Advice needed - anyone have a meat slicer for bacon they like?

blind99

I put 20 more lbs of bacon in for the cure this weekend.  I've been slicing by hand, but I want thinner slices that are very uniform.  I think all of the mid-range meat slicers (like an Avantco 10") will have plenty of power to cut the bacon, but it seems like the size of the carriage is a limitation.  Is there a slicer that handles wide pieces of meat, like bacon, best?

I'd love one of these some day

https://youtu.be/o4HBV1n5zlk

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I have a globe 10". Just get the bacon nice and cold and fold in half on carriage. It makes perfect slices. I have even rolled and tied some really long pieces and it made perfect long slices. The trick (with bacon especially) is to get it very cold so it holds shape throughout the slice

The Cen-Tex Smoker

look on ebay/craigslist for a used 10" commercial slicer. I got mine for $140 and it's an Italian made globe. I bought a 12" first but it was so huge and heavy I couldn't move it around. I sold it and found a 10 that I liked in no time at all. I think 10" is the perfect size for home use but I like the motor and durability that come with buying a commercial slicer. It fits in my appliance closet and it only weighs 25-30lb (the 12" was like 80 lbs!) It's a workhorse but is easy to handle.

bgebrent

I agree with The Cen-Tex Smoker.  I bought a cheaper slicer and wish I'd gotten something more commercial grade.  The old "you get what you pay for" applies here.

blasting

I'll be watching this thread.   I've been keeping my eye out on CL and so far it seems the go-to brands are Berkel, Globe, and Hobart.

Since these all have been made for so long, I'm having some difficulty comparing and understanding the model numbers.  I can't tell if something is a good deal or not.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

blasting said:

I'll be watching this thread.   I've been keeping my eye out on CL and so far it seems the go-to brands are Berkel, Globe, and Hobart.

Since these all have been made for so long, I'm having some difficulty comparing and understanding the model numbers.  I can't tell if something is a good deal or not.

send me a pm or email when you find one you like. I can help

johnoakestx@gmail.com

those are the main brands and you can't go wrong with them but there are others too.

flynnbob

I have a Waring Pro slicer that I paid about $90 for.  Not fancy but gets the job done  well enough for me.  Just got a catalog from the Sausage Maker and noticed they had several slicers in it.  Go to www.sausagemaker.com I have bought several items from them and have been pleased with their service and quality.  You can't o wrong with a Hobart belt drive slicer.

SGH

blasting said:

so far it seems the go-to brands are Berkel, Globe, and Hobart.

Don't be scared of Univex, Turbo Air, Volano or Axis. All these named units compare directly with Hobart and as such their price reflects it. They all start between 5,000-6,000 dollars. However you get a lot of slicer for the money. Hobart is my favorite, but I wouldn't pass up a deal on one of the others that I named. 

Little Steven

I have a good quality Italian one which is 8". Does a great job but you have to fold the bacon in half. still works well. It weighs about 45 lbs. The motor is very important and I would have gone bigger but I don't have a dedicated place to put it. Another concern is the cleanabilty. Good quality units strip down pretty easily.

Darby_Crenshaw

any of the cheapo ones suck, i can tell you that.  the platen bends, which gives you tapered cuts.  they don't have enough throw, so you have to fold the bacon in half, etc. etc.

they aren't heavy enough to stay in place, and they move around when you try to slide the tray back and forth.  utter suckbaggery.

Waring, Cabela's 8 inch, etc.

run the other way

it's one of the situations where (unless you get an obvious craigslist steal), you are wasting your money if it isn't a commercial, heavy, massive slicer (hoabrt, etc.) costing you a chunk of change

mindfulwanderer

Bottom line up front I don't think you need to buy a bacon slicer. My wife convinced me to use a very sharp carving knife. The first time I tried I failed. The second and third attempts have worked very well. The only thing I did differently was to wrap the bacon in plastic wrap and put the wrapped bacon in the freezer for about 25 minutes. The result paper thin bacon. Having said that I wet cure my bacon, smoke it on the BGE and cut it into thick chunks. I vacuum seal the chunks in 1to 1.5 lb. chunks. Keeping it in the freezer until I want to use it then slice it to my desired thickness.

blind99

Thanks for all the advice. I guess I'll try hand slicing again but I'll chill it first. I'd love a Hobart or the like but even if I found a good deal I'm hard pressed for space to store it. 

Firemanyz

Also if you see a bizerba slicer they are good(German made). On a side note if anyone in the greater Washington DC area is looking for a slicer send me a message. I have an older Globe automatic slicer I'm going to sell. Works fine but wanted a bizerba and finally found one. 

Carolina Q

I have a Globe commercial made in 1946 or 7, older than most of you. 11 1/4" blade. Will hold about a 12" wide piece of meat. Paid about $100 on CL. Weighs a ton and I have nowhere to store it so it just sits on the counter. If I DID have a place to store it, it would just sit THERE because it's too heavy to move around. Live and learn.

It makes some noise it shouldn't make and sometimes I have to give it a prod to make the blade turn (like a "flat spot" on an old automobile starter). But so far it hasn't failed me. Slices anything and everything, from eye round to homemade bread. 

But it is HUGE!!!!!

DoubleEgger

I have nothing to add but every time I see a slicer thread, I think of this. 

blind99

@Firemanyz those bizerbas look nice! I need a gsp-h. 11.5" width. A mere 95lb....

Sea2Ski

I have the Advanco 10" and it is perfect for me. I do end up slicing 6" slices, but I like them that length. Easier to cook, fit better on a sammy etc...  Is it a top commercial grade? No, but I am not using it commercially. It is portable, and was in the price range of what I wanted to spend.  

