What is a Meat Slicer?

Professional meat slicers really are the best way to safely and efficiently cut meats. Designed for consistency, these feature a large adjustable spinning blade and a sliding carriage to ensure every slice is evenly cut, meaning you can accurately control portion sizes, improve yields and reduce your costs.

Anyone who has manually cut bulk quantities of meat will know that it can be a very labour intensive task which doesn't always produce the results you'd prefer - commercial meat slicers make the process fast, easy and incredibly precise.
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TYPES OF MEAT SLICER

Almost all professional meat slicers (often called deli slicers) are loosely based on the manual flywheel design. Although flywheel operated machines are still used to this day, electric versions are far more widespread.

Manual Meat Slicer

Electric manual meat slicers use a powerful motor to spin a circular blade at high speeds. The user then slides the meat carriage from side to side, accurately cutting the meat to a set thickness. These are sometimes called gravity slicers or self feeding slicers as the food carriage is slanted to push the meat against the blade.

• Fast: in comparison to hand slicing with a knife, an electric meat slicer is much faster for cutting large quantities.
• Reduce waste: the precision of an electric slicer ensures every cut is the same thickness. This not only reduces waste - it also ensures you can calculate exactly how many slices you get out of a given cut of meat.
• Efficient: with correct safety training, an electric manual meat slicer is one of the most time efficient and effective ways to cut meat.
• Built-in sharpening: most meat slicers of this type have a built-in sharpening system which helps to keep the blade razor-sharp.

Automatic Meat Slicer

Automatic meat slicers look very similar to manual slicers with one major exception – the carriage mechanism has a motor which allows the slicing action to be automated. This means you can load the meat and set the machine to slice without any further user input.

• Fast: automatic machines can slice even faster than gravity slicers and don’t get tired!
• Safe: as all the slicing is done automatically, the risk of injury due to user error is reduced.
• Digital/programmable: some automatic slicers have the option of being programmed to cut a specific number of slices - great for portion control.
• Manual option: many auto slicers can also be operated manually when required - a good option if you need smaller quantities.
• Built-in sharpening: most meat slicers of this type have a built-in sharpening system which helps to keep the blade razor-sharp.

Flywheel Meat Slicer

Flywheel slicers are truly specialist. Operated by hand-cranked wheel, these slicers give you both the look and feel of traditional meat slicing.

• Traditional design: perfect for customer facing areas, flywheel slicers are showpieces without compare. Ideal for farm shops and gourmet delis.
• Precision: the hand-cranked design is specifically engineered for absolute slicing precision. Even paper-thin prosciutto or mortadella is possible on these premium machines.
• No electrics: as flywheel slicers are hand-cranked, most operate quietly and don’t need a plug.
• Automatic option: the best of both worlds - some flywheel slicers have the option for automatic slicing too.

What to look for

Blade size: the bigger the meat you want to slice, the bigger the blade needs to be. Make sure that the slicer can accommodate your largest cuts.

Power: as a general rule of thumb, more powerful slicers spin up faster and are designed for more frequent use. There are some exceptions to this though, so make sure to check the rest of the product information before purchase.

Cut thickness: most slicers have a wide range of slicing thickness options. If your menu calls for a very specific thickness, check the product information to ensure the slicer matches your needs.

Gravity vs vertical feed: whereas gravity feed slicers are designed to gently push the meat against the blade, vertical feed slicers are even more precise and can accurately cut even thinner slices.

Warranty: all professional slicers from Nisbets are sold with at least 12 months commercial warranty, however some models including Buffalo meat slicers have even longer warranties.

How to Use a Meat Slicer

Every meat slicer is different, so it's important to read the user manual carefully before use. Still, there's some basic principles which apply to all professional slicers:

- Read and understand the operating instructions found in the user manual carefully before use.
- Take your time and pay attention. Slicers can cause injury if used incorrectly.
- Ensure the meat is securely positioned before slicing.
- Only switch on once you're ready to begin slicing.
- Operate using the safety guards - don't be tempted to feed the meat into the blades by hand.
- Ensure the blade is kept clean and sharp.

The following video goes into more detail on how to safely use and clean a Buffalo commercial meat slicer, as well as how to sharpen the blade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can meat slicers cut raw meat?

Yes, although it’s important to note that you should not slice cooked meat after raw meat without thoroughly cleaning and sanitising the machine first. For efficiency, busy delis and supermarkets have separate machines for raw and cooked meats.

Can meat slicers cut bone?

Meat slicers are not designed to cut through bone. Use a bone saw.

Can meat slicers cut frozen meat?

There's a huge variety of slicers on the market, from small domestic versions all the way up to the most industrial professional models. If you intend to slice frozen meat, it's best to check the product information before purchase. Generally, only the strongest, most robust slicers can cut frozen meat.

Can meat slicers slice vegetables?

Professional vegetable prep machines are faster and are designed to produce the best, most uniform results. Still, at a pinch, a meat slicer can be used to slice soft vegetables such as cucumber or aubergine. Meat slicers are commonly used to slice onion rings.

Can meat slicers slice cheese?

Some commercial slicers may be able to cut cheese, but it's best to check the product information first. Not all cheeses are suitable for slicing either - so make sure that if you plan to slice cheese, both the cheese and the slicer are capable. Cheese wires are an excellent manual alternative.

Are commercial meat slicers safe to use?

Meat slicers use rapidly spinning blades, so there will always be potential for injury if not operated correctly. However, all models have safety features such as hand guards, emergency shut-off buttons and non-slip feet. Implement thorough training and frequent safety checks to reduce the risk of accidents.

I don’t have the space for a full size commercial slicer. What are the alternatives?

Aside from buying your meat in pre-sliced, the only real alternative to a professional meat slicer would be to cut by hand using chef knives.