Bacon Slicer

[jhuyser]

Love making home made bacon. Anyone have a good slicer recommendation? I have a small cheap slicer but it isnt big enough for slabs of bacon? I want one that is big enough to do slabs of bacon..

 

[halfcocked]

I picked this up on offer up for $125 and am very satisfied with it. I think the new price is about $300.

 

[jhuyser]

Can you get a whole slab of bacon on it?

 

[rexster314]

Start checking on Facebook Marketplace (if you're on FB) and craigslist. Look for Hobart or Berkel 16" slicers. You can put a whole slab of bacon on the carriage, not have to split them like you do with these smaller slicers. It might take a little time, but the things are built like tanks and will last forever with a little care

 

[halfcocked]

Can you get a whole slab of bacon on it?

Not quite. I trim about 2" off the regular belly and use that for beans ond other goodies. I don't make enough bacon to justify a larger and much more expensive slicer. Nor do I want to store a larger one and haul it back and forth between garage and kitchen. The trade-off is well worth it for me.

 

[cow]

I've thought about buying a slicer but the only thing holding me back is cleaning (and, the storage space). How much of a pain, or not, are these machines to keep clean?

 

[jhuyser]

I've thought about buying a slicer but the only thing holding me back is cleaning (and, the storage space). How much of a pain, or not, are these machines to keep clean?

They are not to bad to clean. All stainless steel and they come apart for cleaning.. I was lucky enough back in high school to get to clean one every night.. :-D

 

[Porcine Perfection]

Agree. While a bit time consuming, they are designed to come apart and be cleaned. I have an old America Slicing Machine (circa 1940s) and all the guards\trays come off it.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

 

[snadamo]

I was gifted a made in china brand that has helped me slice bacon, jerky, turkey et all with no problem. For my use, I can't complain about $0. My wife recently purchased a garage shelf unit that currently holds all my food equipment. If I was in the market, I'd go the craigslist, FB marketplace, offerup route for a more commercial model.

 

[sjb67]

I picked up a 12” Berkel for 300.00 several years ago. Needed a new blade and good cleaning but still going strong.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I picked this up on offer up for $125 and am very satisfied with it. I think the new price is about $300.

Is that the 10 inch or smaller?

 

[halfcocked]

Is that the 10 inch or smaller?

The 10".

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

The 10".

That's the one I've been looking at.

 

[halfcocked]

I've thought about buying a slicer but the only thing holding me back is cleaning (and, the storage space). How much of a pain, or not, are these machines to keep clean?

Not a problem or hassle though you have to do it after every use. I put mine on the counter with the end opposite the controls hanging over the sink. The unit is now slanted toward the sink and drains naturally. I then use soap and water to clean the main body (the removable parts separately). I rinse it off and finish by spraying 152 proof grain alcohol with a mister on all cleaned parts, pat it dry and store uncovered until completely dry. It takes about 20 min.

 

[rob g]

I have a Chef's Choice slicer. I cut my belly bacon in half so it fits the frying pan easier so the small size isn't an issue. Back bacon and pastrami fit great. Most of the use is a couple times a week slicing my home made bread. It's small enough to fit on a shelf beside my mixer.

 

[dward51]

I have a Chef's Choice slicer. I cut my belly bacon in half so it fits the frying pan easier so the small size isn't an issue. Back bacon and pastrami fit great. Most of the use is a couple times a week slicing my home made bread. It's small enough to fit on a shelf beside my mixer.

I never thought about using one for bread. I have a Berkel 827 12" model

 

[Ed Embry]

I bought the Avantco 12" meat slicer a few years ago from the Webstaurant store. I've been pleased with it.

 

[airedale]

I went through this quest a couple of years ago. Things learned:

1) There is lots of junk out there at retail prices under $150.

2) There is a “pro-sumer” class of slicers in the $300-400 range. I’m not sure any of them will do a whole belly/full size slice of bacon. These slicers look quite a bit like the professional ones, but the bodies are plastic, not cast aluminum. Like many products, there seem to be just a few manufacturers that get labeled with many private brands and at somewhat varying price points.

3) Normally I would go for a used professional slicer because I have a personal rule against buying junk tools. But what I found was that even the used ones were often north of $500 (except antique junk). Lots of money. But what pushed me back to the pro-sumer tier is that the professional slicers were often 100# or more and really huge. Just too much for my storage space and occasional use.

So, I ended up with this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0172ATCOA When I do bacon, I cut the belly in half the long way. This is actually easier for my smoking setup and the "Bacon slice halves" fit the slicer easily. The product is pretty well made, not too heavy at 40#, and probably as easy to clean as any of them. (Which is to say not all that easy.) For me the cost and size of a full-slice tool are just not worth it.

 

[Cat797]

I always wanted a good slicer but was absolutely not going to buy a junk one from a big-box store. Most of the ~$150 units are complete garbage. Also, like other commenters, I did not want a huge 12" or 14" unit that weighs a couple hundred pounds. I was patient and searched FB Marketplace until I found an older version of the below for $125. Probably had it for close to 10 years. It's a breeze to clean and is only about 40lbs. Will it slice a whole belly? No, but it works good for smaller slabs and everything else I need it for.

https://chefscornernj.com/product/berkel-9-entry-deli-slicer/

 

[airedale]

I always wanted a good slicer but was absolutely not going to buy a junk one from a big-box store. Most of the ~$150 units are complete garbage. Also, like other commenters, I did not want a huge 12" or 14" unit that weighs a couple hundred pounds. I was patient and searched FB Marketplace until I found an older version of the below for $125. Probably had it for close to 10 years. It's a breeze to clean and is only about 40lbs. Will it slice a whole belly? No, but it works good for smaller slabs and everything else I need it for.

https://chefscornernj.com/product/berkel-9-entry-deli-slicer/

Good job and an amazing price for a $1000 machine! I was patient on FB and CraigsList but never saw a deal like that.