Little Steven

Carolina Q said:

I have a Globe commercial made in 1946 or 7, older than most of you. 11 1/4" blade. Will hold about a 12" wide piece of meat. Paid about $100 on CL. Weighs a ton and I have nowhere to store it so it just sits on the counter. If I DID have a place to store it, it would just sit THERE because it's too heavy to move around. Live and learn.

It makes some noise it shouldn't make and sometimes I have to give it a prod to make the blade turn (like a "flat spot" on an old automobile starter). But so far it hasn't failed me. Slices anything and everything, from eye round to homemade bread. 

But it is HUGE!!!!!

I can't resist. Did you bring it back from the war Michael?

Carolina Q

Little Steven said:

Carolina Q said:

I have a Globe commercial made in 1946 or 7, older than most of you. 11 1/4" blade. Will hold about a 12" wide piece of meat. Paid about $100 on CL. Weighs a ton and I have nowhere to store it so it just sits on the counter. If I DID have a place to store it, it would just sit THERE because it's too heavy to move around. Live and learn.

It makes some noise it shouldn't make and sometimes I have to give it a prod to make the blade turn (like a "flat spot" on an old automobile starter). But so far it hasn't failed me. Slices anything and everything, from eye round to homemade bread. 

But it is HUGE!!!!!

I can't resist. Did you bring it back from the war Michael?

Of course not, it exceeded the weight limit for troop ship carry on. I do find it interesting that my slicer is taller than you are. Smart a$$.

blind99

Sea2Ski said:

I have the Advanco 10" and it is perfect for me. I do end up slicing 6" slices, but I like them that length. Easier to cook, fit better on a sammy etc...  Is it a top commercial grade? No, but I am not using it commercially. It is portable, and was in the price range of what I wanted to spend.  

thanks @sea2ski I thought that one looked really nice for a new, modestly sized/priced machine. 

Sea2Ski

@blind99 I am perfectly happy with mine.  I have sliced bacon without issue, roast beef, all types of salami, all types of veggies, and even chipped steak for Philadelphia cheesesteaks.  All slicers are a bit of a pain to clean. The first time it took me an hour.  Now I am down to 15 mins. 

As stated, I am perfectly happy with mine for what I use it for. 

RodgerB

I have a 10 inch Cabelas sold for a long time. Made in Italy and does a great job on bacon. I looked and they no longer have the one I use. 

roro_c

I found a gently used Berkel 827A 12" inch from a restaurant that is closing down.  he wants $250 for it.  it looks like they are $1200-1400 brand new.  Good deal?

roro_c

can I also cut thick steaks with these or do they all just go up to 1 inch thick?

Carolina Q

roro_c said:

can I also cut thick steaks with these or do they all just go up to 1 inch thick?

9/16" max. Just search for Berkel 827A 12" for info.

Rusty412

Darby_Crenshaw said:

any of the cheapo ones suck, i can tell you that.  the platen bends, which gives you tapered cuts.  they don't have enough throw, so you have to fold the bacon in half, etc. etc.

they aren't heavy enough to stay in place, and they move around when you try to slide the tray back and forth.  utter suckbaggery.

Waring, Cabela's 8 inch, etc.

run the other way

it's one of the situations where (unless you get an obvious craigslist steal), you are wasting your money if it isn't a commercial, heavy, massive slicer (hoabrt, etc.) costing you a chunk of change

"utter suckbaggery"  LOL

blind99

I never did get an electric slicer. Found a good deal on a victorinox slicer. Works great for bacon, brisket, and other tomfoolery

bgebrent

blind99 said:

I never did get an electric slicer. Found a good deal on a victorinox slicer. Works great for bacon, brisket, and other tomfoolery

Brother, if you're gonna keep on with the bacon, get a good slicer.  Makes the bacon much easier.

northGAcock

I have always wanted one. My problem (in addition to the cost) is where do you keep it? Those things take up quite a bit of room.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I've had a few and I was lucky enough to find a 10" light duty commercial Chef Mate by globe for $140 on Murderlist...er...I mean Craigslist. Here are my thoughts- I bought a 12" Heavy Duty Commercial slicer from a deli. It weighed 100 lbs and was the size of a small oven. Didn't fit on my counter top and took 2 people to move it. It was a beast. The 10" slicer I have weighs 35 lbs, fits perfectly on my counter top and tears through anything I have ever done like a hot knife through butter. It also fits perfectly in my appliance closet. I cut bacon in to 10-12" slices. yes they are long but I bake them in the oven and they shrink up to the perfect size (for us). I know Darby does not like folding bacon in half to slice but it works perfectly for us. The trick is to make sure it very cold and to have a sharp blade. we have a fridge that runs at like 34 degrees. An hour or so in there and bacon firms up and slices very easily when folded. No tailing off, no high spots- perfect slices end to end. I did 30 lbs of bacon a few weeks ago in 20 minutes. Outside of bacon, a 10" blade is a very compatible size for anything else a home cook would use it for. 

So I recommend a light duty commercial 10" for most people. No plastic gears or parts. 100% metal with the strongest motor you can find. The model I have is a few years older than this one below but the only difference I can see is that my on/off switch is an actual switch instead of buttons.  It's $800 new but you can find similar models out there for $200 or less. 

You can get a new off brand import for $300-$400 with warranty. I would have no problem buying one of those for home use. 



This one is listed for $379 brand new with warranty in Austin:

The Cen-Tex Smoker

This is some of the 30lbs I did folded in half. And you are correct- a 10" Avantco will work like a champ at home