A mandoline spends almost all of its life in storage, and that is where a surprising proportion of injuries with it actually happen.
The Drawer Problem
A slicer thrown loose into a kitchen drawer presents an exposed blade at hand height to anybody reaching in.
People reach into drawers without looking, feeling for what they want. That is exactly the motion that finds an unguarded blade.
It is also bad for the blade, which chips against other metal utensils.
Better Arrangements
- The original box or sleeve, if it survived
- A blade guard or a folded cloth taped over the edge
- Standing upright in a tall container, blade downward
- A dedicated shallow drawer with nothing else in it
- Hanging by the handle where nothing brushes past it
- Anywhere it can be picked up by the handle without groping
The slim body of most models, noted in the storage guidance at benriner retailers, is designed to lie flat in a drawer, which works provided the drawer is not a jumble.
Households With Children
Worth being deliberate about. This is one of the sharpest objects in a kitchen and it does not look dangerous.
A high cupboard or a drawer with a catch is appropriate, and the same applies to spare blades, which are flat pieces of steel that look like packaging.
Children old enough to help in the kitchen should be shown the tool with the guard and supervised rather than kept away from it entirely, which is how they learn to respect it.
Spare Blades Specifically
The overlooked hazard. Replacement blades are shipped flat, sometimes in a paper sleeve, and they are as sharp as the one in the tool.
Keeping them in their packaging, labelled, in a place nobody rummages, is the sensible arrangement.
Store It Dry
The other half. A slicer put away damp will corrode at the blade edge and around any metal fixings.
Disassembling, drying by hand and reassembling before storage takes a minute and adds years.
Keep the Parts Together
Interchangeable blades are small and easily lost, and a tool missing its julienne inserts is a tool doing one job instead of four.
A small bag or box holding all the inserts with the body keeps the set complete.
Reachability Matters Too
A tool stored so safely that retrieving it is a chore will not be used, which defeats the purpose.
The balance most households reach is a dedicated spot in a drawer, with the blade covered.
Check It Occasionally
A quick look at the blade for chips or spots before use catches problems early.