Manual vegetable cutters: types and selection rules

Throughout the year, especially in the summer-autumn season, vegetable dishes are popular, the ingredients for which often have to be crushed by hand. To ensure that this process is not troublesome, you should take care of purchasing a suitable device for cutting vegetables. Since manual vegetable cutters are presented in stores in a rather large assortment, it becomes difficult for many to make the choice of a suitable device.

Therefore, before buying such an instrument, it is necessary to find out what are the principles of their work, their purpose (for which vegetables or fruits are suitable), as well as what criteria should be followed when choosing. All these nuances will be described in detail in this article.

Manual vegetable slicer is usually a small unit, the main element of which is the blade for chopping fruits. The design can be mechanically controlled or consist only of a section with interchangeable grinding blades.

As a rule, the area where chopped vegetables fall is separated by a vegetable cutter or even a separate compartment. Many designs are equipped with special nozzles that allow you to adjust the size of the resulting pieces. All cut pieces will have approximately the same size and shape.

This time-tested mechanical device has A lot of advantages compared to modern electrical counterparts.

• Such an instrument does not consume electricity, which does not entail additional financial costs.
• The product blades have a rather long service life and are able to grind products of different hardness.
• Mechanical devices for cutting vegetables have a compact body, they are convenient to store in kitchen drawers, as well as easy to clean in dishwashers. In addition, compactness makes it easy to transport the device by public transport, for example to the country, which can not be said about the food processor.
• The useful chopping function allows you to chop vegetables much faster than you can with a knife.
• Mechanical graters can be purchased at any home goods store at a reasonable price, unlike household appliances that run on the network.

However, such a device has a number of disadvantages compared to the electrical counterpart.

• In the process of grinding, physical effort must be applied, especially if the vegetables are tough. Electrical models avoid this.
• The grinding process in a blender or combine is several times faster than using mechanical models. This difference is especially noticeable if you need to chop a large number of vegetables.
• Electrical engineering can be equipped with a large number of grinding modes.

Manual-type vegetable cutters may differ from each other in some ways. Based on this, several types of such devices can be distinguished, each of which has a special set of characteristics and the principle of operation.

• Metal vegetable cutter, made of metal, most often has a round or square shape, and is inserted into a plastic groove. Vegetables are chopped on such a device by pressing on them and turning the grater mechanism. Finished devices of this type are usually sold complete with several interchangeable nozzles so that the products can be crushed into pieces of various sizes and shapes.

• Grater called V-knife designed in such a way that knives of various shapes can be inserted into its flat plastic case. With the help of such a device, it is quite convenient to chop vegetables, for example, cabbage, and also cut food into strips or give the chopped pieces a different shape.

• One of the convenient mechanical universal vegetable cutters is a variety such as manual harvester. In appearance, it is similar to the electrical analogue, but does not require a network connection. Blades of the required shape and size are installed inside the container, vegetables are placed inside through openings. Then it is necessary to twist the handle located at the top of the case so that the blades chopped the products located inside.

• Vegetable slicer type slicer recalls the design of a peeler. She is able to cut vegetables into fairly large flat pieces, as well as straws.

• Spiral device reminds by the principle of action a pencil sharpener. She is able to grind vegetables, giving them the shape of a circle or spiral.

• There are also vegetable cutters like an alligator. They are intended for boiled vegetables and other products. Like the mouth of a crocodile, the design opens, the product itself is placed inside it, and then you need to press the lid with force - the cut food is moved to a special container.

It is worth looking at the manufacturers of such devices. Some of them have already reliably established themselves in the market of household appliances for cooking and can rightfully be included in the list of the best models:

The French brand offers customers the model of a chopper of vegetables K1011114. This device is a stable design on three legs, in the upper part of the body of which there is an opening for products, and in the middle there are grinding blades made in the form of round plates. The handle is quite impressive in size, due to the turnover of which the whole mechanism works, makes the operation process of this vegetable slicer very convenient.

