Get your veg and fruits, and even cheese, perfectly sliced in seconds with minimum effort and bags of style.

Slicing can be such a bore. Yes we’ve all seen Jamie slicing super fast like some kind of Japanese robot, but he was once a chef and he put in the hours to gain the effortless skill.

Most of us struggle with a not quite sharp enough, wrong sized, knife, with the inevitable wonky slices and lack of precision that comes with it.

The Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Slicer PureCut has a wide, ultra-sharp, long-lasting stainless steel V-blade and Adjustable Thickness Dial to make it easy to get exact slices, from wafer thin up to 8mm thick. You can be rapidly slicing onions one minute while creating thick cheese slices for toasties the next.

It should be noted this is not a Mandolin(e). With a Mandolin you slice both up and down, like strumming a … mandolin. V Slicers tend to be better at slicing firmer vegetables.

I am a big fan of Dauphinoise and Boulangère potatoes and one of the secrets of success is having consistent thickness of potato slices, as well as getting just the right thickness for the best bake. I usually take an age over it, precisely slicing the spuds with a big knife, but with the V Blade it’s so much easier and faster. I got the exact thickness I wanted and in seconds had a pile of glistening discs ready to go.

In fact it’s so fast you need to be careful not to add your fingertips to the mix. That’s why it’s important to use the holder( Universal Hand Guard ) that comes with the V slice to ensure safety at all times. Also recommended is the Microplane Cut-Resistant Glove (sold separately) as not everything you want to slice fits perfectly into the hand guard. It’s tempting to use bare fingers, but it’s not smart.

The unit has a very pleasant feel to it, thanks to its ergonomic soft-touch handle and the rounded soft touch ‘foot’ means it remains firmly in place on the cutting board when I use it. You really do not want a slicer that skids about madly.

Once I started slicing things I became rather obsessed with slicing more, it really is very satisfying. Courgettes from my allotment were the most fun, sliced ultra-thin, almost transparent, to add to pasta, they needed only the lightest amount of cooking afterward which in turn preserved their just-picked freshness.

The V Blade is so sharp, thanks to Microplane technology, that it will easily cut tomatoes too, as long as they are reasonably firm. Great for a tomato tatin, or a plate of tomato and burrata dressed in your best olive oil.

Or add in some of those courgettes, some sliced onion and peppers and you have yourself a ratatouille mix. 

Whilst if you’re making burgers you can get prep perfect cheese and tomato slices and onion rings, too. Getting them all nice and thin is important if you want a burger that’s not so thick you need to dislocate your jaw to get it in.

I also found it very handy for rapidly slicing lemons for a round of G&Ts and also to slice Kiwi fruits as well as strawberries to create pretty desserts, slice apples for tarts or a jug of Pimms.

When not in use, dialling the V Cut’s thickness dial right down to zero effectively covers the blade up, so there is no danger of catching yourself on it when rummaging in the kitchen drawer.

That said if you prefer to show it off on a shelf,  it comes in three, and I quote, ‘lifestyle-inspired’ hues – Cashmere Beige, Eucalyptus and After Dark Grey. All rather nice and you can choose according to your style of kitchen.

Quick to get out, ready to use in seconds, and equally easy to clean – running it under a hot tap is usually enough – the V Cut is the kind of kitchen tool you find yourself using more and more to get aesthetically pleasing results , as well as cut down on prep time.

RRP £49.95 available from selfridges.com