Mandoline Slicer

A $15-25 mandoline produces paper-thin, perfectly uniform slices at a speed no knife can match. Potato gratin with translucent-thin layers. Cucumber salad with identical rounds. Onion rings of precisely equal thickness so they all cook at the same rate. The Benriner Japanese mandoline ($25) is the industry standard, but brands like OXO and Prepworks make excellent models with better hand guards. Speaking of which: use the hand guard. Always. The mandoline does not distinguish between potatoes and fingertips. Respect the blade.