Best Meat Slicers To Have In Your Cooking Arsenal

As meat lovers, there’s nothing quite as thrilling as getting those uniform cuts of your meats. This is especially important in maintaining the true integrity of certain foods, like for example, you’ll want the extra-thin slices to make your sandwiches and extra fatty slices for the steak. But when cooking for many, ordinary kitchen knives just don’t ‘cut it.’ Professional chefs and caterers will tell you that a meat slicer is the go-to tool for this. And lucky for you, we now have them in nice home size units.

Meat slicers don’t only apply to meat. They can also be used to cut the firm vegetables and large cheese. With a meat slicer, you get control over how thick you want your meat while maintaining consistency in all the pieces. A fairly decent meat slicer should be able to achieve this without adding too much pressure on the meat too. With this, you’ll be able to maintain the original texture of your meat.

There are many different varieties of meat slicers out there today, including electric meat slicers, which literally do the cutting for you. But not all of us are well versed in navigating the market of meat slicers. We’ve tried to make your search a bit less frustrating with our list of the best meat slicers for your kitchen.

Top 9 Meat Slicers Of 2020 Reviewed

1. Chef’sChoice 615A Electric Slicer

Best Meat Slicer For Jerky

For home cooks and foodies, the best meat slicer for your money is the Chef’s Choice 615. It has an all-metal body that is comprised of cast aluminum and stainless steel. It features a 120-watt motor that can spin its tough stainless steel 7-inch blade to cut seamlessly through a variety of foods. You can slice paper-thin meats and veggies just like you see in your local deli.

We love the fact that this meat slicer is so easy to clean; you can remove the food carriage, food pusher, food deflector, thickness guide plate, and the blade for cleaning. Putting them back together isn’t hard either. And as an added safety feature, the carriage locks in place to prevent the blade from cutting anything while not in use. However, this comes with a serrated blade which is ideal for frozen meat and bread, not for cooked meat or even semi-frozen meat. You’ll need to purchase the non-serrated blade for “neater” slices which costs $23 on Amazon. Also, the tray that catches the food doesn’t really catch the food all that well.

Chef'sChoice 615A Electric Slicer

Pros:

  • Cuts smoothly
  • Can slice most types of food items
  • Safety lock on the carriage

Cons:

  • Comes with a serrated blade
  • Food tray could be improved

2. BESWOOD Premium Food Slicer

Best Meat Slicer For Frozen Meat

This is another one that’s specifically designed for the professional kitchen. The Beswood Premium Food Slicer has a 240-watt motor, top mounted whetstones, and a 10-inch chromium-plated carbon steel blade. This blade material ensured that the blade’s edge holds up longer and the blade itself is rust-resistant.

It slices through most foods like a hot knife through butter. It can easily go through 20 pounds of meat in just a few minutes and not overheat. It’ll definitely do the work of a professional grade meat slicer. However, this machine is a bit hard to clean. The included cleaning brush doesn’t reach all the nooks and crannies that well. There have also been reports of poor customer service.

BESWOOD Premium Food Slicer

Pros:

  • Fast and smooth operation
  • Great edge retention
  • Quiet

Cons:

  • Poor customer service
  • Hard to clean

3. Kitchener 9-inch Professional Electric Food Slicer

This meat, cheese, and bread slicer from Kitchener get a spot on our top 9 list for several reasons. It features a belt-driven 150-watt motor that may not be as powerful as some of our other picks. But it performs almost as well. The machine has a premium coated steel and die-cast aluminum housing for increased durability.

All the necessary parts are removable for easy cleaning. The control knob makes adjusting the thickness easy. And the 8 ⅝” stainless steel blade is sharp and rust-resistant. This meat slicer is definitely made from quality materials. However, it is a bit on the slow side. You’ll need to be patient to get your slices. On the bright side, the meat doesn’t get splattered everywhere. Also, this is designed for light duty only. You need to make sure to give the motor a rest after 10 minutes of use.

Kitchener 9-inch Professional Electric Food Slicer

Pros:

  • Premium coated steel and die-cast aluminum housing
  • Smooth slicing action
  • Fairly easy to clean

Cons:

  • A bit slow
  • Light duty use only

4. Chef’s Choice 610 Electric Food Slicer

Best Meat Slicer For Bacon

If you don’t have the budget for our top pick, Chef’s Choice has another model that might be more in line with your money. This slicer comes with much of the same features such as the 7-inch stainless steel serrated blade, a large capacity food carriage with a tilted design, a food deflector, a thickness guide, and a serving tray. The all-metal body is also made of cast aluminum and stainless steel.

And there’s even a safety fuse at the bottom of the slicer to protect it from power surges. One major difference between the two models is that this one lacks the safety lock feature of the carriage. Another is the fact that the 615 model has a better motor so it provides a smoother cutting operation.

