husband wouldn't even peel potatoes for me with this. returned. refund was quick.

My friend has a micro plane zester that I adore. It is sharp, smooth, and makes grating things like hard cheeses (parm, asiago, etc) a breeze. I finally caved and sought out the exact model to match hers... but here I am. Either I have a dull one, or I do not believe that this product is genuine. When trying to use the blade, what is being grated "skips" along the blade making it extremely difficult to use. With the skipping of the product, the blade tends to slip and get alarmingly close to your hands. Not okay.I would not recommend purchasing this item. Spend the extra few dollars and buy it in a reputable store where you know you will actually get the product that you paid for. I only wish that I had tried it sooner so that I didn't miss the 30 day window to return it. Oh well.

This is definitely not a Microplane Zester/Grater. It took a month (order placed on July 9th and received on Aug 11th). It was sent from China. For $3.39, I should have known it's too good to be true. :-(

I hear this zester is awesome, but don't buy the one from Iozime. It is a knockoff. It is not as pictured (it does not say Microplane on the handle) and although the description mentions a cover, it did not come with one. I am returning it for a refund. AVOID this seller.

I loved this microplane grater for the 18 months that I had it, but it is not well-made where the steel grating blade attaches to the plastic handle. The blade has slowly detached from the plastic handle becoming more and more unstable. The last time I used it, it finally completely detached from the handle. I am posting a picture to alert other consumers to this problem. There is no way to fix it, so I am left with a blade with no handle, which I can't use safely for grating. Worst of all, I have to place the large useless plastic handle into the trash to head to a landfill somewhere. :( I will purchase a new microplane zester that is all metal construction to avoid this problem. I can't recommend this product, despite the razor sharp blades.

Actually, this product doesn't deserve 1 star (it's great--I would give it 5 stars for sure).But I wanted to warn people to make sure they check what product they receive for this Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater, because the one I received today was not a genuine Microplane. Someone else also posted a review saying they got a fake, so please be aware.The biggest sign is no authentic Microplane logo on the handle (the one I received just has some generic font that says "Microplane") and the plastic shield/cover is also generic (see some of the customer pictures for what it should look like). Another noticeable difference is that the genuine Microplane has grater "teeth" even on the sides, but this one doesn't. The one I received also had rubber tips, but that is a feature that is only on the genuine Microplane Premium grater.

We absolutely love our Microplanes. We have two Microplanes that still work, but we were over at friends and I was using their Microplane and was realizing that ours are getting pretty dull. We ordered this one as a replacement (even though we will probably never throw away the old ones). I think we may have gotten a knock off. Instead of having "Microplane" stamped into the rubber handle, it is printed on there (and a little crooked in my opinion). Then it is missing the normal plastic sheath with the rolled edges (it has a lighter plastic sheath that is difficult to put back on). The metal for the blade also seems a little lower quality. And the kicker is that it was really hard to use on a block of Parmesan! Please tell me I got a knockoff and that Microplane hasn't ruined one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!