Cook’s QuickFire on Commercial Slicers
When considering a commercial slicer purchase, knowing what kind of food will be sliced is just as important as knowing how much food will be sliced. Also referred to as meat slicers or deli slicers, some are designed to operate all day and slice virtually any kind of food. Others are meant only to slice for an hour or less each day and cannot handle hard-to-slice items. Get the wrong one and you’ll spell nothing but trouble for your kitchen; be doomed to motor burnout, damaged gears or other premature breakdown.
Most deli slicers can accommodate any kind of deli meat at room temperature. But when it comes to slicing heavier items, especially cheese or anything frozen, heavier-duty models are recommended. Any attempt at slicing these items with a light-duty deli slicer is sure to burn out the motor. The meat slicer’s horsepower rating is a good indicator of what foods it can handle and how much power is transferred to the blade. Also be sure to check the size of the carriage, which holds the product to be sliced in place, to ensure the slicer meets your product requirements.
Commercial slicers are available either belt- or gear-driven, or some are available with automatic operation. Multiple slicing speeds are available on higher-end models, and many slicers offer a built-in sharpening stone. Most units are NSF-certified for sanitation.
Brands: Adcraft Slicer; Berkel Slicer; Globe Slicer; Hobart Slicer; Mondial Slicer; Prison Bilt Slicer; Sirman Slicer; Univex Slicer; Vollrath Slicer.
Duty: Light; Medium; Heavy
Light-duty meat slicers are normally equipped with 9- or 10-inch blades and are best suited for applications where they are used for about an hour a day. They are not suitable for slicing cheese or frozen foods, because the load that these products require often is more than the motor can handle. Medium-duty deli slicers are typically equipped with larger blades and can slice limited amounts of cheese; they are not suitable for slicing frozen items. Heavy-duty deli slicers are the workhorses of the category, capable of slicing any amount of meat, cheese or frozen products over long durations. They are normally equipped with 12- to 14-inch blades, many with motorized carriages for automatic operation.
Operation: Manual; Automatic
Many heavy-duty and some medium-duty meat slicers are equipped for automatic operation, saving crewmembers from repetitive motion and freeing them to attend to other duties. Manual slicers are labor-intensive, requiring users to move the carriage across the blade for each slice.
Blade Size: Ranges from 9” to 14”
Smaller blades are suitable for users that need to slice processed meats and cheeses, like hard salami and deli turkey. Operations that are slicing roasts or other large cuts of meat are better served with larger blade sizes.
Construction: Stainless steel; Aluminum
For more information on top commercial slicers like the Globe Slicer and Hobart Slicer, visit CooksDirect.com
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