How do I use a mandoline without cutting myself?

The guard, the glove and the last-third rule — plus why mandolines cause more serious kitchen injuries than knives.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 10 min
Read: 3 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

Always use the guard or a cut-resistant glove, never your bare hand. Stop when about a third of the vegetable is left and put the rest in the stock pot. Mandoline injuries are among the most common serious kitchen wounds and they are entirely preventable.

A mandoline cuts faster and more evenly than a knife, which is why it exists. It also cuts fingers with no warning and no resistance, which is why emergency departments see so many of them.

Safety

A mandoline blade is sharper than most kitchen knives and sits proud of the ramp, so it removes a fingertip before you feel contact. Always use the guard or a cut-resistant glove, never freehand the last part of a vegetable, and store it with the blade covered.

Holding food safely on a mandoline

Step by step

Set it on a non-slip surface.A damp cloth underneath, or the rubber feet engaged and the legs locked. A mandoline that slides mid-stroke is how the hand ends up on the blade.
Use the guard, always.The plastic holder with spikes. It is awkward and everyone is tempted to skip it, and skipping it is the cause of almost every mandoline injury.
Or wear a cut-resistant glove.Chainmail or high-performance fibre. Inexpensive, and it lets you hold food directly with far more control. Many cooks use both together.
Set the thickness before you start.Test on one slice and adjust. Changing the blade height mid-stroke with food in your hand is unnecessary risk.
Cut a flat face first.Slice a thin piece off the vegetable with a knife so it sits stably on the guard or on the ramp. Round vegetables roll.
Use long steady strokes.Full length of the ramp, moderate speed. Short fast strokes give uneven slices and encourage the hand to creep down towards the blade.
Stop at the last third.This is the rule that matters most. When the piece gets small your fingers are close to the blade, and the guard grips less well. Put the remainder aside for stock, soup or a stew.
Keep your other hand off the ramp.Nowhere near it. There is nothing your free hand needs to do below the blade.
Wash it carefully.Never wipe a mandoline blade with a cloth or sponge in your hand. Rinse it under running water with the blade facing away, or use a brush.
Store it with the blade guarded.In its case or with the blade retracted. A mandoline loose in a drawer is a hazard every time the drawer is opened.

Tips

The last third goes in the stock pot. It is not worth a fingertip.
A cut-resistant glove costs a few pounds and gives far better control than the guard alone.
Never clean the blade with a cloth in your hand.

Common mistakes

Holding the food with bare fingers because the guard is awkward — The blade is sharper than a chef's knife and sits proud of the ramp, so it slices through a fingertip with no resistance and no warning. It is the single most common way people are seriously injured in a domestic kitchen.
Pushing the last small piece through — By that point the fingers are within a centimetre or two of the blade and the guard cannot grip properly. The savings — a few slices of vegetable — are trivial against the risk.

If it doesn't work

Slices uneven

Cause: Inconsistent pressure or speed — Fix: Long, even strokes at a steady moderate pace, with even downward pressure.

Food slipping on the guard

Cause: Round or wet surface — Fix: Cut a flat face first and dry the vegetable.

Mandoline sliding on the worktop

Cause: No grip — Fix: Damp cloth underneath, and check the legs are locked.

Blade dragging rather than slicing

Cause: Blunt blade — Fix: Replace it. A blunt mandoline blade needs more force, which is itself a risk.

Cut yourself

Cause: No guard or glove — Fix: Firm pressure with a clean cloth, elevate, and seek medical attention for anything deep or bleeding heavily — mandoline cuts are clean and often deeper than they look.

Questions people ask

Are cut-resistant gloves worth buying?

Yes. They cost a few pounds, last for years, and let you hold food directly with far better control than the guard gives. Most people who use a mandoline regularly use a glove rather than the guard, or both.

Is a mandoline worth the risk?

For even, thin slices — gratins, crisps, fennel salads, celeriac remoulade — nothing else comes close, and used with a guard or glove it is entirely safe. The risk comes from the shortcuts, not from the tool.