My wife, Chris, and I spent a year in Paris (1978-79) courtesy of a Fullbright Hays dissertation research grant, and during that time Chris became an appreciably more accomplished cook. Part because we couldn't afford to dine out, part because her sister Patty, trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY -- came to live with us for 6 months, and they would head out daily to the market and whatever was in season would end up on the dinner plate. Their only kitchen machine was a mouli, for making things from carrot rappee, to slicing potatoes, to grating cheese. A real life saver. Over time, it just plain wore out, and was not replaced. Until I saw the Schnitzel Mouli, and bought it straight away. It has become a mainstay of the kitcen, and a very essential complement to the chef's armamentarium in our household. Could be a tad more stoutly constructed, and offer more cutting blades (our original had 5 blades, not just 3), but it seems up the demands we place on it. Even our six year old grand daughter helped grandma Chris make carrots rappee!