best egg slicer and multipurpose cutter under $18 Photo by sf shen on Unsplash

You know that drawer. The one jammed with single-task gadgets you used once and forgot about. An egg slicer that only slices eggs feels like it belongs there, until you actually own a good one and realize how often it gets used.

The best egg slicer and multipurpose cutter under $18 picks in this guide aren’t just about eggs. They’re about getting one tool (or two, if you’re smart about it) that handles deviled eggs, potato salad, cucumber ribbons, strawberries for the kids, and soft cheese, all without eating up drawer space or your wallet.

Let’s get into what actually matters when you’re shopping this category, and which specific products are worth your money.

Why Every Kitchen Needs an Egg Slicer and Multipurpose Cutter

An egg slicer sounds like a one-trick pony until you use one. Trying to cut a hard-boiled egg into even slices with a knife is messy. The yolk crumbles, the whites tear, and you end up with lopsided chunks instead of clean rounds. A wire egg slicer solves that in one press. You get perfectly even slices every time, which matters more than you’d think for deviled eggs, egg salad, or laying slices neatly over avocado toast.

Multipurpose cutters take that same idea and expand it. Instead of a tool that only cuts eggs, you get something that handles cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries, soft cheeses, and even hard-boiled eggs, all with the same device. That’s the real value here: fewer tools doing more work.

Cost-effectiveness is the obvious win. A dedicated egg slicer, a mandoline, a rotary cutter, and a waffle fry cutter could easily run you $60-80 combined if bought separately at full price. Under $18 apiece, and often less, you can build a small arsenal of precision cutting tools for less than one nice knife costs.

Durability is where budget options used to fall short, but that’s changed. Today’s sub-$18 slicers and cutters use stainless steel wires, ABS plastic frames, and locking mechanisms that hold up over years of regular use, not just a few months. You’re not sacrificing much by staying under this price ceiling, as long as you know what to look for.

Key Features to Look For Under $18

Not every cheap slicer is a good slicer. Here’s what separates the ones worth buying from the ones headed for the donation pile after a month.

Blade material and sharpness retention. Stainless steel wins every time. It resists rust, holds an edge (or tension, for wire slicers) longer, and won’t discolor after slicing acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus. Cheap coated blades dull fast and start looking rusty within weeks.

Handle comfort and grip design. You’re often pressing down repeatedly, especially with mandolines and rotary cutters. Look for textured, contoured handles. If a product description doesn’t mention ergonomic grip at all, assume it’s a flat slab of plastic that’ll be uncomfortable after five minutes.

Ease of cleaning. Egg slicers with tight wire grids can trap bits of yolk if you’re not careful. Dishwasher-safe parts matter here, but so does the design itself. Wide gaps between wires and detachable frames clean up faster and more thoroughly.

Versatility across different foods. The best multipurpose cutters do more than the name suggests. A mandoline that only does one thickness setting is far less useful than one with 3-5 adjustable settings for different vegetables and cuts.

Safety features and guard mechanisms. This is non-negotiable, especially for mandolines. A hand guard isn’t optional gear, it’s the difference between prepping dinner and a trip to urgent care. Any mandoline under $18 that doesn’t include a guard should be skipped entirely.

Size and storage considerations. If your kitchen is tight on drawer space, look for flat-folding designs or slicers with hanging loops. Bulky cutters that don’t stack or hang well end up living on the counter, which defeats the point of a compact tool.

Best Traditional Egg Slicers Under $18

Traditional egg slicers still do the single job of egg slicing better than any multipurpose gadget, and for that job alone, they’re worth having.

Stainless steel wire slicers are the gold standard. The wire egg slicer with stainless steel construction gives you that clean, even cut every time, no crumbling yolks, no uneven slices. The wires stay taut longer than cheaper alternatives, and stainless steel means no rust even after years of dishwasher cycles. This is the one to grab if egg prep is a weekly thing in your house.

Plastic-handled options trade a bit of heft for lighter weight and lower cost. The plastic-handled traditional egg slicer is a solid pick if you want something easy to hold, easy to store, and still gets the job done reliably. It won’t feel as premium in your hand, but for occasional egg salad and deviled egg batches, it’s more than enough.

Compact designs matter if your kitchen drawers are already bursting. The compact egg slicer for small kitchens folds flat and takes up barely any space, which makes it a smart pick for apartment kitchens or anyone who’s already maxed out on drawer organizers. If you’ve been eyeing ways to reclaim counter and drawer space, this pairs nicely with the tips in our guide on magnetic knife strips for small kitchens, since freeing up wall space for knives often frees up drawer space for gadgets like this.

Many of these compact and traditional models also include a built-in egg holder cradle, which keeps the egg from sliding around mid-cut. That small feature alone prevents a lot of uneven slices and frustrated re-dos.

Top Multipurpose Cutters and Slicers Under $18

If you want one tool that does more than eggs, this is where the real value lives.

Mandoline slicers are the workhorse of this category. A good mandoline slices vegetables, soft fruits, and even semi-firm cheeses with consistent thickness every time, something a knife just can’t match no matter how skilled you are. The mandoline slicer with safety guard includes the hand guard that’s absolutely essential for safe use, and multiple thickness settings mean you can go from paper-thin cucumber for salads to thicker potato slices for gratins. This is genuinely one of the highest-value tools in any kitchen under $18.

Rotary cutters offer more control for precision work. The handheld rotary vegetable cutter works almost like a small wheel you roll across food, giving you consistent slices without the flat-blade learning curve of a mandoline. It’s a great option if you’ve tried a mandoline before and found it intimidating, or if you’re prepping softer produce like mushrooms or zucchini where a flat blade tends to squish rather than slice.

