About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
Williams-Sonoma's Italian Tomato Slicer was a disappointment. It took several attempts and several tomatoes at various stages of ripeness to realize it wasn't going to live up to its "creates perfect slices every time" hype.Pros
- The slices are even, if somewhat raggedy on the ends.
- The tool is dishwsher safe.
- The serrated blades are made of stainless steel.
Cons
- The tool requires more than a "gentle sawing motion" as recommended on the website (there are no directions on the packaging).
- The tomato must be grasped firmly in the hand (it doesn't work resting on a cutting board) causing excessive juice loss.
- It is difficult to cut through to the end of the tomato.
- The learning curve, if the tool can be used effectively at all, is huge, making for a lot of mangled tomatoes.
Description:
Williams-Sonoma Italian Tomato Slicer- Ten serrated stainless-steel blades produce 1/4-inch slices.
- Cutting area measures 3 inches wide by 6 inches long.
- Ergonomic plastic handle.
- Dishwasher safe.
Equipment Review - Williams-Sonoma's Italian Tomato Slicer
Gosh, I wanted this tool to work. My knife skills are up to snuff, but I'm a stickler for tomato slices that are EXACTLY even in thickness, especially for a savory cheese-and-tomato tart I make. I thought Williams-Sonoma's Italian Tomato Slicer would be the answer to my prayers. After all, it is touted to "create perfect slices every time."
Well, they say if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
"This has to work," I thought. "I must be doing something wrong. After all, it's a Williams-Sonoma product." (Read Williams-Sonoma's response to this review.)
I used the "gentle sawing motion" recommended on the Web site (there are no directions on the packaging) on a large, semi-ripe tomato, on a medium ripe tomato, and on a just-right Roma tomato.
I found the tool didn't work with the tomato resting on a cutting board. I had to hold the tomato in my hand firmly for most of the cutting and, then, to get my hand out of the way and for the tool to cut through the bottom of the tomato, I had to place it back on the cutting board, sometimes having to cut the last bit of skin with a serrated knife.
While the slices were exactly even, if a little raggedy at the end, there was a lot of juice loss and the effort hardly seems worth it. I'm so disappointed. The packaging says the tool can be used to "prep" mushrooms and onions. I can't even imagine the disaster that would be.
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