Kanekichi Benriner Spiralizer

Food Turning Slicer Mandoline

Kanekichi Benriner Spiralizer A new approach to grating and slicing, the Benriner Turning Slicer from Kanekichi creates mounds of light vegetable ribbons or "pasta" style noodles in minutes, for quick salads, sandwich fixings, or a last minute addition to stir fry meals. Chefs accustomed to the older models of mandolines could be pleasantly surprised by the efficiency and safety of this hand powered machine.

Using concepts familiar to any machinist or turner, the Benriner spins portions of already cleaned and peeled vegetables against a fixed slicing blade, cutting continuous thin ribbons as the vegetable is pressed through the device. Several replaceable accessory blades can be used along with the basic ribbon cutter to automatically divide the ribbons into finer spaghetti-like strands.

Not every fruit or vegetable will work well with the Benriner slicer. Onions may be a problem, tending to separate along the layers instead of going through the machine. Cucumber, squash, zucchini, apples, daikon, large carrots and potatoes are examples of food that the machine handles well. Operation is a little awkward, since the device is not clamped down and tends to walk around a bit while in use--fortunately it is pretty fast and you get results before you get tired. There's very little waste, since the core and base that remain can be easily chopped by hand and added to the mix.

Cleaning should be done by hand. Dishwashers are tough even on stainless steel, and the Benrini is mostly reinforced plastic. Over the long haul the harsh environment of a machine cycle can weaken critical parts.

See the Swissmar Borner Mandoline if you're looking to simplify.