Slicer recommendations

K

KiltedKurmudgeon

Guest
I haven't been on this forum for a while...almost too busy to smoke.

I have a bit over thirty pounds of bacon in the fridge in five different recipes, awaiting a day calm enough to fire up the smoker. I'm going to slice and vacuum seal it in roughly one pound packs as I always do. This is a much larger batch than I have ever done, and frankly, I don't want to slice that much by hand. There is also ham, turkey breast, and a roast that will be used in the near future for sammiches and such.

So, now I'm looking for a slicer. I'm surprised I didn't buy a while ago. Any recommendations? I think a 100 watt is as low power as I want to go, and would like to stay in the neighborhood of 100-150 bucks or less. I know really good slicers are pricey, but I can make do with a cheaper unit as long as it isn't junk and will last a while.
 
I had a Waring Pro FS150 that would handle very light duty. Apparently my slicing meat for jerky wasn't light duty enough because it kept stripping the plastic gear. The good news is the plastic gear was cheap to replace. I got rid of it. I'd recommend looking on CL for a good slicer at a discounted price, but it sounds like you need one right away.
 
I've got a Waring Pro and really like it It's light weight and easy to clean. This is not a pro machine it's household use. Take it easy and it will last a long time. About $50 at Sam's.
 
I've looked a CL and a local classifieds site. The pickings are slim out here in the sticks. The nearest CL listings are usually 150 miles to the north, south, or west of us. Long drive for a slicer.

I looked at a Waring at Sam's. It seems solid enough frame-wise, but I've read a lot of complaints about the drive.

Has anyone used a machine from Kalorik? The one I found online has a 200W motor, and appears to be mostly metal...though it could be silver plastic. I have also found listings for YH, which appears to be made my the same company, but has a 150W motor, and a lower price tag. I'm also considering a Chefs Choice 609...it seems to be a decent machine, but isn't a lot cheaper than the Kalorik which has better reviews. It also looks to be mostly plastic, which is fine if it's designed well and doesn't flex too much.
 
This what I use. Rival Model 1101.
I've had it for at least 30 years. Still works great for what I do.

P1010004-1.jpg
 
I had the Waring pro model and it only lasted about a year or two before crapping out, it was difficult to clean, and seemed under-powered. I would stay away from that.

I have heard a lot of good things about various Chef's Choice models but what I really want is a Hobart slicer like grocery deli dept use. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget or room for those (even used prices are up there).
 
Cast Iron Chef said:
I have the 610 and also very happy with it for occasional use. Easy cleanup and in your price range.
Click to expand...
610 here as well. Gets the job done for me.

Mostly I just use it for jerky meat slicing. I get a whole eye of round from Costco, trim it, cut it in half, and toss it in the freezer for a few hours. After that I proceed to throw each half on the slicer and cut them into slices longways.

Easy peasy.
 
Chad, I checked out that site. I didn't find a slicer, but my Christmas list just tripled in size!

I've read decent reviews of both the Chef's Choice models mentioned. You really have to throw out the reviews by dumbasses who expect a $100 consumer appliance to perform like the machine at the deli. The PS-10 J-Rod asked about would be awesome, but it's more than double my budget.

Choloway--THAT is what I've been hoping to stumble upon, but I'm not holding my breath. I used to have one a lot like that. I got it at a second-hand store for $10, but my ex-wife took it, along with a nice meat grinder, stainless pots and pans, and a Kitchenaid mixer with a ton of doodads totaling nearly $1K when we split up. It was still worth it, though. :wink:

I'll probably order one tomorrow after giving it a good think. Either CC 625 or 610, the Kalorik I was eyeballing, or this one that Wally World just got back in stock today: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Magic-Chef-Food-Slicer/17655893#ProductDetail. Unless I find something like that Rival tonight!

EDIT: There are dozens of Rival 1110's on eBay for good prices. I guess it's a five way race now.

Thanks for the input.
 
I just looked at the Magic Chef slicer at Walmart you are considering.
My biggest concern would be the "table".
With no extension and narrow width, I would be really hard to slice meats that have any "length" to them.

I have a Rival I bought at Walmart several years back. For a consumer unit, it works just fine.
And, for a home cook, I slice a whole lot of semi frozen meat for jerky, bacon, and sandwich meat.

I would look for a wider table for sure.

Happy Hunting.

TIM
 
One tip I can tell you regardless of slicer you have is that when slicing bacon - slice it VERY VERY cold or semi froze. I just got done slicing about 45 lbs of bacon and was struggling with the first couple slabs until I put them in the freezer to firm up a bit,

We have the Chef's Choice and bought a Berkel 10 inch for a steal of a price from a co-worker. I used the Berkel to slice up our bacon, as it cuts a lot cleaner.
 
I was a bit concerned about having enough travel for some of the meats I use. I think the Wally-World MC might be out then. Unfortunately, my nearest stores are a Walmart 25 miles away that doesn't stock slicers (or a lot of other appliances), and Sears, Sam's, Khols, etc. 125 miles away, so actually looking at different models isn't happening unless I happen to be up there.

I thought I'd be done debating this by now. I'm really starting to lean toward a Rival 1110, just because I pretty much know what to expect...plus it's such a simple and solid design that if anything breaks or dies I can likely fix it.

The Kalorik looks decent too, but I think it's nearly the same dimensions as the MC at WalMart. It's hard to tell from the pics, especially since they're all at angles. I haven't managed to find a straight pic of any of them. If the blade diameter is listed it's easy to overlay a grid and figure out the dimensions...a ruler on the screen will do it too, but that's not "nerdy" enough.

And so the search resumes...
 
KiltedKurmudgeon said:
I was a bit concerned about having enough travel for some of the meats I use. I think the Wally-World MC might be out then. Unfortunately, my nearest stores are a Walmart 25 miles away that doesn't stock slicers (or a lot of other appliances), .
Click to expand...

You can pay and order on-line and pick up at your Walmart Store.
 
IamMadMan said:
You can pay and order on-line and pick up at your Walmart Store.
Click to expand...
I do site-to-store frequently. I decided to not get that particular model because it's capacity to handle wide slabs of meat, like my bacon, is lacking.

I wound up getting the Rival 1100. I had to get a blade for it, but it was good to go otherwise. It's well built, simple, easy to fix. Too bad they don't build that one anymore. It's big enough to handle those bacon slabs, medium size roasts and hams, etc. I'm already working near its size limit, but it's unlikely I'll be needing to cut anything bigger any time soon. I have a friend who is a butcher and another with a restaurant so if I need a bigger slicer I have access to one.
 
Ackman said:
I too have a Chef Choice for at least 5-6 years and have been happy with it for the price. I am now finding that the about of jerky and bacon I have been making is taking its toll and am looking for a new one. This is what I am thinking about but have not had time to research it yet completely:

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/ava...gravity-feed-meat-slicer-1-4-hp/177SL310.html
Click to expand...


I just picked up one of these off of ebay for $270 shipped. I got it late last week and have only sliced some salami. It easily sliced it thin enough you could see through it. It is very well built and seems like a steal for the price. Will be doing some jerky this weekend.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-BLADE-CO...0W-/110971281316?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160
 
If one can afford it a Toledo or a Hobart, sometimes you can find one at auction or the school system put them up on a bid.
 
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