KitchenAid Go Cordless Grater Slicer Shredder

The KitchenAid Go Cordless Grater Slicer Shredder is the appliance I have been dreaming of, as hand-pain issues have suddenly curtailed my knife skills. Over just a couple of days I have put it through its paces and was very pleased to note that the usual KitchenAid thoughtfulness was obvious from the start. Mindful packing has been used in shipping and it was simple to unpack - no wrestling with tricky boxes.

This brilliant lightweight appliance is perfect for my kitchen regime, stepping in as my prep-chef when I can't manage to chop. The blades and graters are high-quality polished steel, super sharp but safely enclosed in black edging. It was extremely intuitive and simple to put together with its power-pack charging up rapidly. Note the leaflet with the safety rules: for instance, DO dedicate the KitchenAid lead to that battery only. Cable-sharing is never advisable. DON'T store the body with the battery plugged in. There's not much to read but definitely it is worth taking the time to read the safety precautions and advice.

Also, it's worth noting that I have had an unfortunate relationship with mandolins and other cutting implements, but am a bit obsessive about uniformity of ingredients and really find food-prep a therapeutic art. Below is a selection of some of my graters that have attacked me in the past including an almost disastrous encounter with a mandoline, but are now all are redundant! Some of my food processors also claim to do knife work, but they are not as nifty and easy to use as the KitchenAid Go.

Once assembled, the (much safer) KitchenAid fun commenced! I lined up a few projects to see how fast this would be and how hard to clean up. Firstly, I made some Tzatziki from fresh garlic, cucumbers and fennel/mint from our garden. All-in-all it took a tad under 15 seconds to shred the cukes perfectly, drain off the liquid before adding to quality yoghurt, a dash of olive oil & seasoning. (Small hint: don't throw out that cucumber water after you strain the veggies. Freeze in ice-cube trays for cocktails or cordials). I then sliced some small new potatoes that fitted in the chute, and my husband made them into perfectly-sized chips/crisps. Yum! No plastic bag to throw away. Very little mess at all.

I then prepped A HUGE HEAP of assorted veggies for a bulk pork and veggie stew. Again, onions, zucchinis, carrots and so on... bam! uniformly sliced at high speed - a few seconds per item - and stored in baggies and containers ready to throw in the pot and make a dinner for a couple of nights. This method served me well when I had a high-pressure job, 3 kids, other family members living at home and I recommend it. Bulk-cooking a few days of meals has always been my 'go-to', but these days all that hand-chopping is agony.

Now this lovely little assistant spits out perfectly-cut fruit and veggies directly into my glass storage containers or ziplocks, ready to stack in the fridge/freezer for adding to meat and stock. Apples, pears and other crisp fruits are also sliced perfectly for pies and fruit salad. eg. Firm Kiwis, pineapple, not too soft. I did also have to concede that onions are a bit of a challenge if not super-fresh and can go to mush except on the slicer blade, so it is best to prep as close to purchase-day as you can. I ran some firm cherry tomatoes through the KitchenAid Go and they were finely sliced without getting crushed, but the week-old onions and garlic were a bit disappointing. (UPDATE- the fresh garlic & onion bought today sliced well.)

The KitchenAid Go is super easy to clean. Each of the cutting drums can be put in the dishwasher but they clean perfectly just under hot running water. Be sure to remove the battery pack after use. This lasts for 8 hours, and has shown no sign of losing power at all. I am certainly eyeing off the other items in the KitchenAid Go cordless range.

I was permitted to keep the machine after testing and am exrtemely happy with that!