A hugely popular TikTok trend, started by creator Logan Moffitt, involves people around the world slicing cucumbers into deli containers using mandolines and using the thin slices to make quick and easy salads. (All of these videos have millions of views, with the Din Tai Fung-style cucumber video reaching 25.8 million views.)
In the race to get on board with the trend, many people are also breaking out their mandolins. Mandolins are, of course, notoriously dangerous, and at least one person—proof of which was documented in a TikTok video—has already had to go to the emergency room for a cucumber salad-related mandolin injury.
But it doesn’t have to be this way: many people love their mandolins and use them safely. With a few tips and a few tools, you can use your mandoline to cut thin, even slices without cutting your fingers. Here’s how.
Use the mandolin safety holder
Many mandolins come with safety holders, which are plastic devices that are inserted into a fruit or vegetable to give you a strong grip while ideally protecting your hands from ever coming into contact with the blade. The chunky handles give you a solid sense of control, but if your mandoline didn’t come with one, safety holders can be purchased separately.
Grab your cut protection gloves
A pair of cut-resistant gloves is a good thing to have in the kitchen, whether you’re opening oysters, filleting fish or using the mandoline. They’re especially useful if you find the safety holder too fiddly or just want to get to every last piece of cucumber. Consider getting a pack of two so you have no excuses when it comes to a risky task in the kitchen.
Choose a safety food slicer
One advantage of basic Benriner-style mandolins is that they don’t take up much space and don’t really have any separate parts. However, if safety is important to you and a little extra space doesn’t bother you, check out safety manolin slicers. Instead of sliding the vegetable along a cutting edge, you place it in a chute. These safety mandolins are operated with two hands: one pushes the vegetable down and toward the blade while the other squeezes a handle that moves the slicer.
Make sure the mandolin blades are sharp
A dull blade will result in uneven, messy cuts, while the appeal of a mandoline is precision. And just as dull knives are dangerous because they require more pressure to cut, leading to accidents, the same is true of mandolins with dull blades. Some mandolins, like Benriner’s model, have blades that can be replaced when they become dull.
Cut slowly
It can be tempting to quickly chop vegetables; a mandoline with sharp blades will certainly make quick work of a cucumber, and isn’t that impressive? Unfortunately, this is where so many people go wrong and get so cocky that they forget to pay attention. Breathe, take your time, and watch what you’re cutting. This is not the time to multitask or get distracted in the kitchen (like trying to perform for TikTok). This is especially true if you’re not using a cut-resistant glove or safety holder.
Do not cut the whole cucumber (or any other piece of fruit and vegetable)
It’s also tempting to use the mandoline to slice a whole fruit or vegetable. But using the mandoline safely requires good judgment: in particular, recognizing when what you’re slicing has become too small to grip securely and firmly. Be cautious and stop sooner than you think, and be especially careful when your fingers have to be perpendicular to the blade rather than parallel to hold a piece. You can still slice the rest with a knife. It might not be as thin as the other slices, but it’s definitely safer.
