Best Electric Meat Slicers
You don’t have to be a gourmand to appreciate good food, served well. And good food doesn’t always mean premium cuts of meat, or even organic fruits and veggies. Its how foods are prepared – freshness, authentic flavors, and free from preservatives. You don’t get that level of quality from pre-packaged meats and cheeses; you get it from buying and slicing fresh. That’s why an electric meat slicer is a must-have kitchen tool. Now, before you say its more than you need for the few sandwiches you make you need to check out its versatility. Today’s designs slice up vegetables, breads, and cheeses for charcuterie boards, deli platters, or even leftover roasts for sandwiches. Still not sure? Then check out the features on our best electric meat slicers – we’re sure they’ll exceed your expectations.
Our Top Electric Meat Slicers
Techwood Multi-Purpose Electric Meat Slicer: For Those Who Want a Reliable, Affordable Slicer
Overview:
Material: Stainless-steel
Watts: 120-watts
Blade Size: 7.5-inches
Special Features: Serrated blade for cutting bread
Warranty: 18-months
If you’ve finally decided to up your game when it comes to making sandwich platters and charcuterie trays, meet your new kitchen apprentice – the Techwood meat slicer. From the onset, it brings a substantial 120-watts of power which means it can slice through your meats, hard cheeses, fruits and vegetables with total ease. And because its 7.5-inch stainless-steel blade is serrated, its perfect for slicing through bagels, rolls, or whole loaves of bread such as rye and pumpernickel for a truly authentic, full-flavored sandwich. Now, we all have our preferences when it comes to taste and texture, and whether you like your meats, cheeses and veggies thinly shaved or more thickly cut, the Techwood can do it all. From super-thin for sandwiches to a ¾-inch slab for meat or cheese platters, it’s versatility and precision cutting means you no longer have to waste time with hand-cutting. Its also safe and easy to use with a belt-drive for smooth, seamless operation, blade guard, and silicone, anti-skid pads that prevent movement when in use. And because sanitization is critical for appliances that interact with meats, it’s reassuring to know this unit disassembles for thorough cleaning and that all attachments are dishwasher-safe.
Pros:
- Cuts meats, vegetables, cheeses, fruit, or bread
- Slices from .04 to 20 mm thicknesses
- 5-inch blade for cutting breads
- Blade and accessories are dishwasher safe
- Sliding food pusher and blade guard for safety
Cons:
- Can only operate in 10-minute stretches
If you’re just starting out and want an affordable meat slicer that’s both efficient and versatile, this 180-watt model is the perfect choice.
BESWOOD Electric Meat Slicer: For Those Who Need a Professional-Grade Slicer at An Affordable Price
Overview:
Material: Aluminum body with chromium plated carbon steel blade
Watts: 240-watts
Blade Size: 10-inches
Special Features: Serrated blade for cutting bread
Warranty: 1-year
If your need for a top-quality meat slicer goes way beyond just prepping lunch-time sandwiches for the kids, then you’re going to want to check out this BESWOOD professional-grade unit. With an impressive 240-watts of power, its capable of working through volumes of foods including meats, hard or medium-hard cheeses, breads, vegetables and even fruit to deliver consistently precise cuts from start to finish. And all of that precise, even cutting comes from this slicer’s 10-inch carbon steel blade that’s been constructed for the long haul and includes chromium plating so you never have to deal with rust or corrosion. A top-mounted, double-stone sharpener helps maintain the blade’s uniformly sharp edge, so sloppy results are a thing of the past. Whether a fine shave of 1 mm or a thicker slab of ½-inch, you get clean, even results from the first cut, to the last. And one of the best features for any production-style meat slicer is the V-belt design that reduces both noise and vibration for a unit that runs quickly, quietly, and with ideal stability during use. Safety features include a fool-proof, double illuminated on/off switch, blade ring guard, and four skid-proof rubber feet for secure anchoring.
Pros:
- Cuts meats, vegetables, hard and medium cheeses, fruit, or bread
- V-belt construction reduces noise and vibration
- Slices from 1 to 12 mm thicknesses
- 10-inch chromium-plated carbon steel blade
- Double-illuminated on/off switch for added safety
Cons:
- Blade removal for cleaning can be difficult
If you’re looking for an electric meat slicer that performs like a commercial-grade unit, but is priced more like a home use model, then we’ve just found your slicer.
Chef’sChoice Electric Meat Slicer: For Slicing Extra-Large Roasts or Hams
Overview:
Material: Cast aluminum, stainless-steel blade
Watts: 120-watts
Blade Size: 7-inches
Special Features: Angled carriage for faster slicing
Warranty: 1-year
If you love the idea of being able to cook up a volume of food, then slicing and prepping it for the freezer, you’ll want to check out this Chef’sChoice electric meat slicer. In addition to an extraordinarily powerful high torque motor with gear drive, it has a generous, retractable food carriage that allows you to load extra large portions of meats, vegetables, fruits, or full loaves of bread as you ready them for slicing. How much easier would it be to set an entire roast of beef or full smoked ham down on the carriage for slicing, rather than having to break it down into more manageable pieces. What I love is that the carriage is tilted so as your foods are sliced, they slide off and onto a platter (included with the unit), rather than build up into a messy pile. The 7-inch stainless-steel blade is adjustable and capable of slicing foods super thin for when you want to layer smoked meats in a deli-style sandwich, or up to ¾-inch in thickness for use on charcuterie boards or preparing leftovers for future enjoyment. All components are cast aluminum or stainless-steel and are removable for a quick and easy clean-up.
