Matfer Mandoline 2000S Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My first mandoline was the Bron which is visually the most serious/macho/cool of the bunch, but its shortcomings were unacceptable - the slicing blade is one-piece stainless, and can't hold a sharp edge; the julienne blades are not sharp and can't be sharpened; and the safety carriage is designed to not go past the cutting edge. I sold it.
I now have a Matfer (the all-stainless model) and it has a 2-piece slicing blade: the cutting edge is high-carbon steel (which can be sharpened and hold its edge) welded to a stainless part. The julienne blades are very sharp (altho can't be resharpened). The safety -gadget thing works well, but can't be used for waffle cuts. I use the Matfer only for waffle cuts and if I have large quantities of slicing. If you want french fry size potatoes or are slicing celeriac, you're better off with a sharp knife. The disadvantage of this machine is that you can't adjust the slicing blade's uniformity of thickness - my slices are thicker on one side (the Bron had more adjustment leeway).
The machine I use the most is the Benriner - the slicing blade is very sharp and is sharpenable. The (unsharpenable) julienne blades are extremely sharp. It can't do waffle cuts and is not good for massive quantities of large cuts. It's best for finer julienne and thin slicing such as potatoes, cucumber or daikon.
Don't even consider using these machines without the safety gadget.
Unless I have a large quantity of slicing to do, I'd opt for a sharp knife, because cleanup time counts too.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Matfer Mandoline 2000S

Instead of pulling out your food processor, consider a mandoline as an alternative the next time you have to prepare vegetables or fruits. The slicing blade has both a straight edge and serrated edge for different uses. Julienne blades create vegetable and fruit snacks of varying widths, and the guiding plate adjusts to vary the thickness of the vegetable or fruit slices. Straight edge slicing blade is ideal for slicing a variety of foods from carrots and cabbage to lemons and potatoes. Serrated edge creates crinkle and waffle cuts, and the three julienne blades make perfect, classic strips in three degrees of thickness. Blades are crafted from high carbon stainless steel, and the frame, safety guard/pusher are made of heat-resistant, nonporous fiberglass.

Click here for more information about Matfer Mandoline 2000S

Simac MX700 PastaMatic Pasta Maker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Having read all of the reviews of the machine, it strikes me that people who have had trouble are probably not used to making things that require a level of attention. Making pasta is not like using a breadmaker. You can't just put all of the ingredients in the machine and walk away. Having used a CTC Pasta Express for years and being generally satisfied with it, I wasn't in the market for a machine as expensive as the Simac. But as an earlier reviewed observed, a large mail order company was selling it for 119 dollars including shipping. I decided to give it a try.
The PastaMatic 700MX operates differently than most models. For one thing, you have to weigh your flour and carefully measure the egg mixture(I use Egg Beaters). It takes longer to knead than my CTC too.
BUT...it makes the best pasta I have ever tried. The strands are much thinner than the CTC and a short dip in boiling water produces a superior pasta. I have purchased additional dies from Lello and look forward to trying them. The complaint about not being able to use 100% semolina is a recognition that that flour alone is just too dense and coarse for an extruder. No electric machine recommends using 100% semolina. But you can use a mixture of semolina and durum flour, which is a finer grind of semolina.
As for the cleanup, I was expecting all kinds of problems but it really wasn't any more difficult than any other appliance. Let it sit for an hour or so and the remaining dough will harden and be much easier to remove.
In short, I really like this machine! It takes time to make it work but that is time well spent.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Simac MX700 PastaMatic Pasta Maker

FRESH is best, and easy! Simac PastaMatic Pasta Maker. BIG BUCKS OFF! This mixes and shapes your own fresh pasta... super fast and easy! It's a pro-quality machine, made in Italy. Just add flour and water (or egg) and it mixes approx. 1-lb. batches. Patented double-action mixing paddle kneads it as if you were doing it by hand; Includes mixing and kneading blades, and 8 pasta-shaping discs; Marked measuring cup. Feed slot for adding ingredients for the perfect mix; Compact, sleek plastic case, just 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 10 1/4"h. Cast aluminum gears, sturdily designed for long life; Dishwasher-safe parts, removable for easy cleaning; Weighs 15 3/5 lbs. UL-listed. Get this tasty bargain while they last! Simac PastaMatic Pasta Maker

Click here for more information about Simac MX700 PastaMatic Pasta Maker