Chef’s Choice 610 Electric Food Slicer

Pros:

  • Cuts meats, cheeses, and veggies
  • Fairly easy to clean
  • All-metal body

Cons:

  • Bulkier and heavier than the 615 model
  • Lacks the safety lock on the carriage

5. Continental Deli Meat Slicer

You can easily enjoy deli sandwiches at home with the Continental Deli Meat Slicer. It features a 180-watt power, a 7.5-inch stainless steel blade, and a die-cast aluminum body. It’s lightweight at only 10 pounds with non-slip feet to ensure it stays in place while slicing up a storm. For less than a $100, this slicer gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It’s powerful enough to cut most food items including cheese. It will take a bit of effort to clean; not all of the parts can be removed for cleaning.

Only the blade and the guide will come off. Also, the meat and cheese need to be at least semi-frozen to get clean, smooth cuts. We did notice that despite the powerful motor, this slicer operates a bit on the slow side. And there are a lot of plastic pieces such as the carriage and the food press that you’ll need to be careful of.

Continental Deli Meat Slicer

Pros:

  • Budget-friendly
  • Powerful motor
  • Cuts most food items

Cons:

  • Lots of plastic parts
  • A bit slow in slicing food
  • Not that easy to clean

6. Nesco FS-250 180-Watt Food Slicer

Best Meat Slicer For Home Use

The Nesco FS-250 features a 180-watt motor and an 8.7-inch stainless steel blade that will slice through just about anything, with the exception of cheese. The motor is definitely powerful enough to deliver quick, precise cuts with a 9/16″ thickness range. However, this slicer comes with a serrated blade that is not ideal for cheese unless it’s frozen.

The food press is made of die-cast aluminum. This slicer is fairly small and lightweight which makes it easy to store instead of leaving in the counter. The blade can be removed for cleaning but putting it back can be a bit tricky because you have to make sure everything is aligned. Also, the carriage or product tray is a bit on the small side.

Nesco FS-250 180-Watt Food Slicer

Pros:

  • Powerful motor
  • Easily stored away; small and lightweight
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • Slightly tricky to put back the blade after cleaning
  • Not good for hard cheese
  • Small carriage/food tray

7. Best Choice Products Commercial Food Slicer

Best Commercial Meat Slicer

If you want something heavy duty, this commercial food slicer is just the thing. It features a 240-watt motor, a numerical scale knob ranging from 0 to 17mm, skidproof rubber feet, a heavy duty stainless steel 10-inch blade, and built-in dual whetstones to sharpen the blade whenever necessary. One of the nice safety features of this slicer is the waterproof cover for the on/off switch.

If you plan on slicing a bulk of meats, cheese, veggies, and fruits in one go, this baby will be able to deliver. However, the manual is a poorly written one so you’ll need to take time to figure it out. Also, cleaning this machine can be a pain because it is so time-consuming. This slicer is fairly large (it is commercial grade, after all) and weighs around 50 lbs. It will definitely need to stay where you put it.

Best Choice Products Commercial Food Slicer

Pros:

  • Commercial grade slicer
  • Waterproof cover for the power button
  • Cuts fast and smooth

Cons:

  • Heavy and bulky
  • Cleaning it is time-consuming
  • Poorly written manual

8. Della 8.7″ Commercial Electric Meat Slicer

This commercial electric slicer from Della easily cuts meat, cheese, veggies, and bread using its 8.7-inch steel blade that is powered by a 180-watt motor. The thickness ranges from 0 up to 5/8″. The sliding carriage ensures you never place your hands in danger of getting cut. And there’s even a built-in sharpener included. For the money, you couldn’t ask for a better performance. However, we wish it would have included a food tray to catch your cuts. Also, it’s not easy to clean.

Della 8.7" Commercial Electric Meat Slicer

Pros:

  • Cuts most food items smoothly
  • Built-in sharpener
  • Very affordable

Cons:

  • No food tray included
  • Not easy to clean
  • The blade is a bit slow

9. Valley Sportsman Stainless Steel Electric Food Slicer

This is another budget-friendly meat slicer for the home cook. It features a 180-watt power, an 8.7in. stainless steel, a built-in side adjustment system, non-slip feet, and a removable stainless steel carriage. When it comes to slicing foods, the Valley Sportsman definitely delivers. You can easily get wafer-thin potato slices for homemade chips. However, most of the other parts are made of plastic such as the blade attachment and the gear. Also, there’s a bit of a learning curve to getting the right thickness of cut. Plus, there’s no tray included catching the cuts.

8.7in. Stainless Steel Electric Food and Meat Slicer

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Removable stainless steel carriage
  • Smooth cuts for most food items

Cons:

  • No food tray included
  • The learning curve to get the right thickness
  • Lots of plastic parts

How to Choose the Best Meat Slicer: The Ultimate Buying Guide

That piece of meat isn’t going to slice itself. And maybe you’re tired of trying to cut thin slices of equal size with your knife. Or, maybe you just want to be more efficient in slicing various foods in your kitchen. If so, you’re definitely in need of a meat slicer.

