Meat slicer advice

BilZol

I only forsee slicing bacon and cheese at this point but we all know how that goes. I found the following on Amazon and wanted to know if this is a good starter slicer. Overkill? Not enough machine?

Nesco FS-250 180-watt Food Slicer with 8.7-Inch Blade https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L07TNSM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2p3bybT8WSVC2

Sea2Ski

I do not not know that model, but that blade seems to small to do full size cuts for bacon.
Slicers are one of those things that you really do kinda have to "pay to play". In order to get a good blade, sharpener and a long enough "throw" to do full length bacon, and something that does not leave a tag on the meat being sliced, you need at least a 10" (probably 12") blade and good power. Now you are talking some good money....

I do not know about slicing cheese, I have a 10" slicer and only sliced "crackerbarrel" cheese with it a few times and did not have any issue, but I do not know if you went up to a swiss or provolone if you would have issues.

Richard Fl

I have had a Rival for about 20 years and it has done well with bacon, turkey breasts and top rounds.  never had a need to do cheese and it is easy to keep clean. found in a garage sale in a box all parts there wife said husband could never get it back together after cleaning. $5.00

JustineCaseyFeldown

crap.  don't get it.

all those small pseudo-deli-looking versions (stainless, etc.) are made to look like they perform, but they don't.

just sold mine.

paid $200-ish, sold on CL for $50.  get it out of my frigging house.



problem here is that the REAL ones cost 800, 1000+ if you can find one on craigslist.  but they are worth it.

the 'travel' on the small ones, the length of stroke back and forth across the blade, is not enough for doing belly (bacon).  you need to either cut it, or fold it, and that sucks either way.

the platen against which you push the meat, the 'fin' that you can adjust to determine thickness, is too thin, and bends.

that means at the top it bends out when you press against it, and at the bottom it stays put, so your slices taper, being thinner at the bottom and thicker at the top.

the gap between the blade and the platen is too wide, and coupled with the bendy nature of the thing, it means that you will find a portion of meat at the bottom that doesn't quite trim off, and grows thicker and thicker cut after cut.  hard to explain that one.

let's just say, you aren't going to get tissue thin slices of prosciutto, and you aren't going to get nice even slices of ten inch long strips of bacon.

it sucks, because there are no real other options.  pony up for the real deal, or get yourself a long slicer (10"-12" knife), and learn to do the theick cut by hand. 

it is the only thing i ever talked myself into doing, knowing that i was being cheap.

the kicker is my dad found one of the true deli slicers for $40 at a yard sale about a year before i started curing.  offered it to me.  i don't have much space, and wasn't curing then.  i declined.

ooooff.  dumbest move ever (on my part). they don't perform well at all on any level (that I could find).  sure, maybe they slice one thing well (loin bacon, maybe, and even then not great).  but you don't want this thing just to slice ONE type of food.

the suction cups don't really work well either.  and the thing is not heavy enough to stay put (hence the suction cups).  so you have one arm trying to hold it down, another moving the tray/arm back and forth, and a third arm (?) holding and adjusting the meat you are slicing

EDIT: like fishing lures, their appearance is designed to catch humans.   

BilZol

Wow. Going to a 10" blade does jack the price up. Might need to rethink this a little.  

BilZol

They had a used slicer at RD a couple of weeks ago they wanted 400 for and I thought they were nuts. Maybe I should have done some research then. 

fishlessman

theres some things odd about this one, first its got a serrated blade, theres no smooth slicing blade. in the comment section theres a note that the unit can only be used 10 minutes then it needs to cool down for 1 hour, thats in the directions for the slicer by the manufurer.  the biggest problem with inexpensive slicers is the blade bearing wears out quickly.

JustineCaseyFeldown

fishlessman said:

the unit can only be used 10 minutes then it needs to cool down for 1 hour, thats in the directions for the slicer by the manufurer.

probably more about the blade heating up (warmer) due to friction and cutting the meat, than the motor getting hot.

a hot or warm blade can screw up stuff like prosciutto, where the fat has lost a lot of water.  if you leave prosciutto on the counter for any length of time, especially fatty stuff, like duck prosciutto, the fat can actually become semi-liquid.

a warm blade wouldn't be great for slicing fatty meats, which is pretty much what we wanna slice in the first place

BilZol

Guess I'll be hand cutting 20lbs of bacon next week and squirreling away more money for a real slicer. You all saved me on this one. 

WeberWho

Keep an eye out on Craigslist for a professional slicer if you have the room for one. Make sure it's a good functioning slicer. Repair parts are hard to find and can be expensive. I'm in the process of repairing an old 1930's globe slicer. My tip, find a good running slicer!!! You can find some nice older Hobarts, Globe, etc., for around 3 bills if lucky. 

MelSharples

Agree with @WeberWho your best bet is watching CL for a good deal to come along. Bought a Berkel X-13 from CL a year ago, MSRP $3k, got it for $250, took some elbow grease to get it cleaned up but it was well worth it. It really does make a world of difference using a good quality slicer. I've done deli meats, bacon, and ribeye sliced thin for cheese steaks.

JacksDad

Where do you all keep these beasts? If I bought one of the real deli slicers and put it on the counter, I'd be outside with the dog in a heartbeat...

Focker

JacksDad said:

Where do you all keep these beasts? If I bought one of the real deli slicers and put it on the counter, I'd be outside with the dog in a heartbeat...

$90 Craftsman Engine Cart, 2x6s, and a spare bedroom.  Wheel out, plug and play.

Put on the rtic sticker today that came with my Six Fos.  Alligator loppers, FB200 are below.  Please note the KAB sticker. 

Whole deal with 2 knives, I've got about $400 into it total, with blade sharpening, silicone grease and spray.  Worth every penny.  

Been combing for a Hobart grinder to put on the bottom....some day.

Focker

Ohhhhhhhhh BACON!!!
(Cheer at the Baconfest and Bacoonride in DSM)

BilZol

Just put 20lbs in to cure.