Among the disadvantages of this model can be noted only lack of a container for chopped vegetables as part of the components. However, instead of it, you can place a regular plate under the device. The price of a vegetable cutter is about 600 rubles.

Swedish models are presented on the modern market in a wide range of devices that differ in nozzles. Among this easy-to-use tool are models that cut vegetables into strips, thin plates, and small slices. Some devices even peel vegetables.

The Lux model is worth considering separately, since it is characterized by increased wear resistance and sharpness of the blades. Its body is mounted on convenient rubberized legs that prevent the tool from slipping during operation. The price of this model is 8000 rubles. The simpler analogues of the Alligator without boxing and some other components cost about 2500 rubles.

Germany is another country producing manual vegetable cutters. The main material for the grater is food polystyrene, which has a high level of strength. The body of the device is made in the form of a V-shaped frame, and three nozzles are attached to it. The design is equipped with a special fruit holder, which helps minimize the likelihood of cuts in the process of chopping vegetables.

The first nozzle of such a tool is intended for chopping cabbage and slicing other vegetables in the form of slices. The second type of nozzle is mainly used for slicing potatoes for the purpose of subsequent deep-fried cooking. The shape of the pieces is similar to bars. Using the third nozzle, you can cut the remaining vegetables for the salad in the form of rings, as well as half rings. For all its versatility and sharpness of the blades, the device has an affordable price - 2500 rubles.

Very interesting and one of the safest options for vegetable cutting will be german model. In appearance, such a product, rather, resembles a peeler, but only one of the three nozzles is responsible for this function, which has small notches that allow you to remove a thin layer of the skin from vegetables and fruits. The second - ceramic - the nozzle performs the function of slicing vegetables and other products into slices of the desired thickness. The third blade is designed to cut vegetables into thin strips.

The advantage of this model is easy operation. It is quite simple to replace the nozzle with a suitable one. The device is easy to clean, and thanks to its compactness, it will become indispensable in camping trips. The price of such a vegetable cutter is about 1400 rubles.

It is an unusual model of a device for cutting vegetables. The design, consisting of a cassette with knives and the main body, operates on the principle of a pencil sharpener: the vegetable is fixed on the handle of the device, then you need to start rotating this handle, as a result of which the product will be cut like spaghetti.

The operation process of such a product is completely safe. It is convenient to wash it - just substitute it under a stream of water. The cost of the unit is 1,500 rubles.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a device for manual chopping of vegetables, you need to pay attention to a number of signs before buying it.

• The material from which the tool is made plays an important role and affects its life. It is better that metal parts prevail over plastic, as they are significantly stronger and less susceptible to damage. It’s great if such elements are made of stainless steel. It is also better to exclude plastic for safety reasons, as it may contain toxic substances.
• Pay attention to the number of nozzles in the kit. The more of them, the more functional the device itself. This is especially useful for those who like to cook and experiment with vegetable salads.
• Be sure to check out the selection of devices on the Internet and study the reviews of the models you are interested in. It happens that after collecting such a vegetable cutter at home, you get only a beautiful-looking device that in fact turns out to be completely unsuitable for use.

Those who have already tried such a machine as a manual type vegetable slicer during cooking, provide a number of recommendations, taking into account which the device will be used much easier and safer.

• Cutting too large raw vegetables for salads, you can feel the strong resistance of the device. In order not to damage the mechanism, it is better to cut large fruits into smaller parts. This will significantly reduce the load on the apparatus and speed up the grinding process.
• In order to use it more accurately during the long cutting process, the instrument should be given at least a five-minute break. This can reduce the risk of breakage and defects in some models.
• It is necessary to clean the mechanism in a timely manner, preventing the drying of residual vegetables on its surface. This is especially true for the nozzle for the shredder, in which the holes are quite small and the risk of product particles getting into them is greater.

Browse the vegetable cutter in the next video.