Handheld slicers with interchangeable blades stretch your money further than almost anything else on this list. The interchangeable blade multipurpose cutter system comes with swappable blades for julienne cuts, waffle cuts, and standard slices, essentially replacing three or four single-purpose gadgets with one storage-friendly system. If you like meal prepping a variety of textures and cuts, this is the closest thing to a Swiss Army knife in this price range.

Waffle cutters sound like a novelty until you actually use one on potatoes for crinkle fries or on cucumbers for a more decorative salad presentation. The multipurpose waffle and vegetable cutter does double duty as a standard vegetable slicer too, so it’s not just a one-trick party trick tool. It’s a fun addition if you cook for kids or like presentation-forward dishes without extra effort.

If you’re building out a full prep station around tools like these, it’s worth checking your existing setup too. A bench scraper for dough and cleanup pairs surprisingly well with mandolines and rotary cutters since it makes transferring sliced piles of vegetables from board to bowl fast and mess-free.

Comparison: Egg Slicer vs. Multipurpose Cutter, Which Should You Buy?

This is the real question most people land on, and honestly, the answer depends on how you cook.

Performance for egg slicing specifically: A dedicated egg slicer wins here, no contest. The wire grid design is purpose-built for the shape and texture of a boiled egg. Multipurpose cutters and mandolines can slice eggs in a pinch, but they tend to crumble yolks or produce uneven cuts because they weren’t designed around the egg’s shape.

Versatility and additional uses: Multipurpose cutters dominate this category. A mandoline or interchangeable blade system will get far more use across your weekly cooking than a tool that only slices eggs. If you make egg salad twice a year, a dedicated slicer isn’t worth the drawer space.

Space and budget considerations: Both options fit comfortably under $18, so budget isn’t really the deciding factor. Space is more relevant. Compact egg slicers fold flat, while mandolines and rotary cutters tend to take up a bit more room, though most still store easily in a drawer.

Best use cases: If you make deviled eggs, egg salad, or garnish dishes with egg slices regularly, get the dedicated slicer. If your cooking leans toward salads, slaws, gratins, or veggie-forward meal prep, a multipurpose cutter earns its keep faster.

Why some kitchens benefit from owning both: Because they’re both under $18, there’s a real case for owning one of each. Combined, you’re still likely spending less than $30-35 total, which is less than most single higher-end kitchen tools cost. You get precision egg slicing for the specific job it excels at, plus the flexibility of a multipurpose cutter for everything else.

Our Top Recommendations by Use Case

Best overall egg slicer under $18: The wire egg slicer with stainless steel construction is the clear winner. Durable, rust-resistant, and delivers consistently clean slices every single time.

Best multipurpose cutter for vegetable prep: The mandoline slicer with safety guard takes this category. Adjustable thickness settings and a proper hand guard make it both versatile and safe for regular use.

Best budget pick for occasional users: The plastic-handled traditional egg slicer is light on cost and still gets the job done well if you’re not slicing eggs every week.

Best premium option still under $18: The interchangeable blade multipurpose cutter system feels like the most “expensive” tool on this list without actually costing more, thanks to the swappable blade design that replaces multiple gadgets.

Best compact option for small spaces: The compact egg slicer for small kitchens folds flat and tucks into even the most crowded utensil drawer without a fight.

Whichever combination you land on, this really is the best egg slicer and multipurpose cutter under $18 lineup for 2026, covering everything from quick weeknight prep to weekend entertaining spreads.

FAQ

Can an egg slicer be used for other foods besides eggs? Yes, within limits. Wire egg slicers work well on soft foods like strawberries, small mushrooms, and soft cheeses like mozzarella. They struggle with anything firmer, like raw potatoes or carrots, since the wires aren’t built to cut through dense produce. For that, a mandoline or rotary cutter is the better tool.

What’s the difference between a wire egg slicer and a blade egg slicer? Wire slicers use a taut grid of thin stainless steel wires that cut through the egg in one even press. Blade slicers use small metal blades instead of wires and tend to be a bit sturdier for repeated use, though wire versions generally produce cleaner, thinner slices. Most budget-friendly options under $18 use wire designs since they’re cheaper to manufacture without sacrificing performance.

Are multipurpose cutters safe for beginners to use? Yes, as long as they include proper safety guards. Mandolines specifically should never be used without a hand guard attachment. Rotary cutters and interchangeable blade systems tend to be more beginner-friendly right out of the box since the blade is enclosed or rolling rather than an exposed flat edge.

How do I maintain and sharpen my egg slicer or multipurpose cutter? Egg slicer wires can’t really be sharpened, but they rarely need it since they cut through soft eggs rather than dense produce. For mandolines and rotary cutters with actual blades, hand washing and drying immediately after use prevents dulling caused by dishwasher detergent and heat cycles. Store blades in their protective sheath or guard when not in use to prevent nicks that dull the edge faster.

Is a $18 budget enough to get a quality egg slicer or multipurpose cutter? Absolutely. This price range covers stainless steel wire slicers, mandolines with safety guards, and even interchangeable blade systems without any meaningful drop in quality compared to pricier versions. You’re mostly paying more at higher price points for brand name recognition or extra accessories, not necessarily better core performance. The best egg slicer and multipurpose cutter under $18 options reviewed here prove that budget-friendly doesn’t mean flimsy.

If you’re rounding out your prep station further, tools like a solid garlic press or a reliable microplane grater make natural companions to the slicers and cutters covered here, since they all tackle the same goal: faster, more consistent prep without spending a fortune on gadgets you’ll only use twice.