How to choose a meat slicer?

It cannot be argued that a meat slicer is an indispensable item in every kitchen. However, in some cases it can be difficult to do without it. Most often, such a kitchen device is purchased by cafes or restaurants, large stores and manufacturers of semi-finished meat products. But hospitable hostesses and sandwich lovers will also appreciate this kitchen helper for its cutting speed and ease of use.

The slicer got its name from the English slice, which translates as "slice". That is why it is most often called a slicer. The main purpose of the device is to quickly and evenly cut a large amount of product into pieces of the same thickness.

The construction of the slicer is quite simple and includes:

• metal or plastic housing;

• cutting unit with one or more knives;

• feed tray;

• a tray for receiving ready-made slices;

• various additions in the form of a protective cover, a knife sharpener, an electric drive and a holder for manual product feeding.

Certain types of knives are suitable for each type of food. Using the device for other purposes can lead to its rapid breakdown, therefore, in large supermarkets or restaurants, several different types of slicers are installed at once.

All slicers can be roughly divided into two types:

• household;

• industrial (professional).

The first option is compact devices that are purchased for home use or small cafes with a small flow of visitors.The second are heavy multi-saw machines used for industrial cutting of large carcasses, not only in large flat slices, but also in strips, cubes or other types of bars of different thicknesses.

Slicers can also be divided into several types depending on their purpose. The main difference in this case will be the shape of the knives.

• For cutting frozen meat, a slicer is suitable, the knife of which has small teeth and works like a tiny saw... It is with such slicers that large pieces are cut at large meat processing plants.

• For cutting sausages, a special floating carriage is required, which can be set at the desired angle to the knife. This will allow you to adjust the machine to the desired size of the delicacy in cases where very thin slices are required, for example, almost transparent prosciutto slices.

• For regular slicing of sausages, simple flat knives are suitable.... And for cutting soft meatloafs or tender pieces of raw meat, they must be coated with Teflon so that the slices do not stick to the cutting surface.

• Universal - are designed for cutting any product and have several replaceable knives in the kit. Such a multi-knife slicer can be used both at home and in a small production.

Depending on the control, several types of slicers can also be distinguished.

• Manual - the cutting disc of such a slicer is set in motion by rotating the handle, like a conventional meat grinder.

• Semi-automatic - the knife in such slicers is driven by an electric drive, and the product is fed manually.

• Automatic - such machines cut and feed the product themselves until they are turned off.

Today there are many manufacturers of different types of slicers. Below are the most popular and most positive reviews.

The simplest slicer of a domestic manufacturer in a price range available to everyone... The cost of such a manual slicer is about 1,000 rubles, and you can buy it in many online stores. The slicer blades are made of high quality alloy that will not dull for a long time. Comes with several types of interchangeable curly cutting blades and a closed receiving tray to keep the kitchen clean. Ekman is perfect for daily cutting of sausage, ham or carbonate in the kitchen of any housewife.

A more serious unit of a Chinese manufacturer has an electric drive and manual feed. The body is made of anodized aluminum, and the range of adjustment of the thickness of the slices is quite wide: from 0.05 to 1.5 cm. The price of this slicer fluctuates around 10,000 rubles, so it is most often purchased for large restaurants or trading companies. This unit allows you to cut hard frozen pieces of meat.

Scharfen automatic slicers are a guarantee of German quality. High performance and a wide range of adjustment allow them to be installed even in the largest industrial plants. Made entirely of high quality stainless steel, Scharfen are capable of slicing any food up to 2.5 cm thick, which means they can cut pieces of meat with bones. But the price of such a slicer is more than 200,000 rubles.

To choose the right slicer, you must first decide on the expected volume of sliced ​​products and their type. There is no need to buy expensive professional equipment for simple sausage slicing for breakfast. If the device is purchased for a large retail outlet, then you should pay attention to the power of the electric motor. The higher it is, the higher the performance of the slicer.

The material and shape of the knife sharpening are also important parameters when choosing. It is best to choose stainless steel blades with an even edge. This knife will cut almost anything except pieces of frozen beef or pork on the bone. If you intend to cut very soft or very hard food, it is best to purchase a slicer with adjustable knife speed. The more delicate the texture of the product, the lower the cutting speed should be.

A high-quality slicer must have a protective casing and silicone anti-slip legs, which will not allow a heavy apparatus to fall on your foot or split the kitchen tiles... For even greater convenience, you should try to find models with a special compartment for the cord.