You may be thinking to yourself why you would need a meat slicer in your home. Well not only is a meat slicer good for slicing all of your favorite deli meats, but it is also helpful when used to slice vegetables, cheeses, breads and all sorts of other food alike.

By utilizing a meat slicer, you will be able to slice your sandwich meats as thick or as thin as you would like. You could use a cheese slicer for slicing your cheeses but by using a meat slicer you will get uniform cuts every time. They are also even powerful enough to slice frozen meats in case you wanted to get perfect sized jerky strips or maybe you want to slice beef carpaccio extremely paper thin to impress guests when they come to your home.
A meat slicer can be a very dangerous kitchen appliance as well as very expensive if you get a higher end model. We will dig in to the subject and show you how to use a meat slicer and how to clean it properly so there are no mistakes and no future injuries that may happen while doing so.

In this article, we will cover what to look for when purchasing a new meat slicer and some of the different kinds. We will go over some of the models that are currently available for purchase and which one may be the best fit for you and your needs.

How to Choose the Best Meat Slicer

When choosing the best meat slicer, it is best to consider the quality of the materials used to construct the machine. These machines can get pricey and you wouldn’t want it breaking on you or falling apart while you are using it. In case this does happen, it is wise to get a model that comes with some kind of guarantee or warranty to protect the machine from damages and defects that may occur while in use or during the shipping process.

You also want to make sure the machine is equipped with multiple safety features because it is very easy to lose a finger or part of your hand when using one of these incorrectly or without abiding by the safety measures.

Features like safety guards on the meat to be sliced and caught are very helpful. Also, an automatic switch off is almost a must when using one of these machines. No matter the case, make sure to buy a machine you are comfortable with using. They can be difficult to use and if you don’t know what you are doing then it can be very dangerous.
Also, try to get a model that is easy to clean. Some machines have parts that can be removed which makes it so much easier to clean in the long run.

Construction and Design

You want to make sure that the model you purchase has the best quality material used to construct it. You want to have a strong and sturdy design that won’t wobble around when it is in use, this can be a safety hazard and cause inconsistency in the size of the meat being sliced. The same goes for a meat grinder.

If the machine has rubber stoppers on the legs, this will help to keep it from moving too much when in use. For the most part, you want to make sure that the motor is very powerful and won’t burn up when harder foods are being sliced or when the slicer is being used for an extended period of time. The best way to tell how powerful the motor can be is to determine whether it is gear-driven or belt-driven.

Gear driven motors tend to be much faster and stronger, especially on the larger models, which is what you ultimately want to get after. The belt driven motors are usually older models and are not going to be as powerful or near as fast.

You might also want to consider the type of blade the machine comes with or if it has extra blades that you are able to switch out. Serrated blades are usually used to cut breads and some of the tougher meats. The straight edge rotor blades are used to cut just about everything else. Make sure it is very sharp otherwise it won’t cut the food properly and may tend to be a safety hazard.

Some models of meat slicers have a built-in blade sharpener that can be used while the machine is turned on and with the push of a button it is able to get the blades razor sharp.

There are also some machines that will be able to slice the meat automatically without pushing the meat guard back and forth constantly. All you will need to do is lock in the meat or cheese and set it to auto. Then turn it on and let the machine do the work for you. Usually it will turn off when it is done automatically.

How to Use and Care for Your Meat Slicer

When you get your meat slicer it is wise to first read the manual from front to back before you decide to just start slicing meat on your own. The concept is generally the same from model to model. Make sure the meat you are slicing is solid and firm, you also don’t want to use a meat tenderizer on it before you slice it.

You place the meat in the sliding tray which is hopefully grooved in order to allow air flow making it easier to slice through meat with finesse. Then you place the locking stabilizer on the meat and adjust the thickness knobs to how thick or thin you would like the food sliced. Flip the switch to on and begin to move the tray or arm back and forth slowly while pushing down on the locking mechanism to feed the meat into the slicer.

The meat will usually fall from the back side or into a designated location. After you use your slicer, you want to make sure you clean it every time to avoid foodborne illness and keep your meat slicer in excellent working condition. It is best to wash all removable parts by hand even if they are dishwasher safe in order to make sure they get cleaned thorough and properly. Make sure to wipe down all areas of the slicer that are not removable with warm soapy water.

Make sure to sharpen the blade every so often to keep it sharp and always handle the machine with great respect to avoid any unnecessary accidents.

Best Meat Slicers

Conclusion

When it comes time to make a purchase for a meat slicer, literally any of these choices we provided you will work wonderfully. If it is your first time buying a meat slicer, you should either buy a cheaper model first or one that comes with a warranty before you make a decision you may regret.