For cooks hesitant to use mandolines for safety reasons, Kuhn Rikon’s Easy Cut may be the ideal device. Rather than require you to push food items across a blade, this device spins the blade through the use of a pull cord. Think of it as a manually powered food processor; your fingers are never exposed. It slices, grates and produces beautiful julienne pieces, a cut not available on all mandolines. And your arms get some exercise, as well.

How it works: Slide the slicer or grater disc into the base of the lid, then screw it in place. Lock the lid onto the base. Place vegetables, cheese or fruit in the compartment, then use the hand guard to push them down while pulling the cord to move the blade. Don’t forget to switch hands once in a while so both arms get an equal workout.

Does it work? Yes, quite well. I grated pepper jack and cheddar cheeses simultaneously using a divider in the feed tube and got about a cup of the mixture in less than a minute. The cheeses were harder to grate than veggies, but momentum is a grand thing. I also was able to quickly make a layered salad by grating one vegetable, leveling out the pieces, then moving on to the next. The colors showed beautifully in the see-through 4-cup plastic bowl. I only wish a cover were included.

Pros: Although I laughed when I saw the pull cord, thinking it was archaic, I had fun using it. It slices in 2- and 4-millimeter thicknesses and grates in two sizes, the smaller size mimicking julienne cuts. The bowl holds all the blades so everything is stored together. The container is microwavable and dishwasher safe. It’s safe for children, although they might need help pulling the cord. No electricity is needed so it’s portable.

Cons: Bigger than a mandoline. Has to be assembled (although thats easy) and taken apart to wash. Produce must be cut to fit the feeding tube. The nonslip silicone base that anchors the container works only on smooth surfaces that the silicone can adhere to. The blades can be dangerous to wash, and the grooves of the blades can be tedious to clean of sticky residue, for example from cheese.

Cost and availability: $68.70 on amazon.com (free shipping), $80 on 808ne.ws/easy-cut ($10.95 shipping) and surlatable.com (free shipping)

Worth it? I really like this device, but you’d have to do a lot of this kind of prep work to make it worth the price.

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