Buyer’s Guide for Choosing the Best Meat Slicer

Sure, a good knife will suffice if you must settle, but purchasing a meat slicer for your home will significantly simplify the process of slicing various foods. For slicing meats, cheeses, bread, fruits, and vegetables, a food slicer is an excellent purchase for large families. 

A food slicer can save time and money for households that frequently consume sandwiches, prepare jerky, or need to slice various foods. 

Five Advantages of a Food and Meat Slicer 

If it’s not already apparent to you that a food slicer can improve your life, here are some of the most frequently cited advantages we discovered in customer reviews from those who have already made the purchase. 

Efficiency 

Food slicers are powerful and considerably quicker than slicing foods by hand. If you’re tired of devoting time daily or weekly to slicing bread, meats, and cheeses for your family’s lunch sandwiches, a food slicer can help you save a substantial amount of time. 

Uniformity 

If you have difficulty slicing cheese to the desired thickness, a food slicer will help ensure that each slice is the appropriate thickness. 

Ease of Use 

This point is essentially self-explanatory. It is much simpler to automate a process like food slicing with a machine than to do so manually. 

Thinner Slices Possible 

While the most obvious uses for a food slicer are meats and cheeses, many people adore their slicers for slicing foods such as onions, potato chips, and cabbage for sauerkraut into skinny slices. 

Saves Money 

It is always more expensive to purchase pre-sliced foods at the supermarket than to slice them yourself. If you frequently purchase sliced meats, cheeses, and bread, you can quickly recoup the cost of an investment in a food slicer. 

Not every kitchen requires a meat slicer, but most of those who purchase one are glad they did. If you believe your family could benefit from adding one to your appliance collection, here are some of the most important things you need to know to find the right one. 

Types of Food Slicers 

There are two primary types of food slicers, but only one is genuinely market dominant. 

Electric Food Slicer 

Electric food slicers, also known as automatic food slicers, will constitute most food slicers you encounter during your search. They are user-friendly, typically inexpensive, and the most popular option. 

As their name implies, automatic food slicers allow electricity to perform most of the work. They include an electric motor that moves the carriage for you, so all you must do is place the object to be sliced on the device and turn it on. Most electric food slicers can be switched to manual mode if you occasionally prefer to cut food manually for greater control. 

Manual Food Slicer 

Manual food slicers require manual movement of the food or carriage to complete the slicing process. They are consequently more labor-intensive and slower to operate than automatic models. They would not be practical for anyone using their food slicer for a large quantity of food. They were once the norm for slicing meat, but since automatic food slicers became available, they have become much less prevalent. 

Nevertheless, some individuals prefer manual models due to the additional control they offer and the belief that the meat slices produced by manual models have a better texture and flavor than those produced by automatic models. Manual food slicers may be more challenging to locate than electric models, but you can find one for sale if you would like to try slicing the old-fashioned way. 

Considerations When Purchasing a Meat Slicer 

When determining which food slicer is the best purchase for you, there are vital considerations to keep in mind. 

Cost 

You can easily find a food slicer for less than $100, but most models cost between $100 and $400. Commercial meat slicers can easily cost thousands of dollars, but these are typically overkilled for consumers seeking a meat slicer for home use. 

The motors of more expensive models are typically more powerful, allowing them to operate faster and for more extended periods or, more significantly, to accommodate more types of food. Occasionally, higher prices will get you additional features, such as precise control or a product made of sturdier materials that will last longer. 

If you intend to use your slicer frequently or for items requiring a heavy-duty slicer, spending more initially can often be beneficial. For many customers with less demanding requirements, lower-priced models will suffice for most food-slicing needs. 

Power and Speed 

Numerous meat slicers feature motors with greater wattage that slice food more quickly and efficiently. The engine’s strength will also affect how long you can slice food. Some food slicers rapidly become overheated and require a cool-down period before further use. This issue may never arise if you only need a slicer to make a few sandwiches per week. It will quickly become inconvenient if you intend to perform a large quantity of slicing at once. 

Those who intend to slice a large amount of cheese or frozen meats will benefit significantly from a unit with greater horsepower. These are the two most difficult tasks for a food slicer to accomplish. If either of these will be your slicer’s primary purpose, you should consider purchasing a model with a lot of power. 

Uses 

Since the terms “meat slicer” and “food slicer” are frequently used interchangeably, many consider meat slicing to be the primary purpose of any food slicer. However, that is by no means the only use for a food slicer. Customers utilize their food slicers for a variety of purposes. Meats, cheeses, and bread are merely the beginning. Some people find their slicers most useful for foods that require particularly thin slicing, such as potato chips or sauerkraut, or for slicing salad onions to perfection. 

Why You Require A Meat Slicer At Home 

Before purchasing, contemplate how you intend to utilize your food slicer. This will help you determine the thickness options you need, the size of the machine’s carriage, and whether you need a device with a lot of power. Whether you intend to use your food slicer occasionally for jerky or daily for various tasks, it is essential to know what you intend to use it for to find the best model for your needs. 

Durability 

Nobody wants to buy a meat slicer that only lasts a few months or requires replacement parts or repairs after two years. A benefit of purchasing a high-end model is that its components are likely to be more durable and withstand heavy use for a more extended period before needing replacement. 