Pros:
- Large capacity carriage holds up to 7-inches of food
- Slices from 1 mm to 20 mm thicknesses
- Angled carriage lets sliced foods slide off onto tray
- Cool running, high torque motor with gear drive
- Slices meats, breads, fruits, and vegetables
Cons:
- Does not slice cheeses
If you’re looking for a meat slicer that can handle extra large portions of food, then the powerful motor and generously sized, retractable carriage on this unit makes it an ideal option.
Nesco Electric Meat Slicer: For Those Looking for Power and Reliability, on a Budget
Overview:
Material: Cast aluminum, stainless-steel carriage and blade
Watts: 180-watts
Blade Size: 7.5-inches
Special Features: Also slices cheeses and breads
Warranty: 1-year
When your love affair with deli-style meats, cheeses and breads just collided with your rather meagre budget for new kitchen gadgets, this Nesco, 180-watt meat slicer is about to make your day. Not only is it as powerful as some of the pricier units we’ve looked at, but it comes in a durable die-cast aluminum housing with 7.5-inch serrated stainless-steel blade which makes it versatile enough to cut through everything from meats to cheeses, breads, vegetables and even fruit. And just like the more expensive models, the blade is fully adjustable so you can slice all your favorite foods super thin for sandwiches and snacks or up to 14 mm (over ½ inch thick) for when you want to entertain with cheese platters, charcuterie, or sliced fruits and vegetables. I’m impressed by the manufacturer’s attention to detail that includes a recessed power switch for added safety and the unit’s non-skid feet that prevent slipping and movement during operation. And when it comes to clean up, the stainless-steel blade is removable and the stainless-steel wrapped carriage comes with a quick release features to make keeping this unit pristine and sanitary, always quick and easy.
Pros:
- 5-inch serrated stainless-steel blade detaches
- Slices meats, breads, fruits, cheeses, and vegetables
- Stainless-steel food carriage features quick release for easy cleaning
- Cuts as thin as 1 mm to 14 mm thicknesses
- Recessed power switch for added safety
Cons:
- Lightweight construction can make it feel flimsy
If you need a powerful, multi-purpose meat slicer that is super-efficient, but won’t break the bank, then this is the one you’ve been looking for.
The Benefits to an Electric Meat Slicer versus Cutting by Hand
There are definite benefits that extend far beyond the convenience of not having to stand and hand-cut meats, cheeses, and more. Start with the thinness of the cut. For those who love corned beef, pastrami or other deli meats, shaving or the super-thin slices that are layered into a sandwich are something you simply can’t get through hand-cutting. Add to that the consistency and precision that takes just seconds for a meat slicer to achieve, and you’ll start to see the benefits. And today’s slicers do more than just slice meats. You can achieve paper thin slices of vegetables or fruits – ready for a sandwich, salad, or even a dehydrator. Or various thickness of both hard and medium-cheeses that are ideal for adding to a sandwich, a charcuterie board or featuring on a cheese platter. Want to slice a pineapple?
With a meat slicer, you can do it cleanly and at a thickness you can’t achieve with a regular knife. In the end, you not only save time, you produce a better tasting, neater looking, and perfectly textured food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Consider When Buying an Electric Meat Slicer?
Let’s start with motor power. Depending on how often you intend to use your slicer, and for how long a run (to make a few sandwiches or produce pounds of sliced meats or cheeses for freezing), power levels are important. The BESWOOD is a great option because at 240-watts, its powerful enough to motor through a volume of food without missing a beat, but its also priced well-below that of commercial-grade slicers. And as a rule of thumb, the larger the blade, the better the quality of the slicer and the higher the price. You need to decide on which options are important, based on your budget constraints.
Don’t They All Slice Cheeses, Breads and Vegetables?
No, some meat slicers are specifically designed to slice only meats – and some, only cooked meats. If you want your appliance to be able to take on foods such as vegetables, fruit, bread, and different types of hard cheeses, you need to ensure this is a highlighted feature. Because cheeses or breads in particular, can be tricky you’ll find slicers capable of tackling them to be more expensive. But never assume your slicer is designed for these foods.
What Safety Features Should I Look For?
You should eliminate any electric meat slicer that doesn’t offer the basics – rubber or suction feet to prevent movement or sliding when in use as well as blade-guard to protect fingers. After that, look for appliances where very little of the blade is exposed to help prevent unintended contact, and then you should look for a protected on/off switch that prevents the unit from accidentally engaging if bumped.
Why Does Blade Size Matter?
Generally, the larger the blade the more powerful the meat slicer. Now, that doesn’t mean you need the most powerful unit on the market. In fact, the NJTFHU hand-held model is perfect for daily use, slices at any angle (ideal for gyros) and features a small, 3-inch blade. But that’s what makes it so lightweight and easy to work with when slicing vertically. Many of the units we’ve profiled come in at the 7-1/2-inch size blade. Which is fairly standard for a non-commercial-grade meat slicer and is perfectly functional for household use.
Conclusion
An electric meat slicer is probably the last appliance most of us think about when we’re looking for convenience in the kitchen or ways to improve the quality of our foods. Yet, for less than the cost of a good quality coffee maker, you get a versatile appliance that not only saves you money over pre-packaged, pre-sliced foods, but delivers a healthier, better quality item that’s free from artificial preservatives. Above all, you get to enjoy your favorite deli meats, cheeses, and breads sliced precisely the way you like them – whether thick, thin, or shaved and stacked. Its also ideal for those who entertain and want their cheese, veggie, and meat platters to have a clean, uniform appearance. Our 5 favorite meat slicers offer you a range of features, slicing capabilities, power levels and above all, price points. We really do think they’re a cut above the rest, so be sure to check them out.