Choosing the Best Commercial Meat Slicer

How to Use a Meat Slicer

1. Wash your hands and put gloves on.
2. Lift the weighted pusher arm and place the food on the product carriage. Put the pusher and guide back into place to hold the food.
3. Open the gauge place to the desired thickness.
4. Turn the unit on.
5. Push the carriage back and forth to move the food across the sharp, spinning blade. Check your first slice to ensure it matches the desired thickness and adjust if needed.
6. Continue pushing the carriage back and forth manually until you have sliced the desired amount of food or, if available, the slicer may be switched to automatic mode to finish the job.
7. Turn the slicer off and close the gauge plate (turn the blade back to 0) before removing the product.
8. Wipe down your meat slicer between types of products, and be sure to do a thorough cleaning as needed.

Meat slicer uses vary from slicing meat to slicing cheese, shredding lettuce, or cutting up cucumbers or other vegetable into slices. Whatever you are slicing, be sure to follow the operator's instructions that come with your meat slicer. Also, for safety always use the provide guide arm to push food - never your hands - and be sure any safety features are functioning properly.

How to Sharpen a Meat Slicer Blade

1. Ensure the slicer is clean before sharpening.
2. Loosen the bolt on the built-in sharpener.
3. Turn the sharpener 180 degrees so that it rests over the blade and tighten it down.
4. Turn the slicer on so that the blade is spinning.
5. Press and hold the rear sharpening button on the sharpening assembly. Sharpen briefly, no longer than 1 minute at a time, and then release the button.
6. Press the front finishing button on the sharpener briefly to smooth out the edge and remove any burrs.
7. Turn off the unit.
8. Return the sharpening assembly to its original position and tighten it in place.
9. Additional cleaning may be required to remove any residue from sharpening.

A meat slicer should be sharpened at least every couple of weeks to keep the blade in optimum shape. Not sure if the blade is sharp enough? You can use a piece of paper to test the sharpness to see if you need to sharpen the blade.

Parts of a Meat Slicer

Commercial meat slicers all share the same basic components. Here's a quick rundown of what's what:

• Product Table, carriage, or product tray, is where you place the piece of meat, cheese, or vegetable to be sliced. These are often grooved and set at a specific angle so the product slides more easily toward the blade. On some models, this tilts up for easier cleaning.
• Pusher: Also called "meat grip." It is attached to the product table, and holds the product still while you're slicing it. On some models, this is removable for easy cleaning.
• Gauge Plate: This part surrounds the knife. When you adjust the thickness control knob, sometimes referred to as the index knob, this is what moves.
• Sharpener: All slicers have a built-in blade sharpener to keep the blade razor-sharp and in perfect operating condition. On many, it's removable for cleaning.
• Blade and Blade Guard: On most slicers, the blade is permanently attached to the unit and protected by a blade guard, for safety. Depending on the model, the blade guard, or ring guard, is removable, in varying degrees, for cleaning. On some high-end models, the blade can be removed from the slicer using a special tool for a more thorough cleaning.

Other Design Features to Consider

• Horsepower: Generally, higher horsepower slicers are designed for more frequent use.
• Blade Size: Mid Tier and Premium slicers usually have larger cutting blades (12"-14") for all-around use, whereas entry-level models often use smaller cutting blades (9" and 10") for lighter use. Industry-wide, a 12" cutting blade is the most common size.
• Product Tray (Carriage) Size: Most slicers can hold products that range from 7 1/2" to 12" in diameter within the carriage. If you plan to slice products larger than 12", it is important to verify that the slicer's carriage will accommodate it before purchasing the slicer.
• Manual vs. Automatic: An automatic slicer, where an electric motor moves the product tray back and forth, is convenient when slicing large amounts of product because it can slice continuously without constant staff assistance. Automatic slicers can also be operated manually, so the main deciding factor is how much slicing you do. Large delis or supermarkets would see the most benefit from an automatic slicer.
• Belt Driven or Gear Driven: Nearly all of the slicers we sell are belt driven. In theory, a slicer with a gear driven blade will be more durable, but in actual practice, if your gear-driven slicer does require a repair, it will cost a lot more than simply replacing a drive belt.
• Cleaning Leg / "Kickstand": Some slicers come with a special kickstand-style leg that lets you prop up the deli meat slicer to clean underneath it.

Safety and Design Features

When you're talking about a piece of equipment that's operated by hand and uses a razor-sharp spinning blade to slice products, obviously safety cannot be understated. Proper training is essential for any employee who operates the slicer.

• Knife Guard: Generally, all slicers expose as little of the blade as possible to prevent cut hazards. On some slicers, you can remove it to clean the knife. On others, it is permanently attached.
• No-Volt Release: This safety feature requires the user to push the power button to restart the slicer after it has been unplugged for cleaning, or if the power was interrupted.
• Gauge Plate Interlock: This feature requires the gauge plate to be set at "zero" to be able to tilt or remove the product tray/carriage for cleaning. This protects the blade's edge and the operator's fingers!