A higher price tag does not always equate to a longer-lasting food slicer, so it’s essential to consider both the materials the model you choose is made from and the customer reviews to determine its durability. In general, metal parts are more durable than plastic ones (particularly the motor’s gears), and stainless steel is the most dependable material for meat slicers. A meat slicer that provides reliable performance for many years will be a superior investment to one that must be replaced within two years. 

Size 

Several factors must be considered when selecting a meat slicer of the appropriate size. The initial is known as counter space. How much available space do you have in your kitchen? You will not use it often if there is nowhere to store your food slicer. If you have limited counter space and intend only to bring out your food slicer when necessary, consider its weight and how often you are willing to lift and move a heavy appliance. 

The size of your food slicer’s blade and carriage will also significantly impact its functionality. If you intend to purchase large cuts of meat and cheese blocks for slicing, you must ensure that they will fit on the carriage of the slicer you purchase and that the blade is long enough to cut them entirely from end to end. Most slicer blade lengths are specified in the product specifications; the most common sizes range from 9 to 14 inches. 

Simplicity of Use 

One of the primary reasons to purchase a food slicer is that it simplifies the slicing process. While virtually all food slicers will be an improvement over a standard knife and cutting board, some are designed to be even more user-friendly. 

Large-scale slicing projects will be more convenient if you can complete all (or the majority) of the required slicing without stopping to allow the machine to cool down. A meat slicer with a small carriage may necessitate that you trim your items before slicing them, adding additional labor to the process. Many models also include a serving tray, which provides users with added convenience. 

The cleanliness of your meat slicer will have the most significant impact on its usability. However, this category is large enough to warrant its section. 

Ease of Cleaning 

It is essential to keep your food slicer clean and sterile. No one wants to deal with foodborne illnesses, which can result from skimping on cleaning. Some cleanup is required for all food slicers, but some require more work and time than others. 

Most models will require disassembly for cleaning, so you should be aware of the assembly and disassembly requirements after each use. A food slicer with few removable parts will need you to clean spots in awkward crevices and corners, which is tedious and will make it much more difficult to clean thoroughly. 

Many models come with dishwasher-safe components. The more machine parts you can wash in your dishwasher, the easier it will be to clean it, so pay attention to which machine parts are designated as dishwasher-safe in the product specifications. 

Safety 

Food slicers are outfitted with large, sharp blades that rotate at high speeds to perform their function. Consequently, safety becomes a significant concern. 

Unless the blade is easy to remove, models that are heavy or difficult to disassemble for cleaning after each use will increase the likelihood of cutting yourself while handling the machine if you are not careful. Some food slicers are equipped with non-slip feet to ensure they remain firmly in place while in use. Protective blade guards can help reduce an individual’s risk of cutting themselves even further. In addition, a safety lock will prevent the blade from spinning when the slicer is not in use. 

These safety features can go a long way toward protecting users, but customers must also take measures to ensure their safety. Please read the manual before using the food slicer so you don’t increase your risk by misusing it. Additionally, you can purchase cut-resistant gloves to wear while operating your meat slicer. 

Noise 

Numerous meat slicers are notoriously loud. If you or someone in your household is sensitive to noisy appliances, you can find models that operate more quietly. For many buyers, the difference in noise levels justifies the additional expense. 

Popular Brands of Food Slicers 

The manufacturer of your meat slicer can tell you a great deal about the product’s quality. To provide you with a picture of the reputation of the leading food slicer manufacturers, we analyzed the reviews of each brand’s various models. 

Chef’s Choice 

Chef’s Choice manufactures several incredibly popular food slicers. Customers are generally pleased with their purchases, praising their slicers for being user-friendly, simple to clean, and capable of slicing various foods at varying thicknesses. Several individuals mentioned using their slicer for foods requiring particularly thin slicing, such as potato chips. In addition, reviewers remark that their slicers are attractive and represent excellent value. A Chef’s Choice food slicer is the gold standard for food slicing needs. 

Continental 

Continental sells a deli slicer that receives positive customer feedback. Most reviewers use their slicer to cut meat and are pleased with its performance. Some users complained that they could not adjust the thickness to their liking and that the slicer overheated when used for too long. 

MaxiMatic 

MaxiMatic’s Elite line of products includes a few food slicers that receive mostly positive reviews. Customers emphasize that the products’ price-to-value ratio and aesthetic appeal are favorable. Some reviewers claim their food slicer is simple to clean, while others claim it is a hassle; therefore, this point is debatable. A few customers complained about the machine’s durability, and others cautioned that it could not slice very quickly. Customers view the restrictions as a reasonable trade-off for the affordable price of their food slicers. 

Nesco 

Nesco manufactures a variety of food slicers that, on average, receive positive feedback from customers; however, some of their product’s fare better than others in customers’ eyes, so take a moment to read the reviews of the specific product you are considering purchasing. Most users are pleased with their food slicers’ value and say they are simple to operate and clean. 

Conclusion 

A food slicer is the type of kitchen tool that you may not realize you need until you try one. Once you have a slicer that simplifies many of your regular kitchen preparation tasks, it isn’t easy to live without one. The proper food slicer will save you time, money, and effort for many years.