I used to listen to all the free culinary school podcasts and have since been away a while, but I have learned more from this single website than anywhere else on the internet about cooking. So, I thought I should come back for some advice from people I know really know what they're talking about!
I am trying to select a Mandoline, my wife asked for one for Christmas. I know many of us would rather work on our knife skills but she is not as much into cooking and would like something capable of speeding up slicing for salad, ratatouille, french fries etc.
I'm considering the Bron Original stainless steel (some reviews claim this is excellent for hard vegetables, but poor for tomatoes), the Benriner (reviews say excellent for soft vegetables but binds up for potatoes, and limited thickness possible) or even the OXO brand (v-blade all plastic model, or the full stainless model that's heavier and I'm guessing will flex less making more consistent thickness, though some say the quality is not equal to the Bron).
Can anyone offer their opinion on these? It almost sounds like I need 2, one for soft vegetables and another for hard ones.