30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEA mandoline reveals the sharpness of a kitchen. It is not the most spectacular tool on the worktop, but it is one of the most honest: the ingredient passes over the blade and the result is either precise or it is not. There is nowhere to hide.
Chiba Kogyosyo was founded in the 1960s in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, and still manufactures in Japan. QUIRELOIS is their mandoline, and the name is a direct transliteration of the Japanese expression for what you say when you cut with it for the first time: “it really does cut.” It is not a descriptive name created for marketing purposes. It is a reaction.
The body is made from ABS plastic, thin and light at 283 grams and less than 3 centimetres deep. This makes QUIRELOIS the exact opposite of the classic European mandoline with its substantial legs and stationary working position. This one lives in a drawer, comes out when needed, is used and cleaned away again in a minute. The blade is stainless steel and provides a cutting width of 67 millimetres, with continuously variable thickness adjustment from 0.5 to 3 millimetres. Half-millimetre precision is not standard at this price level. Two julienne inserts are also included: 1.0 millimetre for fine strands and 2.5 millimetres for coarser cuts.
The thin blade and Japanese cutting geometry produce a result closer to that of a sharp knife than a tool that forces its way through the ingredient. Fennel, red onion, courgette, daikon, cucumber: anything that needs thin, even slices, done quickly. A safety holder for the ingredient is included. Hand wash only.
Choose the colour to suit your kitchen and preference. Black or magenta, otherwise identical.