A meat slicer often called a food slicer, allows you to quickly and efficiently slice food items such as meat (hence the name), cheese, sausages, fruits, and the like into uniform sizes. This is especially important if you need paper-thin slices of meat and veggies.

Now, all meat slicers operate on a basic principle. However, not all of them are made of the same quality. If you’re in the market for a meat slicer, then you’ve probably already noticed that there’s a lot of options to choose from. To help you figure out which meat slicer is best for you, we’ve constructed this short buyer’s guide.

Is a Meat Slicer for You?

A meat slicer can be an essential tool for any home cook. If you want paper-thin cuts of meat, cheese, fruits, and veggies, then you need a meat slicer in your home. Yes, you can always pass by your favorite deli and buy pre-sliced fruits and veggies from the supermarket. But with a meat slicer, you’ll be saving more money in the long run. This will allow you to buy in bulk and slice away whenever you need it. And you’ll be able to do it efficiently with the least amount of effort.

What are the Types of Meat Slicers?

There are actually two types that you’ll see in the market: automatic and manual. Automatic slicers are more powerful and designed to run without much assistance from the cook. It will move the product tray or carriage back and forth on its own. This is very convenient if you’re slicing lots of food items. Take note that automatic slicers can also be used manually so this type of slicer is only ideal if you want to free yourself up sometime while the machine does a large amount of slicing for you.

A manual slicer, on the other hand, puts the control over the cutting action in your hands. This means that you’ll be the one moving the carriage carrying the meat back and forth so that the blade can slice it.

Do I Need a Professional Grade Meat Slicer?

That depends. Meat slicers come in three “levels.” Entry-level slicers like the Chef’s Choice 610 Electric Food Slicer are best for those who plan to only cut meat and will not be using their slicer frequently. These meat slicers will not be able to cut cheese because they are not powerful enough. Typically, these food slicers also do not have a lot of safety or convenient features compared to higher-end slicers.

Mid-tier slicers have larger blades compared to entry-level ones as well as more horsepower. You can use these more frequently than the basic meat slicer. Some models may even be able to handle slicing cheese every so often. However, these meat slicers are primarily for slicing meats and vegetables.

Premium or Professional grade meat slicers are heavy duty slicers that can handle constant use and slice just about any food items you want, including cheese. Most models in this category such as the BESWOOD Premium Food Slicer has design and safety features that ensure a smooth, precise, and safe operation.

What Should You Look for in a Meat Slicer?

Power

Power refers to the wattage of the motor of the meat slicer. This will affect how much your meat slicer can cut for a certain period of time. The more power a meat slicer has, the longer it can run continuously. If you plan on slicing a lot of cheese and frozen meat, you’ll need a high-powered machine. Generally, a meat slicer with 130 watts or more can handle most food types. The Della 8.7″ Commercial Electric Meat Slicer, for example, has a 180-watt motor.

Blade Size

The size of the blade will dictate how much use the meat slicer can withstand. Blade sizes range from 9 to 14 inches. In general, those below 12 inches are for light duty use while 12 inches to 14 inches are for all-around use. The most common size you’ll see in commercial models is the 12-inch cutting blade. Budget-friendly meat slicers like the Continental Deli Meat Slicer tend to have smaller blades since they’re designed for infrequent use.

Carriage Size

The carriage is also called the product tray. Basically, this is where you’ll place the food that you’re planning to slice. Most meat slicers will have a carriage size ranging 7.5-12 inches in diameter. When choosing a meat slicer, make sure that the carriage is big enough to accommodate the largest product or food item that you plan on slicing.

Ease of Cleaning

Food slicers need to be cleaned after every use. After all, you want to prevent contamination right? Most meat slicers will require disassembly in order to be thoroughly cleaned. Make sure that the model you choose will be easy to disassemble and wipe down such as the Kitchener 9-inch Professional Electric Food Slicer. You’ll want the carriage to be able to swing out or come off. You’ll also want the blade to be easily removable.

Safety Features

Remember, this is a machine with an extremely sharp rotating blade that you’ll be operating by hand. So there’s no question that you’ll want safety features included in your meat slicer.

Knife guard: generally, the blade of a meat slicer should be exposed as little as possible to prevent accidents. A knife or a handguard should act as a barrier between the blade and your hand.

No-volt release: this feature ensures that you will need to press the power button to start the slicer should it have been unplugged or if power was interrupted.

Gauge plate interlock: this safety feature ensures that you can only remove the product tray or carriage if the gauge plate is set at 0 (zero).

Durability

You’ll want a meat slicer with as much metal parts as you can afford like what you’d get with the Chef’sChoice 615A Electric Slicer which has an all-metal body. Metal lasts much longer than plastic so you’ll want to avoid having plenty of plastic parts. A meat slicer definitely doesn’t come cheap and you’ll want to avoid repairs as long as possible.

Here’s our last tip: When choosing the best meat slicer for your kitchen, you need to remember two things: how frequently are you going to use it and what are you going to be sliced. Once you get the answers to those questions, everything else should fall into place.